Read part 1 first The Threefold Appeal One of Dyer’s recent books is Being In Balance:9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires. Part of the description states: “In […]
“Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.” Proverbs 27.20 Wayne Dyer is a motivational speaker and prolific bestselling author who appeared often on […]
Richard Foster’s book, “Celebration of Discipline,” has been influencing the church for decades. Why is it that pastors have promoted this book or taught it instead of calling out the blatant unbiblical teachings found in it? This book is full of New Thought concepts and techniques that Foster learned from his mentor, the infamous Agnes Sanford. Sanford was a former New Thought follower and never left those beliefs behind — they are in all her books. Sanford was also the “mother of inner healing,” a New Thought practice. Visualization and using the imagination to heal are not biblical, but Foster teaches them in this book. This is in addition to his unbiblical promotion of contemplative practices.
Purportedly a Christian book, the ideas and beliefs in this book are pure pagan, mostly New Thought and New Age. It is an extremely unbiblical book and should be warned against. This book promotes dangerous spiritual and health beliefs.
The message that staying in your head is a bad thing is done to provoke emotional or even irrational responses. Teaching that you are thinking too much or in your head too much is a maneuver to undermine logical or clear thinking . This idea of thinking too much or that you should get out of your head is found throughout the teachings of cult leaders, Eastern spiritual beliefs, mysticism, the New Age, New Thought, and even in the Star Wars franchise. This is a ploy to downgrade critical thinking, an indispensable tactic for speakers like Robbins, cults, and belief systems that are by nature against the true God.
I knew about tantra when I was in the New Age. Tantra is a system within Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism that is also connected to Kundalini Yoga. (In Buddhism, it […]
What this adds up to is mysticism, and a mystical view is a natural result of contemplative practices that apparently have captivated Mackie. Mysticism is not a matter of transcending logic or thought; it is actually contra logic and thought. This is why all contemplative teachings downgrade the mind . It is always found in esoteric teachings that there is something profound beyond words and reason that one can experience – a hidden or secret experience and/or wisdom. This is exactly how I thought for over 20 years.
Mackie is planting not only the idea that gaining perception of “another reality” or a “super reality” is positive, but he is offering the means for it through the contemplative practices, which will alter perceptions over time.
“Breathe in God’s peace, breathe out anxiety.” Are such prayers for the Christian? These techniques do not appear out of nowhere but have mystical, Eastern, and New Age origins and purposes. If they work, are they compatible with God’s word? Read more and find out.
Dallas Willard (1935-2013) was a highly regarded pastor, professor, and Christian philosopher. His main influence has been on what I call Contemplative Spirituality. He partnered with Quaker Richard Foster […]
What can we say to the claims made by Contemplative proponents? Are their arguments sound and biblical?