Series: “Jesus Christ Is the Only Way to God: An Examination of Christianity and Other World Religions and Cults.”
Sermon: “Examining the Beliefs of Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, Scientology and New Age.”
Presenter: Rev. Dr. JoAnne P. King
Date: June 12, 2022
Praise the Lord Saints and God from whom all blessings flow. Before we begin today’s sermon, I want to give you a statistical World-view of religions and non-Christian religions, as well as, a statistical view of religions and non-Christian religions in the United States. Data for the World-view of religions and non-Christian religions was taken from the Pew Research Center dated December 18, 2012.
The Pew Research Center conducted a comprehensive demographic study in 2010 of the World’s population of 6.9 billion. Of this number, they estimated that there are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children around the globe. This analysis was based on more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers where they found that of the world’s population 2.2 billion were Christians (32% of the world’s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23%), 1 billion Hindus (15%), nearly 500 million Buddhists (7%) and 14 million Jews (0.2%). Around 400 million people (6%) practice various folk or traditional religions. Slightly less than 1% or 58 million people of the global population—belong to other religions including the Baha’i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Wicca, just to mention a few.
Many of the above religions are located in countries where they are the majority and religions that are listed as other religions, live in countries where they are in the minority.
At the same time, a new study by the Pew Forum found that 1.1 billion or 16% have no religious affiliation. This makes the unaffiliated the third-largest religious group worldwide, behind Christians and Muslims.
Data for religions and non-Christian religions in the United States was obtained from the Religious Landscape of the Pew Research Center in 2021. Since we are studying the religions and cults in the United States, I wanted to give you the statistics on them as well. This data is as of 2021: The population of the United States is estimated at 2.5 million of that number: the Mormons are 1.6% or have 400,000 members; Jehovah’s Witnesses are 0.8% or have 200,000 members; Jewish are 1.9% and have 475,000 members; Muslims are 0.9% and have 225,000 members; Buddhist are 0.7% and have 175,000 members; Hindu are .7% and have 175,000 members and other World religions are 0.3% and have 75,000 members.
You may be wondering why is Pastor King going over all of these statistics? I added up the number of non-Christian people in other religions or cults World-wide, as well as, in the United States and it came to 97,025,700 people who Jesus paid the price for their sins and would be saved and spend eternity with Him, if they had chosen Him as their Lord and Savior. Let’s look at 1 John 2:2, … lets us know that He paid the price for the sins of the whole world.
Additionally, some of the 97 million people, who belong to other religions or cults and think that they are saved, are lost because: also see: 1 John 2:22-26, “Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is a liar and the antichrist. He doesn’t have the Father or the Son…but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also… and has the promise of eternal life.”
Ninety-seven million and some souls are hanging in the balance Saints. God loves each one of their souls and we must open up our hearts of compassion and let the love of God flow through us and minister to each one that crosses our path, let that day be the day that salvation has come to that household. Let us no longer be silent.
Information for this sermon series was gathered from Biblical scholars such as, Dr. Norman L. Deisler in his study on “Christianity Cults & Religions,” Books and DVD; and Josh McDowell in his book: “The Best of Josh McDowell: A Ready Defense” and other materials related to Christianity, other religions and cults.
Last week we thoroughly covered the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism. Using the same format, we will examine the beliefs of the above four religions in the same order as listed.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
Founder:
Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1919). Founded in Massachusetts in 1875. Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.
2
Writings:
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Miscellaneous Writings, Manual of the Mother Church, and other writings by Mrs. Eddy; The Bible (not as reliable); Christian Science Journal, Christian Science Sentinel, and other periodicals.
God:
God is an impersonal Principle of life, truth, love, intelligence, and spirit. God is all that truly exists; matter is an illusion.
Jesus:
Jesus was not the Christ, but a man who displayed the Christ idea. (“Christ” means perfection, not a person.) Jesus was not God, and God can never become man or flesh. He did not suffer and could not suffer for sins. He did not die on the cross. He was not resurrected physically. He will not literally come back. Last week, I mentioned that the Bible prophesied that in the last days, they would say that there will not be a resurrection in 2 Tim. 2:18. As the saying goes, “the Bible is right and somebody is wrong.” As you can see, the Christian Scientists are wrong.
Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is defined as an Impersonal power. Because the “I” is capitalized in impersonal; I assume the Holy Spirit is recognized as belonging to God.
Salvation:
Everyone is already eternally saved. Sin, evil, sickness and death are not real.
Death:
Death is not real. Heaven and hell are states of mind. Oneness and harmony with God are how one reaches heaven.
