INTERACTIVE TEACHING/LEARNING GUIDE
Belief – Know What You and Others Believe - Week 17
Session Title: What Do New Agers Believe?
Focal Passages: Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46; Hebrews 9:27
Central Teaching/Learning Aim: Learners will be introduced to the practices and beliefs of New Agers and be able to compare at contrast their practices to the practices of Christians.
I. Hook
A. Share the following newspaper article from the Toronto Community News:
“Helping People Gain Insight into Their Lives”
Selina Khan is a professional psychic who helps people with their personal and business lives. Describing Khan’s work, the Toronto Community News states:
Being a psychic doesn't mean spinning tales for people.
For Khan, it's actually more like being a life coach and a business consultant with a spiritual element. Much like people seeking answers, guidance or comfort though their faith, people come to her for the same things only she uses her gifts to help them.
Khan said she's empathic, which means she can feel people's emotions and she can read people's energies. She's also a medium who can speak with spirits that have passed; and a psychic, connecting with spirit guides, angels or loved ones who communicate to her, allowing her to pass along the information.
"If they're open to hearing it, spirits give me specific guidance for them. It's not coming from me, I'm just the messenger. It's either their spirit guide or their mother or grandmother in spirit who are giving me information to help them grow," she said.
Maria Tzavaras, “Helping People Gain Insight into Their Lives,” Toronto Community News, 100 Tempo Ave., Toronto, Ontario, 11 November 2010.
Ask – Do you believe that people like Selina Khan really have the ability to communicate with spirits, or is this all a sham? Some might say that Selina is communicating with demonic beings who pose as spirit guides. Is that possible?
Say – Today we will be talking about the beliefs held by New Agers. One of the beliefs held by this group is that a person can tap into supernatural power through meditation, self awareness and communication with spirit guides.
B. Optional Method – The Truman Show
Start: 1:07:20
Stop: 1:08:08
DVD Chapter 16
Synopsis: Truman (Jim Carrey) believes he lives a “normal” life. Actually the world in which he lives is an illusion. His world is a gigantic TV set and, even though he is unaware of it, Truman is the star of a reality TV show. Every aspect of his life is broadcast worldwide, 24/7, for all the world to see.
In this scene the creator of the show, Christof, is being interviewed after the near disaster for the show when Truman begins to realize that his world is not real.
The Truman Show. Paramount Pictures, Produced by Scott Rudin, Andrew Niccol, Edward S. Feldman and Adam Schroeder, Directed by Peter Weir, 1998.
Say – In this scene Christof indicates that Truman has the potential within himself to recognize the illegitimacy of his world, but he chooses not to do so. We will discover in today’s study that those who hold to a New Age philosophy believe that the world we live in is an illusion. They also believe that people have the ability to reach within themselves to tap a limitless potential of the human spirit.
C. Optional Method – The Sixth Sense
Start: 1:31:54
Stop: 1:35:50
DVD Chapter 17
Synopsis: Eight-year-old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) possesses a “sixth sense” – he can communicate with the spirits of dead people. In the movie a distinguished child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), meets Cole and helps him discover how to cope with “the sixth sense.”
In this scene Cole tells his mother of his “secret” and offers her proof that his ability is real.
Ask – Do you believe that it is possible to for us to communicate with spirits?
Say – Today we will discover that one of the beliefs of those who practice the New Age philosophy is that it is possible to communicate with the spirits of the dead. We will examine this practice, along with others that, to us, may seem very bizarre.
D. Optional Method – “Out-of-Body” Experience of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Share the following story:
Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is a world-famous psychiatrist and medical doctor. She is probably best known for her book entitled On Death and Dying in which she outlines the 5 stages of grief.
In his book entitled What’s the Big Deal About Other Religions, John Ankerberg tells of a time when he interviewed Dr. Kubler-Ross on his television program. During this interview, Ankerberg learned of Dr. Kubler-Ross’ “out-of-body” experience. Ankerberg writes:
Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross told our audience that for most of her life she was an agnostic. But after leaving Zürich, Switzerland to teach at the University of Chicago, she allegedly had an out-of-body experience one night, during which she met spirit guides who gave her a full physical healing. She claimed that from that time onward, she had talked to the dead; lived during the time of Christ as Isabel, one of his teachers; and communicated with materialized spirits called entities. After her New Age initiation she went on to catalog over 20,000 cases of near-death experiences in which people who had stopped breathing and supposedly died entered and passed through a dark tunnel, saw a great light coming toward them and surrounding them with love, entered a very beautiful scenic place, and met loved ones who had died earlier.
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs, What’s the Big Deal About Other Religions, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 193-94.
Ask – What do you think about Dr. Kubler-Ross’ story? Is it possible to communicate with spirit beings? What do you believe about reincarnation?
Read 1 John 4:1-3.
Say – Today we will examine the practices of New Agers and discover what the Bible says about these practices.
II. Book
A. Prior to the start of class cut apart the sheet entitled “Common New Age Practices.” Give one of the assignments to each of 4 class members and ask them to be ready to summarize their New Age practice for the class when they are called upon.
B. Say – Today we will be talking about what New Agers believe. We will find today that the New Age philosophy has much in common with other belief systems that we have studied in addition to beliefs that are uniquely their own.
