Vol. 7, No. 3, 1990

Articles on Other Religious Topics

Craig Branch

Ted Turner

Ted Turner's New Age slip is showing again. According to the Atlanta Constitution, January 17, 1990, Ted Turner is planning a "cartoon series with a message."

Turner has enlisted Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Gere, Ed Asner, LaVar Burton, and John Ratzenberger to be the voices of the characters.

The title of the series is "Captain Planet and the Planteers" and is due to launch this fall.

The theme follows the new age ecological preoccupation of saving the planet.

Of course Christians should be providing the leadership in the area of our environment but we aren't and the new agers are filling the vacuum with their ideology and agenda.

Ted Turner has consistently been involved and supported New Age efforts to unite the world under one order.

He also said that Christianity is for losers.

The article states that "Ms. Goldberg will be the voice of Gaia, or Mother Earth."

New Agers have been rapidly assimilating aspects of a number of pagan traditions (including witchcraft) that worship an "Earth Mother."

Gaia is from Greek mythology and the Greek word for earth, or "power of the earth, and later made more personal as a goddess," (A Dictionary of Non-Christian Religions, Geoffrey Parrinder, p. 102).

To New Agers, Gaia represents global brain or consciousness with which humanity needs to merge its consciousness into one holistic manifestation (A Crash Course in the New Age Movement, Elliot Miller, pp. 70-73).

Waldorf Schools

The Birmingham News recently ran a story of a new-to-Birmingham special style of educators curriculum to "educate the whole child," (January 15, 1990).

The Redmont School is currently holding its preschool classes at the Unity Church (one of the most overtly new age churches).

The children, ages 3-5 are referred to as Star Children, Moon children, and Sun children. They only use natural materials for toys, reading is not emphasized until the age of 7, and they don't use textbooks.

The school is based on the "Waldorf tradition" and claims it was "founded in 1919 by Austrian born scientist and philosopher Rudolph Steiner."

The article also stated that there are "more than 400 schools in 23 countries."

What the article did not tell was that Rudolf Steiner was not a mere philosopher but was an occultist and founded the Anthroposophical Society, an offshoot of Theosophy.

According to the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Steiner "presented a `Spiritual Science,' an extraordinary synthesis of `organic' ideas of the nineteenth-century German thought with theosophical material and fresh occult intuitions," (Vol. 8, p. 13).

Steiner taught the typical new age beliefs coupled with a rather bizarre blend of science fiction type speculations.

For a detailed analysis of Rudolph Steiner and Anthroposophy contact Watchman Fellowship.

The Birmingham News article concludes with, "The children's day ends much the same way as it begins. They gather in a candlelit room and sit in a circle on an Oriental rug. Holding hands they recite (a blessing/prayer): `Help us to do the things we should and be to others kind and good. Blessings on our day," (parenthesis mine).

Norman Vincent Peale

Perhaps you received a mass mailing from the Center for Positive Thinking under the name of Art Linkletter.

The letter is an appeal for contributions that would help furnish condensed editions of Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale to be sent to "our country's young people."

The content of this new appeal is further evidence of Peale's universalism and new age beliefs.

If you would like Watchman Fellowship's documented analysis on Norman Vincent Peale, contact our office.

Mr. Linkletter relates how Dr. Peale and his book saved him during his "blackest hour." He then goes on to ask the question, "What do our kids need more that anything else? They need to know how to draw upon a higher power (emphasis mine)!

Does Dr. Peale or this appeal letter ever specify that the only true "higher power" is an obedient and growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

Or, does the appeal letter ever point to the Bible as the source of truth?

No to both questions.

Instead the letter says of The Power of Positive Thinking, "This practical, easy to understand book about the secrets of being happy... when you seek spiritual encouragement, you will have it in your hour of greatest need... How many lives will it save? Only God knows," (emphasis mine).

The book that Mr. Linkletter recommends, as fine a man as he is, begins with the essence of Peale's message, "Believe in Yourself! Have faith in your abilities!"

What follows is the assurance that anyone, no matter what they believe about Jesus Christ can harness "spiritual techniques" and realize "life's full potential," (Introduction to the condensed version of The Power of Positive Thinking).

My Stars!

In a recent Newsweek article (January 15, 1990, p. 64) "Lifestyle Trends" section one finds more evidence for the truth of the passage, "They will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires... and will turn aside to myths," (2 Timothy 4:3b-4).

The article is titled "The Stargazers Strike Back" and relates how the 2000 member Association for Astrological Networking is taking the offensive and trying to establish credibility with the media and public.

They are claiming to be "professionals with a body of knowledge that enables us to render advice."

The association provides legal counseling to fight laws that restrict astrology and fraud.

The article reminds us that a 1988 National Science Foundation survey found that 38% of Americans believe Astrology to be scientific and a recent Gallup polls indicated that between 1978 and 1984 belief in astrology rose from 40%-59% among school children.

Based on combined surveys of college students and adults, belief in the validity of astrology rose from 29% in 1978 to 40% in 1985 (The Fringes of Reason: A Whole Earth Catalog, 1989, p. 196).

The article goes on to describe a "new breed" more evident in business circles sporting new computer soft¬ware that "calculate `astro-indicators' for every trading bent from gold to T-bills."

Our advice is to make sure your stockbroker isn't investing by the stars.

Order a copy of one of our books, either Horoscopes and the Christian ($3.00), or Astrology: Do the Heavens Rule Or Destiny? ($8.00).

Book of Mormon

Due to the media bombardment by the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), many have seen the ads and other programs promoting the Book of Mormon (BOM).

They present the BOM as "a companion to the Bible," and "another testament of Jesus Christ."

Significantly in their published ads they place the BOM on top of the Bible. In their TV ads they fade the Bible out and leave the BOM in its place. This is not by accident.

The Mormon Church really teaches that the Bible cannot be trusted and must emphasize the BOM.

This is understandable for Christians as we know that the Bible refutes the doctrines of Mormonism. But what is ironic is that the essential doctrines of Mormonism are not even found in the BOM.

The Jesus of Mormonism is really only our elder brother, just a bit more advanced then we and he is the spirit-brother of Lucifer-the offspring of a father god and mother god.

The BOM should actually be sub-titled, "a testament of another Jesus Christ."