Re-Reading the New Age is an ongoing monthly series posted on the first Monday of the month. I started writing it because I was going back to re-read some of the books I read while I was a New Ager, and then I thought I’d share what I was finding with y’all and with anyone who had been involved in the New Age or knew someone who had been, or was curious, or just plain worried about it. The re-read has been most revealing. I’ve been both surprised and disgusted by some of what I’ve found. And I’ve barely even begun this project.
Part 1: Education, Bailey-Style
Bailey is right up front about her methods and goals. And some of those who take her as their inspiration are up front about it, too. She takes from her starting point that there is an elite group of “masters” in charge of this world and leading it from behind the scenes along its evolutionary path. These “masters” (“of the ageless wisdom”) live (where else?) in the Himalayas. The ascended master Djwal Khul, the Tibetan, is purported to be the teacher speaking through Alice Bailey in her twenty four main books. Here is her goal for education in the brave new age:
“We are passing through one of the great natural transitional periods at this time. We are laying the foundation for the emergence of a new species of human being—a more highly evolved unit within the human family—hence much of our problem, and much of the present failure to meet the demands of the race, and to measure up to human need for development.”
Education in the New Age, Alice Bailey, Lucis Trust, 1954 and 1982, pg 14. [Emphasis added.]
Part 2: Education, Bailey-Style
Continuing to re-read Education in the New Age. This week I read the preface and decided to write about it before I delve further into the text proper. After all, the preface sets the tone of the work and reveals its purpose. The late Oliver Reiser, Department of Philosophy, University of Pittsburth, authored the preface which is titled Educational Trends in a World Crisis.
Part 3: Education, Bailey-Style
Continuing to re-read Education in the New Age. Taking a closer look at chapter 1, fewer quotes, more commentary (or something resembling it) this time. And a new schedule for the blog: this series goes to once a month, on the first Monday of the month, so I can keep my sanity and not have to read so much New Age garbage stuff garbage in such a concentrated dose. And it will free up time to write some other stuff, too. Woohoo! :)
Part 4: Education, Baily-Style
Looking at the second chapter of Bailey’s book, wherein she focuses on civilization and culture. Or, rather, on the progressive New Age plan for destroying it and replacing both with their odious utopian nonsense. Once more I remind you: Robert Muller–with all of his years of contact with and influence upon the United Nations, educators, and many, many other people and organizations and councils of influence all over the world–based his World Core Curriculum on these ideas. As we get deeper into this book, that should really begin to worry you, if it hasn’t already. It certainly worries me.
Part 5: There and Back Again: A Ramble about my New Age days
A rambling ramble of a ramble about my rambling around in the New Age back in the day. I pretty much moseyed along through this aspect of it and that, thinking that most of what I was seeing was, well, garbage and not a little bit stupid. And some of it was so stupid that all I could do was roll my eyes. But some had just enough truth in it to get my attention. I talk about some of these things in this post and I’ll go into more in time.
Part 6: There and Back Agan: How I Got Into and Out of the New Age
Part 5 was about how I got into the New Age. Part 6 is more about the books: the ones that helped me get into it, and the ones that helped me out of it, thanks be to God!
Is Jesus Really the Author of A Course in Miracles? (Hint: NO) If He is the Author, if He did dictate this long long course, then He was perfectly happy to let Christians misunderstand Him and spread the wrong message for 2,000 years. Seems untrustworthy. I wouldn’t pay any attention to a Jesus like this one. Sounds more like a liar than a savior. And that’s just what I think the so-called Course in Miracles is: one big fat lie. Or a bunch of big fat lies. We’ll be looking at this course for at least a couple of weeks. I sat in on a few lessons back in the nineties, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Hadn’t any of those people ever read the Bible? I guess not. And I guess their bull hockey detectors weren’t working very well, either.
In part 8 of Re-Reading the New Age we’re in the beginning stages of our exploration of A Course In Miracles from a Catholic perspective. I’ve linked to some articles by Sharon Lee Giganti and Tracy Moran, with quotes from A Course In Miracles, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ, and Fr. Benedict Groeshcel, CFR. There’s a brief video of Sharon Lee Giganti on Catholic Answers Live answering a question about the Course. And a few links at the end of the post, including some helpful books.
In part 9 of the continuing series, Re-Reading the New Age, we’re continuing our look at A Course In Miracles. I didn’t realize until recently how deeply influenced Dr. Schucman was by Mary Baker Eddy’s Christian Science.
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Catholic Heart and Mind 