Evangelicals and New Agers Together

 by Warren Smith

 The star which the world is awaiting though it does not as yet know its name... this star cannot be other than that very Christ in whom we hope. Teilhard de Chardin, Hymn of the Universe (1)

 I stared again at the material that had been sent to me by a radio listener. In a program aired last summer, I had been talking about the deceptiveness of the New Age and how it was working its way into the fabric of the church. The information in front of me, if true, was very disturbing. Jay Gary, a veteran in the Christian missions field, and the author of a heavily endorsed, recently released book entitled The Star of 2000, had apparently invited prominent New Age leader Robert Muller to be a key advisor for his Christian organization. Compounding the matter, Gary seemed to be openly recommending a book written by Muller.

 A Gary publication, Bimillennial Research Report, dated March/April 1992, featured a “Bimillennial Book List" that included former assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Robert Muller's book The Birth of A Global Civilization. The book was listed at $9.95, and Gary described is as "an inspiring look at our emerging global system, including new global human rights, global networking, global core curriculum, and global celebrations culminating in the year 2000."(2) I was stunned. Why would a Christian leader be aligned in any way with such an obvious New Age figure as Robert Muller?

 The Significance of Muller

 I immediately flashed back in my mind to 1982. Still deeply involved in the New Age movement, I was attending a meeting of local New Age leaders in my Northern California community. I remember the excitement we all felt when one of the presenters excitedly announced that a high ranking official at the United Nations was now “on board." She described a New Age conference she had recently attended, at which high-ranking U.N. official Robert Muller, had been one of the speakers. She played a tape of Muller's talk. His deep commitment to New Age principles radiated throughout his message. He spoke enthusiastically about an emerging global spirituality and how networking would be the key to attaining the spiritual transformations that could ultimately save the world.

 Those of us listening to Muller's taped presentation that day sensed the significance of Muller's commitment to the New Age cause. This was definitely a major victory for "our side." We could all sense that the tide was turning. "Old age" ideologies were falling. A New Age really was on the horizon. At last, someone with position in the world was championing New Age ideas.

 Shortly after the 1982 meeting, I remember a friend giving me a copy of Muller's book New Genesis: Shaping a Global Spirituality. The book was not only a declaration of Muller's own eclectic New Age spirituality, but was also his invitation to the religions of the world to begin working together, under the general auspices of the UN. I remember being fascinated that New Age spirituality was moving into the political arena. Suddenly world peace didn't seem so far off. New Genesis introduced the hope that one day the United Nations would implement the spiritual vision that we in the New Age so desperately desired for the earth; all religions coming together as one, love rather than fear ruling the affairs of mankind, peace and brotherhood pervading the planet.

 To reacquaint myself with Muller, I found my research copy of Muller's book New Genesis. In Chapter 6, entitled "Prayer and Meditation at The United Nations," Muller outlined his basic beliefs.

 Hindus call our earth Brahma, or God, for they rightly see no difference between our earth and the divine. This ancient simple truth is slowly dawning again upon humanity. Its full flowering will be the real, great new story of humanity, as we are about to enter our cosmic age and to become what we were always meant to be: the planet of God.(3)

 Then in Chapter 17, entitled The Reappearance of Christ, was the heart of Muller's call for New Age ecumenism. He wrote,

 The world's major religions in the end all want the same thing, even though they were born in different places and circumstances on this planet What the world needs today is a convergence of the different religions in the search for and definition of the cosmic or divine laws which ought to regulate our behavior on this planet. World-wide spiritual ecumenism, expressed in new forms of religious cooperation and institutions, would probably be closest to the heart of the resurrected Christ. (4)

 Remembering how passionately I too, once believed all those things, I closed the book and thought to myself - Muller's "'broad way" world-wide spiritual ecumenism, no matter how well intentioned, is not close to the heart of Christ. Jesus did not talk of world ecumenism. He warned that the path of truth was a ""narrow" way and that few would find it. He tells his followers, "'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matt. 7:13-14).

 And it was right after His warning about the dangers of the "broad way" that Jesus told his disciples to "beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matt. 7:15). He later reiterated his warning by saying, " And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (Matt. 24:11)

 Robert Muller is without question one of the chief false prophets of our time. Because he seems so ""positive" and ""spiritual" and works so tirelessly for the cause of peace, it's often hard for people to discern the danger of the doctrine he brings with him. While describing himself as "Catholic," Muller's definition of Christ comes not from the Bible, but from the unscriptural teachings of people like occultist Alice Bailey, mystical Catholic Teilhard de Chardin, and New Age leader Barbara Marx Hubbard. Because of his declared allegiance to their extremely unbiblical teachings, Muller's identification with "Catholicism" and "Christianity" is ultimately empty and very deceptive.

 So while an undiscerning world sees Muller as a very pleasant and agreeable ""Christian" statesman, he is in reality a New Age esotericist. Because of his particular devotion to Bailey and Chardin, Muller's references to "Christ" have to be taken in their New Age context. Bailey and Chardin's "Cosmic Christ" is not the Christ of the Bible. As a matter of fact, Muller's chapter heading, The Reappearance of Christ, that I had just seen in New Genesis, was taken directly from Alice Bailey's book of the same name. Those familiar with Bailey's work know that her books were all directly channeled from the spirit world through a "Tibetan" spirit-guide named "Djwhal Khul."

 The Significance of Jay Gary

So why was an "evangelical" Christian leader like Jay Gary involved with a New Age leader like Robert Muller? In an effort to better understand the relationship between Gary and Muller, I started accumulating some of their books and materials. And as I started reading through this material I could see that the predominant bond between these two men was the year 2000. Muller, long an advocate for Bimillennial celebrations, had apparently been drafted by Gary to help him with his own efforts to celebrate the year 2000.

 In 1991, Gary founded the Bimillennial Global Interaction Network (B.E.G.I.N.). Gary describes B.E.G.I.N. in his promotional literature as

 ''...a global network of groups and individuals who are working together to insure that the 2000, is celebrated as a planetary jubilee by the whole human family."

 And though it was hard to believe, there was Robert Muller prominently listed as one of the organization's three "key people." Jay Gary was described as the Executive Director of "Celebration 2000" and was listed as one of the other two 'key people' for B.E.G.I.N. Paul Guest, the head of a group in England called "World Association for Celebrating the year 2000" was third.

 Listed under the "key people" were a number of what Gary called "key words". They were Bimillennial/Future Civilization /Networking /Solidarity /Global and /Anniversaries, mega. Still dumbfounded that Gary was involved with one of the world's most powerful New Age leaders, I was intrigued that he also seemed to be using Muller's vocabulary.

 I wondered how Gary had rationalized his way past the scriptures that warn us not to become "a friend of the world" (James 4:4) and to become "unequally yoked together with unbelievers". (2 Cor 6:14) But Gary, instead of having, "no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness" and "reproving" them (Eph 5:11), was having fellowship and even recommending them. Jesus had no problem in befriending sinners, but he never furthered their works. For an Evangelical leader like Gary to be "unequally yoked" with a New Age leader, and even selling his book, was not exactly what Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to "go ye into all the world." (Mark 16:15) Click here to read this entire article.