New Agers are pantheists. You will recall from our study of Hinduism that pantheists believe that “God is everything and everything is God.” A good example of the meaning of pantheism is found in the 1980 George Lucas Film, The Empire Strikes Back. As Yoda instructs Luke in the use of “the Force” he indicates that the Force surrounds and is within all things – people, the rock, the land, everywhere.[1]
Another characteristic of New Age practice is the “altered state of consciousness” and “out-of-body experiences.” Ankerberg notes one such incident from the life of actress Shirley MacLaine. She recounts the following mystical experience that occurred while she was in an Andean mineral bath:
My whole body seemed to float. Slowly, slowly I became the water…I felt the inner connection of my breathing with the pulse of the energy around me. In fact, I was the air, the water, the darkness, the walls, the bubbles, the candle, the wet rocks under the water, and even the sound of the rushing river outside.
Since everything is divine and MacLaine believes she is connected to all things, she concludes, "I am God, because all energy is plugged into the same source. We are all individualized reflections of the God source. God is in us and we are God."[2]
New Agers believe that since we are God, this makes available to as a huge untapped human potential. They believe that if all people will avail themselves of their own potential it will bring about global unity and world peace (thus, the “New Age”).
Many people who hold this New Age philosophy state that they have had encounters with “spirit guides.” These guides claim to be good spirits of people who have died and now reside in a spirit world to help others.[3] In many instances spirit guides counsel that there is no hell and that death should not be feared.
New Agers believe that the things revealed to us through our senses are not real, but only a “reflection of the true reality.” The world is only an illusion. They arrive at this concept through a complex intertwining of ancient Eastern Mysticism, the philosophy of Plato, and a study of quantum physics.
C. Call on class members who have the “Common New Age Practices” to summarize the practice described on their assignment.
D. Utilize the discussion guide to examine the Scripture passages.
III. Look
E. Provide copies of the “Comparing New Age and Christian Practices” worksheet for all class members. Complete the worksheet together. The teacher may refer to pages 199-200 of What’s the Big Deal about Other Religions by Ankerberg and Dillon for help with this activity.
IV. Took
A. Remind your class of the story of the out-of-body experience of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross discussed at the beginning of the class session. Tell them that Ankerberg had follow-up questions for Dr. Kubler-Ross. Ankerberg writes:
During the same television interview mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, I asked Dr. Kubler-Ross if she believed there was an evil power in the world called Satan. She said yes. I then asked her if she thought Satan was so bad that he would give her a complete physical healing (which she had received through a spirit guide) to ultimately deceive her and separate her from God forever. She said she didn’t think Satan was that bad!
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs, What’s the Big Deal About Other Religions, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 203.
Ask – Do you believe in an evil power called Satan? Do you think that he could provide physical healing in order to deceive us? Is Satan that bad?
Remind your class that Satan is the “Deceiver” and he is that bad. Also remind your class what God had commanded us related to these “detestable practices.”
Read Deuteronomy 18:9-13
Close in prayer, asking that God will help us avoid these errors and cultivate a relationship with Jesus that is both real and personal.
B. Optional Method – What Do You Believe?
Share the following statistics:
1. George Barna says “Recent surveys of US adults indicate that around 20% of Americans hold at least some New Age beliefs.”
2. World Religions and Cults 101 notes “As many as 12 million Americans are active New Age participants. Another 30 million are ‘avidly interested.’”
3. Russell Chandler, author of Understanding the New Age, says, “36% of Americans believe that astrology is scientific, and 25% now believe in reincarnation.”
4. 66% of American adults claim to have had a psychic experience.
5. 42% of American adults believe they have talked with the dead (spiritism).
6. 14% of Americans endorse the work of mediums or channelers.
7. 67% of Americans read astrology columns.
Ask – What do you believe? Do you read your horoscope? Do you believe in reincarnation? Do you have interest in any of these New Age practices?
Read Deuteronomy 18:9-13
Close in prayer, asking that God will help us avoid these errors and cultivate a relationship with Jesus that is both real and personal.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Teacher Copy
1. According to Daniel, what will happen to those whose name is found in the book? (Daniel 12:1-2)
[Those whose names are found in the book will be delivered from the time of distress.]
2. Who are the people “who sleep in the dust of the earth?” What will happen to those people when they awake? (Daniel 12:1-2)
[The “multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth” are those who are dead. When they wake some will go to everlasting life while others will go to shame and everlasting contempt.]
3. Do you believe in a literal Hell?
4. When Jesus returns how will he divide all of the people? (Matthew 25:32-33)
[Jesus will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.]
5. What will Jesus say to those on his right? (Matthew 25:34)
[He tells them that they are blessed and that they can take their inheritance, the kingdom prepared for them since the creation of the world.]
6. What will Jesus say to the goats on his left? (Matthew 25:41)
[He will tell them that they are cursed and that they should depart from him into the fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.]
7. What will Hell be like? (Matthew 25:46)
[Hell is a place of eternal punishment.]
8. Do you know someone who believes that sin is an illusion and that all people will go to a wonderful paradise when they die? How would you share your convictions about sin and punishment with that person?
9. What 2 events await every person? (Hebrews 9:27)
[Every person will one day (1) die and (2) face judgment.]
10. How can our understanding of our own mortality cause us to live holier lives?
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Student Copy
1. According to Daniel, what will happen to those whose name is found in the book? (Daniel 12:1-2)