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