Other Beliefs:
Christian Science members instead of doctors, use Christian Science practitioners” (who are authorized professional healers who “treat” supposed illnesses for a fee). Remember matter is an illusion, so healing comes through realizing that one cannot really be sick or hurt and that the body cannot be ill, suffer pain, or die. Followers are attracted by claims of miraculous healing. They publish the Christian Science Monitor newspaper.
In conclusion: The Christian Science religion is a perfect example of heresy. Heresy is committed when a teaching that contradicts another teaching, in this case Christianity, that has been accepted as the norm. They even have the nerve to have Christian in their name when all of their beliefs go against every tenet of the Christian faith. Let’s compare some of their beliefs with what the Holy Bible says:
God is said to be an impersonal Principle of life, truth, love, intelligence and spirit. Webster’s dictionary defines impersonal as: displaying no emotion or personality. And, Principle as: a basic truth, law or assumption. There is nothing impersonal or non-emotional about the very words used. Let alone use them in connection to God. The Holy Bible says that God is love, He is life, He is truth, He is intelligence and He is Spirit! A person or individual is the one that has to display life, truth, love, intelligence and spirit.
Jesus did not die on the cross nor was he resurrected. 1 Cor. 15:3-8 Tells us that according to the Scriptures (meaning there are more than one to these facts), Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again from the dead on the third day; was seen of Cephas, then of twelve: after that of above 500 brethren at one time, many of whom were still alive when these scriptures were written… If any of these statements weren’t true, certainly some of the 500 brethren would have protested.
How can they claim miraculous healings? When they claim, that no one is really sick in the first place? It was all in their minds! They have just contradicted themselves.
How can they claim that Jesus was not God? When the Old Testament is a forshadowing or a prediction of Jesus Christ’s coming thousands of years in advance and the New Testament is Jesus Christ revealed in the flesh. I Tim. 3:16 says: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.”
What can possibly be in their bible since everybody is already saved; there is no sin, sickness, death, evil, heaven or hell? The only way they can say these things don’t exist is to nay say everything that is written in the Holy Bible. There are plain warnings in the Holy Bible about those who add or subtract from the Word of God in Rev. 22.18-19: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
How does one reach Heaven by developing harmony and oneness with an impersonal God when everything with substance or matter is not real or doesn’t exist? You can’t! People are composed of matter. Since matter isn’t real or doesn’t exist, according to them, shouldn’t it mean that people aren’t real either or are an illusion?!!
UNITY SCHOOL OF CHRISTIANITY
Founder:
Charles (1854-1948) and Myrtle (1845-1931) Filmore started the Unity School of Christianity in 1889 in Kansas City, MO.
Writings:
Unity magazine, Lessons in Truth, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, and the Bible (not as reliable, interpreted with “hidden” meanings).
God:
God is an invisible impersonal power. “God” is interchangeable with “Principle,” “Law,” “Being,” “Mind,” “Spirit.” God is in everything, as the soul is in the body. They do not believe in the Trinity. The spirit is reality; matter is not.
Jesus:
Jesus was a man and not the Christ. He was a man who had “God Consciousness.” “Christ” is a state of perfection in every person. They claim that Jesus had lived many times and was in search of his own salvation. Jesus did not die as a sacrifice for anybody’s sins. Jesus did not rise physically and will never return to earth in physical form.
Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the law of God in action, “the executive power of both Father and Son.” A “definite” thought in the mind of man.
Salvation:
They believe that everybody is as much a Son of God as Jesus. There is no evil, no devil, no sin, no poverty and no old age. A person is reincarnated until he learns these truths and becomes “perfect.”
Death:
Death is a result of wrong thinking. One moves to a different body (reincarnation) until enlightenment. There is no literal heaven or hell.
Other Beliefs:
Worship services are held in Unity churches. Counseling and prayer ministry (“Silent Unity”) by phone and mail. It is reported that Unity receives millions of prayer requests annually. Unity devotionals, such as “Daily Word,” are used by members of other religious groups and churches. Millions of pieces of literature are printed each year.
In conclusion, I selected the Unity School of Christianity for their Unity devotionals such as the “Daily Word,” that is read daily by Christians that don’t have a clue about this heretical ministry, and are even supporting them with their hard-earned money by buying their publications. Maybe some of you have read their “Daily Word.” I pray that no one will be lured into joining their ministry.
As you listened to their beliefs, in many cases it seemed that the Unity School of Christianity took pages out of the Christian Science book with some of their beliefs. Most of the same answers I gave for the Christian Science cult applies to them as well.
I will address a few of their statements: their statement on: They do not believe in the Trinity, (we know that the Trinity speaks of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit). Under Holy Spirit, they claim that the Holy Spirit is the law of God in action, “the executive power of both Father and Son.) They have capitalized Holy Spirit, Father and Son as well as, the Holy Spirit’s using the executive power of both, making this the Trinity in action. They have contradicted the very belief they claimed not to believe-the Trinity.
