Christianity vs. New Age

By Rolando José Olivo

Since the beginning of time, the human being has wondered about its origin, purpose and destiny, prevailing a superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual and religious thought, which was decaying, throughout history, to give way to the scientific and philosophical modern thought (materialist, secular and post-positivist), and a conflict between science and religions.

Currently, there is also an ideological confrontation between two extremes of the religious thought. On the one hand, the Christianity (a new version of Judaism), based on the existence of Jesus and the incredible miracle of his resurrection, proclaims the power and sovereignty of God, who far exceeds the imperfect and sinful human being. And on the other hand, the New Age (atypical union of Eastern polytheistic religions and distorted monotheistic religions) minimizes the Lord, dispersing Him in the energies of the universe and in different religions, underestimates Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and states that the human being will be a god and the ruler of the universe. Furthermore, the New Age denies the biblical conception of sin and the existence of good and evil.

Finally, the Christianity is a true monotheistic religion, which promotes objective principles and values, whose legacy goes from the origin and development of science to the implementation of the Christian ethics. While the New Age is more a pseudoreligion, diffuse and heterogeneous, that supports the relativization of morals and ethics (in accordance with the postmodern thought), and seeks to put an end to monotheistic religions and scientific methods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rolando José Olivo
• Release date: Dec 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463515211

Rolando José Olivo

[e-mail] Instagram: @rolandojolivo Systems Engineer with 3 postgraduate degrees: Master's Degree in Applied Economics, Diploma in General Management and Specialization in Management of Social Programs (Summa Cum Laude). Work experience in companies in the oil sector, occupying these positions: Planning and Logistics Manager, Project Coordinator, Financial Advisor and Consultant. Consultant in the economic and financial area. Writer of books on economics, management, self-help, novels and Christianity, among others.

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I. INTRODUCTION

The religious thought is innate of the human being. So much so that since the beginning of time, the Homo sapiens has sought answers about its origin, purpose and destiny, being dominated by the fear of death and unexplained phenomena. These facts reinforced the superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual and religious thought (more polytheistic than monotheistic, since everything that had no explanation, including the existence of the celestial bodies, corresponded to a benign or malignant deity).

These ideas gave rise to religions, which are an expression of these archetypes: a) the diurnal imaginary (morality, ethics, optimistic religious beliefs, existence of life after death and victory of good over evil, in order to restore the Divine Justice and end human suffering), and b) the nocturnal imaginary (denial or relativization of morality and ethics, not developing the human potential, diffuse religious or atheistic beliefs, minimization or distortion of certain religious foundations, possible non-existence of life after death, rejection of the conceptions of good and evil, and absence of justice).

However, the religious thought was surpassed by the modern scientific and philosophical thought (materialist, secular and post-positivist), arising the clash between reason and faith or the science-religion conflict.

These approaches are presented in the Chapter II. Origin, Rise and Decline of the Religious Thought, divided into these sections: II.1 The Search for Existential Answers, II.2 The Background of Spiritual and Religious Thought and II.3 The Conflict between Science and Religions.

With respect to the main world religion, Christianity, it was founded by Jesus or Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ or Christ (...?-33), who was a biblical scholar, prophet, preacher, philosopher, theologian and Jewish religious leader. Additionally, the Christian doctrine is extremely complex, and states, among other aspects, that:

a) there is only one True God,

b) the Divine Justice is valid and infallible,

c) the love for the Lord and the fellow is the essence of religion and Christian life,

d) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are in unity (the Christian trinity),

e) the human being is sinful and imperfect,

f) the original sin persists in humankind (there is a spiritual struggle between the good and the evil),

g) the Salvation is by faith,

h) Christ will return to Earth for a second time,

i) there will be a final judgment to humanity, led by Jesus Christ,

j) the Church of Jesus is eternal,

k) the Christian must be a virtuous person.

Even more, the legacy of Jesus and his influence on the Western culture is wonderful, which ranges from the origin and development of science to the implementation of Christian ethics.

However, Christianity is mainly based on the existence of Jesus and on the incredible miracle of his resurrection. Moreover, Jesus Christ has been the object of many discussions, over several centuries, and various questions have arisen among academics and researchers, which have even led to doubt about his existence.

Aspiring to understand who Jesus is, He has been divided into: a) historical (Jesus of Nazareth, who lived in the first century of our era, was a prophet and Jewish religious leader, founded Christianity and died crucified by orders of the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate), and b) religious (the Christ of faith or a superhuman being, with the Spiritual Essence of the same God, who was born of a virgin, did miracles, resurrected and ascended to heaven, fulfilling a great mission of salvation for the benefit of the humankind). Certainly, there aren´t two Jesus, there are two visions of the same person.

In addition, there are three major movements (1st search, 18th, 19th and early 20th century, 2nd search, 20th century, 1953-1970, and 3rd search, 20th century, 1990- ), in which academics and researchers have made great efforts to confirm the existence of the historical Jesus and approach to the religious.

On the one hand, the vast majority of researchers recognize the existence of the historical Jesus, considering that from a rational, scientific and historical point of view, his existence can be proved with a high degree of certainty. And on the other hand, there are no scientific methods to prove the validity of the religious Jesus. Or in other terms, the existence of the historical Jesus is almost undeniable, while the religious Jesus is a mystery not scientifically resolved.

These approaches are presented in the Chapter III. The Christianity, divided into these sections: III.1 The Christian Religion, III.2 The Legacy of Jesus Christ and III.3 The Existence of Jesus.

While the New Age is mainly based on the postmodern thought, which promotes secular, individualistic and egocentric tendencies that prevail over morality, ethics and religious customs, managing to deteriorate principles and moral values, and making ethics more flexible (tailored to each person). Moreover, the differences between the Christianity (diurnal imaginary) and the New Age (nocturnal imaginary) are huge, because this last ideology:

a) disperses God within the energies of the universe,

b) eliminates the divine condition of Jesus Christ,

c) ignores the Holy Spirit,

d) questions the role of God as the Creator,

e) transforms the human being into a god,

f) denies the existence of the good and the evil,

g) explains human suffering as a matter of karmic debts,

h) rejects the worship of God, recommending to live in order to perfect the soul, according to diffuse and relative ethics (adjusted to the measure of each one).

These approaches are presented in Chapter IV. The New Age, divided into these sections: IV.1 The Postmodernity, IV.2 The New Age Movement and IV.3 Differences between Christianity and New Age.

Finally, unlike Christianity (whose principles and dogmas are strict, reflecting the true essence of a valid monotheistic religion), the heterogeneity and diversity of dissimilar criteria of the New Age are questionable. This current competes with monotheistic religions and scientific methods, being the great anti-Christian ally of the Postmodernity.

II. ORIGIN, RISE AND DECLINE OF THE RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

From the origins of the humankind, the Homo sapiens has been characterized by a superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual and religious thought. Immersed in his curiosity, the human being