The NEW AGE Factor

There is a New Age component in this conflict between Christian Civilization and the New World Order.
In 2003 the Roman Curia published a Christian reflection on the “New Age”, entitled “Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life.” The Curial groups involved gave a sympathetic view of the New Age Movement (NAM). But they also pointed out that the NAM is an agent to bring a one world religion:
'New Age shares with a number of internationally influential groups the goal of superseding or transcending particular religions in order to create space for a universal religion which could unite humanity. Closely related to this is a very concerted effort on the part of many institutions to invent a Global Ethic, an ethical framework which would reflect the global nature of contemporary culture, economics and politics.' (2.5)

They also point to the roots of NAM in freemasonry and its associates of previous centuries:
'The essential matrix of New Age thinking is to be found in the esoteric-theosophical tradition which was fairly widely accepted in European intellectual circles in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was particularly strong in freemasonry, spiritualism, occultism and theosophy, which shared a kind of esoteric culture.' (2.3.2)

Today, the NAM is an active component in bringing about the New World Order:
'The global brain needs institutions with which to rule, in other words, a world government. “To deal with today's problems New Age dreams of a spiritual aristocracy in the style of Plato's Republic, run by secret societies...”(Michel Lacroix) This may be an exaggerated way of stating the case, but there is much evidence that gnostic élitism and global governance coincide on many issues in international politics.' (2.3.4.3.)

The present day influences on the NAM are anti-Christian:
'It must never be forgotten that many of the movements which have fed the New Age are explicitly anti-Christian. Their stance towards Christianity is not neutral, but neutralising: despite what is often said about openness to all religious standpoints, traditional Christianity is not sincerely regarded as an acceptable alternative.' (6.1)

They deny the core of Christianity, which is the reality of sin and salvation:
'There is no sin; there is only imperfect knowledge. … There is no need for Revelation or Salvation which would come to people from outside themselves, but simply a need to experience the salvation hidden within themselves (self-salvation), by mastering psycho- physical techniques which lead to definitive enlightenment.' (2.3.4.1)

The NAM is the old Gnosticism of the early Christian era dressed up to look new:
‘But what really is new is that New Age is a conscious search for an alternative to Western culture and its Judaeo-Christian religious roots.' (3.1)

It is an old conflict. The early Christians handled it well. They took the aspirations of the Gnostics and showed that they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as the hymn in Colossians 1:15- 20 shows. (See 3.3)

A Robust Faith

Whether we are up against the agents of the NWO or the Islamization of our culture, we need a robust faith.

Jesus encourages a robust faith.

‘Seek first the kingdom…all these other things will be given to you as well.’ [Mt 6:33]
‘Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm.’ [Mt 11:12] This is the violence of wrestling and God rewards wrestlers. [See Gen 32:29-31] ‘Have faith in God. In truth I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Be pulled up and thrown into the sea”, with no doubt in his heart, but believing that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” [Mk 11:22-23]
‘In truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works because I am going to the Father.’ [Jn 14:12]

The Vision of Faith is Massive.

At its core faith is about salvation from sin through the person of Jesus. But faith is not just a "me and Jesus thing". God's plan for saving the world is to use a People that is devoted to him and is immersed in humanity.
This People is called the Church and it's mission is to establish the Kingdom of God in the world right now. That is why the Church is called 'The Universal Sacrament of Salvation.'
When Jesus returns in glory, "The whole of creation itself must be freed from the slavery of corruption and brought into the same glorious freedom of as the children of God." [Romans 8:21]Wow!!


Writing of such robustness, Scot McKnight has a good article "The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel" in Christianity Today.

Core Business - Sin

The "core business" of the Church is salvation from sin. It is not running hospitals, educating people or supporting protests, as good as these may be. The readings of the Mass for the First Sunday of Lent (Year A) focus on why Jesus came. "Sin entered the world through one man...As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rm 5:12, 19).

Matthew has summarized the temptations of Jesus 40 days in the desert as putting right what the Chosen People did wrong during their 40 years in the desert. (See Mt 4:1-11) They had sought nourishment apart from God (See Dt 8:3: Ex 16). They tested God by saying "Is God with us or not?" (Ex 17:7). They worshipped a false God (Ex 32:1) as their leader. So salvation from sin is like zipping up something that has been unzipped; it reverses the process.

To carry out our core business, we need to recognise sin and to apply the salvation of Jesus Christ. We will be able to help others do that with sensitivity when we have recognised our own sin. (See Mt 7:5) The Lenten prayers call us to recognise sin in ourselves; it is a great time in the Church's year for a "spring clean."

Of course the agents of the New World Order, want us to ignore sin as being 'too negative', or re-thinking it as "Integrating the shadow self" (See my blog on Carl Jung) or as causing "bad feelings." But we all know sin exists because we can easily recall the people who have sinned against us.