Spoiler: The key to discernment is to know the Bible.
I read a letter from a former Hindu (early 2021), who is distressed about Christians who have a low view of Scripture and who are adopting teachings/practices from pagan religions.
And I noticed these two books: Barbara Brown Taylor’s Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others and Learning from Other Religious Traditions: Leaving Room for Holy Envy (compiled from various authors, various faiths). Holy envy? The idea seems to be to acknowledge “beauty in traditions other than our own” and to have “an appreciation of world faiths.”
You can look up some reviews of those books on your own. Get below the surface and consider some of the implications. Yes, we know there are bits of truth everywhere. Yes, we might feel “envy” that, say, a certain Buddhist temple has been decorated nicer than our church sanctuary. But in any interfaith books, watch for the subtle accusation that if you claim something is true, that means you’re not loving your neighbor … that if you don’t appreciate other religious teaching, you don’t value the person who believes it. One book reviewer said that he himself had tended to point out flaws in other religions while ignoring the flaws in Christianity. Wait—if Christianity is true and the Bible is God’s true Word, there wouldn’t be “flaws.” Though of course, people have flaws. We have to read such things carefully and watch for apples-to-oranges confusion. Discernment.
And then there’s New Age influence. Former New Agers can help us here. I’d not heard of Melissa Dougherty (and I confess I did not investigate much beyond her 20-minute video here). In Ms. Dougherty’s “Top Five New Age Teachings in the Church,” she clearly and simply warns of the Christian drift into New Age and Eastern practice, and of our craving for spiritual experiences and secret knowledge. There are multiple mentions of needing to know the Bible in order to be discerning. The final five minutes are a strong emphasis on reading the Bible. If your friends won’t listen to your warnings/advice, they might listen to someone like her.
May we all aim to grow in knowledge and “discern what is best” (Philippians 1:9-11).
Thanks for this needed warning, Lynn!
Dear Lynn, I’ve been edified by workshops which you and your sister have led in past church conventions. I have two questions. First, could you give an evaluation of the teaching of Jonathan Cahn? A few Christians we respect have recommended his writings, which I’ve not yet read. Just some of his titles concern me. Secondly, do you notice Christian churches emphasizing teaching on ‘thin places,’ where it’s easier for unbelievers to encounter God? In reaction to some of our ministers doing this recently, I asked them to read an article by Mark D Roberts, “Thin Places: a Biblical Investigation,” as I found his comments on the ‘thin place’ metaphor to be perceptive and cautious. I found his article online. Thank you for advice or insights you can share with me on these two questions. God bless you. Louise
Thank you, Louise. (1) About Jonathan Cahn: I’ll cheat in my response and not talk of him in particular. For non-fiction books (or podcasts) that speak to Bible topics, believers need to investigate better. It can be fun and profitable for truth-seeking friends to do this together. How? Read several recommendations. And read several criticisms by Google-searching the writer’s name along with terms like “false teaching” (or “occult” or whatever you suspect might be involved). Look up Scriptures cited. With such research, you then have legit evidence on which to base your own criticism/recommendation. (2) About so-called “thin places”: Yes, several years ago I addressed that in this “Thin Place? Thin Ice” post: https://www.lynnlusbypratt.com/2018/06/20/thin-place-thin-ice/ . There’s more and more promotion (even in Christian books) of what amounts to sorcery—trying to make something happen by being in a certain place, holding a certain object, etc. At the top of my home page, click on the “more from lynn” tab. Scroll down there to the “Nothing Sacred” document. It debunks, with Scripture, the pagan idea that there are spiritual secrets to access/activate/channel the Lord Almighty. Also on that “more from lynn” page, the little “‘Christianize’ It?” document zeroes in on some zinger Scriptures. These are free to print and study with a group. Please do! Press on!
Thank you, Louise!
I’d just add one thing to the “thin place” discussion.
The idea seems to have come from Samhain (pronounced Sow-en), the ancient Druid celebration that became Halloween. It was thought that as the world grew darker in the fall, the walls between the worlds grew thin and spirits could get through to our world easier. I did some research into this for the Elijah Creek series, when the Magdeline Five go to Ireland on Halloween. I actually went there for research.
It’s a bit shocking, isn’t it, that Christians believe they have to do some kind of ritual or technique to get close to God. Truth is, we believers have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and the living Word of God at hand. In prayer, we boldly go before the throne. The so-called “wall between the worlds” is always thin! = )
Thank you for being discerning.