| lieve that there is really no right and wrong, that | | | | we have bad karma. Karma is the idea that you pay |
| whether it is right or not is decided by the individual? | | | | for what you do wrong. Karma as a belief is not |
| Or alternatively do you believe that there is definite | | | | “new” at all, it comes originally from |
| bad karma and you pay for it in each reincarnation? | | | | India. In India, Hindus and Buddhists believe that |
| Or do you believe neither- what alternative is there, | | | | karma is accumulated every reincarnation and you |
| if any? Do you believe that God wants every one to | | | | pay for the karma in the next reincarnation. |
| be saved or only some people? Do you think a | | | | In India, karma is used as an excuse to justify the |
| religion should teach doing good to others, charity, | | | | wrong acceptance of racism. They believe that |
| and love? Do you believe that God is everywhere? | | | | people who were born with black skin are born that |
| Your answers to these questions tell whether you | | | | way because they were very evil in a past life. In |
| support the New Era movement or not. | | | | India, the blacks are called the untouchables. They |
| New Era supporters believe in reincarnation, because | | | | and anybody who is crippled or poor are denied |
| as one pop song put it, “it takes more than | | | | equality and opportunities to improve their life |
| one lifetime to learn”. Yet the New Era | | | | because as K.P. Yohannan explains in his Christian |
| movement does not try to stimulate moral values in | | | | book, Revolution in World Missions, according to |
| people for them to earn their salvation. In the New | | | | karmic belief, Hindus believe that helping them would |
| Era belief, you yourself decide what it right, their | | | | only worsen their condition, prolonging the time they |
| values are relative, no matter what the Bible says. | | | | have to suffer to pay for their bad karma. |
| In Christianity, we accept that ten million lifetimes | | | | Sadly, Hinduism keeps India poor, K.P. Yohannan adds, |
| would not be enough to learn. The more that the | | | | because the Hindus believe that rats are sacred. |
| world progresses in technology, the worse that the | | | | They will not exterminate rats even though rats eat |
| weapons become. The more medicines are invented, | | | | one third of the crops and bring diseases. The cows |
| the more billions that have no access to them | | | | and rats eat the crops but starving people are not |
| because of poverty. We sin and we make mistakes. | | | | allowed to eat of it. |
| We have only one life to live, Christians do not | | | | In Christian belief, all races are made by God from |
| believe in reincarnation. Christians admit that we are | | | | one common ancestor, Adam and Eve. We are all |
| all imperfect and need salvation. Yet we can all | | | | made in God’s image and deserve to be |
| become saved from eternal suffering and have | | | | treated equally and loved as God loves us (Genesis |
| eternal life happiness with God. It is as easy as | | | | 2:27). |
| believing in Jesus as our only savior and God. New Era | | | | The Bible tells us to help the poor. “If there |
| doctrine implies that God is mean because all can not | | | | be any among you that are poor of one of thy |
| be saved. Many people in the New Age movement | | | | brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which |
| misunderstand the Christian belief that God is | | | | the Lord has given you, you shall not harden your |
| everywhere, and instead represent it to mean that | | | | heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother |
| God is everything. ved, but Christianity says God has | | | | (Deuteronomy 15: 7) and “And thy shall not |
| called all to be saved, even though no one is perfect, | | | | glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather every |
| simply by believing in Jesus. | | | | grape of thy vineyard; you shall leave them for the |
| Christian beliefs are based upon the Bible and to | | | | poor and the stranger” (Leviticus 23:22). To |
| Christians; the Bible is the only true Holy Book. The | | | | glean means to pick up every last crop. Some of the |
| Bible tells us what is right and what is wrong. | | | | crop must be left behind for the poor of the country |
| Ironically, it is New Era that does not persuade | | | | and the poor foreigners to gather. |
| people to be good because according to the New | | | | Jesus also taught that a man who could not see was |
| Era, we are all good and there is no wrong. | | | | not born without sight to pay for his sin nor for the |
| In New Era doctrine, wrong is in the eye of the | | | | sin of his parents (John 9:1-3). The persons with a |
| beholder, whereas in Christianity, God ask us to do | | | | handicap are equal to everyone and should not be |
| good. “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, | | | | looked down upon. |
| but that which is good. He that does good is of God: | | | | But from Western eyes, it is not desirable to have |
| but he that does evil has not seen God” (3 | | | | good karma either. Reverend Moisés Roman |
| John 11). Many charitable organizations and Institutions | | | | explained that in Hinduism belief, you reincarnate into |
| of higher learning were founded by Christians, for | | | | a cow, not as a punishment, but because you have |
| example, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army; | | | | been very good and have reached a very high level |
| Harvard, Yale, and Interamerican Universities, to | | | | of development. In fact, in Asia, it is an ideal to stop |
| name just a few of the countless many around the | | | | reincarnating and become free of the supposed |
| world. | | | | endless cycle of birth and re-birth, whereas to a New |
| Jesus said “love your enemies, bless them | | | | Age westerner, it is a welcome idea to keep |
| that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and | | | | reincarnating. |
| pray for them that despitefully use you, and | | | | We must examine the societal implications of our |
| persecute you.” (Mathew 5:44) and he really | | | | beliefs. According to economists, India, which has a |
| lived that. Jesus did not fight back when the ancient | | | | free market and is a democracy, should have an |
| Pagan Roman army came to arrest him and crucify | | | | excellent economy. Yet it is one of the poorest parts |
| him, (even though he could have done a miracle to | | | | of the world because there is little support for |
| set himself free), because he wanted to give himself | | | | equality and charity. |
