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Tropical_Man 67M
6573 posts
1/16/2012 3:54 am
Eastern Mysticism and Rick Warren


Eastern mysticism

Rick Warren openly associates with meditation, which is referred to as “contemplative prayer” or “breath prayer,” by making provision for it in some of his pastors’ training seminars, while yoga relaxation exercises are also offered. These are strange, mystical practices of Eastern origin. In Critical Issues Commentary (ibid) it is said: “Rick Warren compromises with the pagans like the churches Jesus rebuked in Revelation 2 and 3. He uses pagan principles in his SHAPE program which was inspired by Carl Jung’s questionable theories. He teaches pagan ‘prayer’ practices such as ‘breath prayers’ which are designed to induce altered states of consciousness. He consults compromisers such as Robert Schuller and encourage others to do the same.”

These meditation sessions at his seminars are only the tip of the iceberg. In his book, A time of departing: how a universal spirituality is changing the face of Christianity, Ray Yungen indicates that contemplative or centring prayers are invading large sectors of Christianity, where prayer is replaced by this mystical practice. It offers to people strange experiences of “another Jesus” within themselves (the God within) and also leads to alternative states of consciousness which form the basis of deceptive spirituality. Sandy Simpson (www.deceptioninthechurch.com) says that the widespread introduction of contemplative prayer is sure to be a final nail to the coffin of the modern, deceived church.

In his book, Deceived on Purpose: The New Age implications of the Purpose-driven church, Warren Smith confirms beyond any doubt the New Age influences in Rick Warren’s ministry and books. Within the context of “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9), Smith refers to various distortions in Warren’ book, in which he often makes conclusions which are contrary to the true meaning of Scripture. The gospel is presented in such a way that people make a positive discovery of themselves without being convicted of their sins. That ties up with Robert Schuller’s ideas about self-esteem, as well as Bruce Wilkinson’s Jabez prayer in which the enlarging and expansion of your interests is a key concept. Rick Warren also quotes New Age authors to illustrate some of his statements.

The end result is a nice-sounding gospel which is based on Robert Schuller’s and Norman Vincent Peale’s concept of positive thinking. It has no contrasting pole of a devil with all his deceptive powers, and therefore no disposition to resist evil and deception. Robert Schuller said: “Concentrate on the positive. If you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour... you’ll never have to worry about the devil.” Warren echoes this statement in his book when he says: “It helps to know that Satan is entirely predictable” (bl. 203).

At the end of his book, Warren Smith makes the following remarks about Rick Warren and his Purpose Driven ministry:

“Working with the purposeful efficiency of a tightly-run Peter Drucker business corporation, Rick Warren and his global alliance of Christian leaders and organisations are methodically marching the Church out of the land of biblical Christianity toward the borderland of the New Spirituality... It is not too late for Rick Warren to recognise that he has been greatly deceived by the worldly teachings of Robert Schuller. He could open many people’s eyes if he started to expose the differences between biblical Christianity and the deceptive teachings of the New Age and its new spirituality... He could make it clear to Walsch and other New Age leaders that the spiritual ‘territory’ of what we believe is not going to be enlarged, expanded, changed, or transcended in the name of New Spirituality or Jabez or anyone else. Rick Warren could make it clear that we don’t need any new revelation, because we have been given everything we need to know in properly translated Scripture and in our relationship with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He could make it unmistakably clear that God is not in everyone and everything, and that we will never accept the teachings of a new spirituality...

“If Rick Warren did these things he could greatly edify and encourage the body of Christ. He would be truly contending for the faith as we are admonished to do. By exposing the schemes and devices of our increasingly aggressive adversary, he could help many people from being deceived. And he could make it clear that, while we want to do whatever we can to help the world, we are not about to allow our faith or the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be compromised in the process.

“But it does not seem, at this time, that Rick Warren is about to change his course, issue the much needed detailed warnings, and earnestly contend for the faith. Sadly, if Rick Warren and other Christian leaders fall for New Age schemes and devices rather than exposing them, they will take countless numbers of sincere people down with them. It will be the blind leading the blind, as they fall further and further into the deceptive ditch of the New Age and its spirituality.

Undiscerning Christians who think they are on the narrow way preparing the way for Jesus Christ, may discover too late that they had actually been on the broad way preparing the way for Antichrist. It is not too late to warn everyone, but it must be done soon before the deception advances any further. As we have already seen, there is another Jesus, another christ another spirit and another gospel at work in the world. The Church must not continue to fall prey to the deception” (Warren Smith: Deceived on Purpose: The New Age implications of the Purpose-driven church, Conscience Press, 2004, p. 168-170).