Their statement that: Jesus was a man and not the Christ. The biblical answer for this is Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).”
As well as their statement, Jesus did not die for the sins of anybody; Jesus did not rise physically and will never return to earth in physical form. Starting as early as Genesis 3:15 and continuing throughout the Old Testament prophets of old, prophesied thousands of years before, about the birth of Jesus the Christ coming to die for the sins of the people of the world. How He would be crucified, raised from the dead in physical form that was witnessed by 500 people at one time. As well as, ascended bodily into heaven in the view of witnesses and promised that He would return in like manner. All of these things were revealed in the New Testament. There is a saying: “that the Old Testament conceals, while the New Testament reveals.” And, this saying is very true.
Next week, we will study some Eastern religions and when we do, it will be apparent that they picked up the idea of reincarnation from Hinduism. Nowhere in the Bible does it mention anything about reincarnation.
I hope you noticed under writings where it said that the Bible wasn’t reliable because it was translated with hidden meanings. Those hidden meanings probably mean, everybody considers the word as meaning one thing, but they mean something entirely different.
What is more incomprehensible than their beliefs—such as there isn’t any evil, poverty, old age, sickness, death, etc., when these things are visible and apparent to anyone with eyes and brains. This group is going against the tenets of the Bible and the Christian Faith.
In ministering to a heretic of this faith or any of the others that will be examined, we should follow the advice found in Titus 3:10-11: “A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition (warning) reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”
SCIENTOLOGY
Founder:
Founded by L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) in 1954 in California. Major Headquarter facilities are in California and Florida.
Writing:
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health and others by Hubbard. The Way to Happiness.
God:
Rejects biblical descriptions of God and does not define God or a Supreme Being. Everyone is a “thetan,” an immortal spirit with unlimited powers over its own universe, but not all are aware of this.
Jesus:
In Scientology, Jesus is rarely mentioned. Jesus was not an operating “thetan” (in control of supernatural powers, cleared from mental defects) nor was he the creator. Jesus did not die for sins.
Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is not a part of Scientology.
Salvation:
There is no need to repent because there is no sin. To them, salvation is freedom from reincarnation. To achieve the state of “clear;” one must work with an “auditor” on his “engrams” which are (negative experience units). Once this is achieved, one progresses up the “bridge to total freedom” to higher “Operating Thetan” states and eventual control over matter, energy, space, and time (MEST).
Death:
Heaven is a “false dream” and hell is a myth.
Other Beliefs:
Members observe the birth of Hubbard and the anniversary of the publication of Dianetics. The group is followed worldwide with controversy. Time magazine and Reader’s Digest have published damaging expose`s. Organizations related to Scientology included Narconon, Criminon, Way to Happiness Foundation, WISE, Hubbard College of Administration, and Applied Scholastics.
In conclusion, many Hollywood movie stars are members of Scientology. You may wonder where are all of these ideas are coming from, certainly not the Bible! They seem to have picked up reincarnation from Hinduism and no sin from Christian Science. In learning about these groups bear in mind the following scripture, 2 Tim. 4:2-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
The most important person in the world is God and they can’t define Him but reject the Holy Bible’s description of Him? They can describe a man as a “Thetan” an immortal spirit with unlimited powers over its own universe, but not all are aware of this. This is not the description of a man but a monster. Just imagine a person that is immortal (cannot die) with unlimited power over everything and everyone in his universe and to add insult to injury, he doesn’t even know it! He could destroy everything and everyone with a nuclear weapon and not even be aware of it. Is this something everyone should be desirous of?
This is what Lucifer wanted. He wanted to be in God’s place in the North and be like the Most-High God with unlimited powers over everything and everyone.
Saints, we are in the last days and people are looking for teachers that will placate them by feeding them fables and anything but the truth and sound doctrine. Every day they are seeing and experiencing evil in this world and rather than accept reality, they want to paint everything with a rosy glow and pretend it isn’t happening. Oh, what a rude awakening is in store for them.
NEW AGE
Founder:
New Age is based on Eastern mysticism, Hinduism, and paganism. The Actress Shirley MacLaine (b. 1934) popularized it in the 1980s and 1990s. The beliefs vary.
Writings:
There is no holy book. They use selected Bible passages; 1 Ching; Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist writings; and Native American beliefs. Writings include astrology, mysticism and magic.
God:
Everyone and everything are God. God is not a person but an impersonal force or principle. People need to discover their unlimited inner power.
Jesus:
Jesus is not the one true God. He is a spiritual model and guru but not a savior. He is now an “ascended master.” He was a New Ager who tapped into divine power in the same way that anyone can. They believe that he went east to India or Tibet and learned mystical truths. He did not rise physically, but rose into a higher spiritual realm.
Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is sometimes a psychic force. Man is divine and can experience psychic phenomena such as contacting unearthly beings.
Salvation:
New Agers believe that they need to offset bad karma with good karma. One taps into supernatural power through meditation, self-awareness, and “spirit guides.” The word they use for this new self-awareness is “reborn.”
Death:/strong>
Human reincarnation occurs until one reaches oneness with God. The resurrected person does not have eternal life. There is no literal heaven or hell.
Other Beliefs:
Their beliefs can include yoga, meditation, visualization, astrology, channeling, hypnosis, trances, and tarot card readings. They use crystals to get in harmony with God (Energy) for psychic healing, for contact with spirits, and for developing higher consciousness or other psychic powers. They strive for world unity and peace. Their emphasis is placed on holistic health.
In conclusion, this is the third group that we learn refers to God as a Principle. Webster’s dictionary defines principle as: “a basic truth, law or assumption, moral or ethical standards or judgments as a whole.” What a way to describe the Creator of the Universe and all that is within!!
They believe that they must be reincarnated over and over again until they reach oneness with God. To achieve cosmic consciousness or oneness with God, plenty of occult (=secret or hidden) beliefs and practices are found. These practices include things like astrology, tarot cards, spiritism, consulting the dead, spirit mediumship, creative visualization, fortune telling, astral projection, rebirthing, yoga, etc., most of which is forbidden in the Bible. How can oneness with God be reached when they believe that everyone and everything is God including themselves. See how confusing man-made religion is?
Many of the beliefs listed for them, I have already answered. Let’s look at this belief of theirs: “Man is divine and can experience psychic phenomena such as contacting unearthly beings.” Webster’s Dictionary defines divine as: “to reveal or foretell through the art of divination.” Divination is defined as: “The art or act of foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or alleged supernatural agency.” Occult is defined as: “relating to or dealing with supernatural influences or phenomena.” There are only two sources of knowledge, God’s and Satan’s. Anyone and/or cult that deals with the above practices isn’t worshiping God but Satan. And, they certainly are not divine.
From the practices listed above, as we study Eastern religions, you will see that they have chosen to embrace Hinduism, Eastern mysticism and paganism. Next week, when we cover Eastern religions, you will learn that Hinduism is reported as its foundation.
The New Age Movement has the belief of a coming spiritual and political utopia—the Age of Aquarius. Instead of the Gentile Age ending, they have the old Christian Age ending and a New Age beginning—an age of peace and harmony. They even speak of uniting planets —a vision for a unified global community. Politically this includes globalism, global socialism and “One-World Government.” Pay attention and listen for those words “One World Government,” you will hear it said almost everyday. This is a sure sign that we are in the last days.
The New Age Movement focuses on the mystical, subjective and the personal (on spiritual experiences and subjective religious encounters) rather than on the logical creeds, and doctrinal teaching and beliefs.
If you have a New Ager friend encourage her/him to read what the Bible says about Jesus and clarify the meanings of scriptural terms (such as “Christ”) that New Age writers commonly redefine.
The Bible again warns us in Hebrews 13:9 Amp.: “Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.”
All of the aforementioned cults or religions require each member to do something or some works in order to attain salvation and/or oneness with God. The Bible clearly tells us in Gal. 2:16: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” The works of the law spoken of in this verse as it relates to other cults or religions, means the requirements of those cults or religions will not justify their members.
Moreover, these cults and religions have all failed to recognize Jesus as a member of the Trinity and God the Son, have negated any chance for salvation because in Acts 4:12 Amp.: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation]”
I would like to close this message with a quote from one of my favorite apologists, Dr. Ravi Zacharias taken from his 2012 book, Why Jesus?
“Everything that the New Spiritualist say they are seeking is actually found in Jesus. No, not the Jesus of popular television marketing. Not the Jesus of the New Ager’s imagination. And not the Jesus of all talk and no walk, who is heard but never seen. The Jesus I am talking about is the Ultimate Reality who became flesh to bring us grace and truth that we might become the children of God.”
“Our destiny is in a relationship to a person, not in a pilgrimage to a place. Our purpose is in communion with the living God, not in union with an impersonal idea or nameless Higher Power …”
“In promising sublimity and divinity to each of us, its proponents have actually made us less than we were meant to be. God alone knows how to humble us without humiliating us and how to exalt us without flattering us. And how he affects this is the grand truth of the Christian message.”
Next week, we will examine the beliefs of Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, and Buddhism.
Praise the Lord! Saints, let’s give the Lord a praise offering for His teaching on the Beliefs of Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, Scientology and New Age.
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