THE NEW WORLD RELIGION, AT LEAST AS I SAW IT COMING IN 1994

Unpacking is leading me to much I haven't found in years.  I found this item I drafted in 1994 and 1995.  It was as I saw the New World Religion "converging" as Barbara Marx Hubbard might put it.  (Barbara Marx Hubbard had said in her 1988 speech that 'now all the resonating core groups with outwardly different purposes are merging and blending and coming together to do THE ONE WORK."

Here are the steps as I saw them THEN.  Is any of this happening?  Let me know what you think and what I may have missed.

The New World  Religion

Copyright (c) 1994,1995 by Constance E. Cumbey

All. Rights. Reserved

1. New Agers believe recognition for a NEED·for the New World Religion will arise·from·a recognition of cults and their dangers, spiritual hunger, and conflict in human family. See Alice Ann Bailey, The Reappearance of the Christ, Chapter 6, pages 147-155. Cf. CRI (Christian Research Institute,SCP (Spiritual Counterfeits . Project), CAN, Cult Awareness. Network,  EMNR (Evangelical Ministry to New Religions ), etc.

2. They will then explore religious facts we can AGREE upon.

3. The fact of GOD will be universally agreed upon.

4. Karma and semantic variations upon it will be increasingly expressed. In western religion it wi!! be based upon the biblical precept of "Whatsoever a man soweth, that will he also reap." . Karma.and . related semantic variations will be variously called "The Law of. Cause and Effect,"  "The Law of Reciprocity" (cf. Pat Robertson); The law of Rebirth, depending on the beginning religious/spiritual orientation of the presenter and the listener.

5. CONTINUITY OF REVELATION will be stressed. This should be carefully considered in view of ·Catholic/Protestant debates over SOLA SCRIPTURA and Protestant presentations of BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT and WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE. Traditional careful tests of what is and is not of God will be largely abandoned in hunger for "New Revelation," signs and wonders, abandoning past caution. of all such claims.

6. Doctrine of AVATARS or continuing saviors will be tied in with stress upon spiritual hunger of man and man's reaching out to God.  Supposedly, God will respond with new messengers.

7. Man will be given an expectancy that ·another great REVELATION is on its way from an all caring God,

8. This new REVELATION will prove the truth of the IMMANENCY of God (that God is inside you and everything else).

9. We will also be told that God is TRANSCENDENT as well as IMMANENT. This is so we will have to LOOK outside as well as inside for new REVELATION.   People who restrict themselves to Biblical consistency or Scriptural verification of these new "truths"will be increasingly marginalized -- inside and outside the Church.

10. A SCIENCE of prayer and worship will be stressed.  Cf, "CONCERTS OF PRAYER (David Bryant); CENTERING PRAYER;CHRISTIAN MEDITATION in Christian groups. In New Age groups cf (compare with) TRIANGLES, MEDITATION GROUPS, etc.  Praying will be done according to a FORMULA.

11. Hovering all through this is a belief in the establishment of THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH as "GOD REALIZED" peoples manifest "Christ," "God," ''The Holy Spirit," "angels," inside themselves as they increasingly absorb all of the above.

12. Astrology will be harmonized with the Bible and Bible Study and historical investigation will "reveal" that actually it is a counterfeited "Godly thing." Cf. Prophecies in Stone of Southwest Radio Church, Protestant beliefs that actually astrology stood for 12 Apostles, 12 Tribes of Israel, etc.

13. Throughout all of this the watchwords will be DIALOGUE and UNDERSTANDING in the interests of EVANGELIZATION. There will be presentations through CROSS CULTURAL MINISTRIES, and the missionary process, particularly of the Protestants, will be largely subverted in the interests of liberty to teach to indigenous peoples by stressing commonality with the native religions rather than a simple presentation of the Gospel.

14. CONNECTEDNESS and group exercises to make people feel CONNECTED wi!! be increasingly stressed. Sometimes this will be done to "promote righteousness." In the New Age the only "sin" is to be "the sin of separation. (Alice Ann Bailey). Cf. Promisekeepers, eastern rites, Native American Spiritualities and groups employing small group processes.

Let me hear from you and remember to

Stay tuned!

CONSTANCE