| in ransom for our sins. Jesus came to this world to | | | | The Christians are the ones that have set up |
| fulfill a mission, God, the Father, asked him to do; and | | | | charitable organizations in India, but it is not yet |
| Jesus willingly did. His mission was to give himself to | | | | enough. For instance, in India, Christian missionaries |
| save us from our sins. | | | | are beaten up and rejected by their families (from |
| When they came to arrest him, one who was with | | | | various articles from Send! missionary magazine, ). |
| Jesus took out a sword and cut the ear off of one | | | | Another difference between New Era and Christianity |
| of those who came to arrest him. But Jesus said, | | | | is the implications of the belief that God is |
| “Put back your sword, for all they who take | | | | everywhere. Many people in the New Age |
| up the sword shall perish by the sword”. | | | | movement misunderstand the Christian belief that |
| Jesus said he could have called thousands of angels | | | | God is everywhere, and instead represent it to mean |
| to his aid if he so chose to, but he did not defend | | | | that God is everything. One highly educated, western |
| himself (Mathew 26:51-54). No one can live up to | | | | person I know prays by looking in the mirror and |
| Jesus. This was done as an example to all of us. | | | | talking to “the God inside him”. |
| Jesus, of whose one of his titles was the Son of | | | | Pantheism and Christianity are very different. We are |
| man, said, “For even the Son of man came | | | | not God and animals are not God either. God is |
| not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to | | | | perfect, we are not. |
| give his life as a ransom for many” (Marc | | | | Christians become filled with the Holy Spirit of God by |
| 10:45). The Bible says, “even the | | | | believing in Jesus and asking Jesus only to come into |
| righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus | | | | their heart. According to born again Christians, if you |
| Christ unto all and upon all that believe: for there is no | | | | have not asked Jesus to be your savior and God, |
| difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the | | | | then you have not invited Jesus into your temple, |
| glory of God; being justified freely by his grace this | | | | which is your body, so God is not inside you. |
| grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: | | | | “The most high does not dwell in temples |
| whom God has set to be a propitiation through faith | | | | made with hands…” (Acts 8:48). When |
| in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the | | | | you believe in Jesus, you have the joy of Jesus |
| remission of sins that are past, through the | | | | dwelling in your heart, (your heart is created by God), |
| forbearance of God” (Romans 3:22-25). This | | | | not in statues or pictures made by human hands. |
| means that we all need forgiveness and can receive | | | | When born again Christians pray, they close their |
| it by believing in Jesus, who shed his blood for us on | | | | eyes and pray to God, the creator of the entire |
| the cross. | | | | universe. They pray to God in Jesus’ name, |
| We ourselves can not clean up guilt by saying that all | | | | not to themselves. Jesus, God’s son, said, |
| we do is relatively good. If you are kidnapped by an | | | | “And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, |
| enemy, and the enemy wants money for your | | | | that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the |
| release, someone must pay that ransom for you to | | | | Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do |
| live. The enemy is the devil who has tied us up with | | | | it” (John 14:13-14). |
| sin, but the savior is Jesus. A kidnapper wants a lot | | | | During a time of crisis, we need to become |
| of money, even more than we can have. But Jesus, | | | | strengthened by turning to a resource outside of our |
| having never sinned, was the sacrifice that saved us | | | | limitations. If we believe that we are God, if we |
| because he was painfully crucified though he had no | | | | believe that we make up our own values, and that |
| sin. His great worth paid for the salvation of all who | | | | we make up our own miracles; we will have mental |
| are willing to believe in him and enjoy eternal | | | | inconsistency. We will be going around in circles, |
| happiness in heaven. | | | | looking inside again and again for what can only be |
| Jesus was the only one who said to love your | | | | found outside of our imperfection. |
| enemies. Contrary to popular belief, polytheist | | | | I knew of one lady that would do a Tarot reading |
| religions do persecute Christians. Most New Era | | | | for herself over and over again on the same |
| followers are polytheists, or believe in polytheism like | | | | question, never accepting that she did not feel |
| a mix of the ancient Greek gods and various kinds of | | | | satisfied with the answer she got. Some Tarot |
| witchcraft, with Hinduism as its basis. | | | | readers that charge for their reading even record the |
| In the European countries and in the United States, | | | | session, and give the recording away, so the |
| polytheists do not usually persecute Christians | | | | customer will not be asking the same questions over |
| because these are predominantly Christian countries | | | | and over again. |
| and modern Christians teach that no one should | | | | We were meant for something better, we were |
| persecuted for their religious beliefs. Polytheists have | | | | meant to pray to God in Jesus’ name, the |
| been positively influenced by Christians in the west. | | | | creator and sustainer of the Universe; the only |
| But polytheist nations in predominantly non-Christian | | | | source of power, perfection, and infinite wisdom; and |
| countries are very different than the west. | | | | to receive help from him. |
| Polytheists in predominantly non-Christian countries | | | | For books on salvation, see the author’s |
| persecute Christians. It is the Christian nations that | | | | Christian bookstore link below. I recommend Just the |
| are against religious persecution in the world. | | | | FAQ’s About Salvation: Frequently Asked |
| Another difference between New Era and Christianity | | | | Questions, by Andreas Max; The New Age |
| is the idea of Karma. New Era alternates between | | | | Movement, by Philip Lochhaas; and Is Jesus the Only |
| the idea that we can do no wrong and the idea that | | | | Savior? by Ronald H. Nash. |