The Dangers of Blending Religious Beliefs

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The Whyman @WHY?Outreach

I have recently read this article from the Eternity Bible College's Theology for Real Life, and watched the video by Jerram Barrs, Resident Scholar at the Francis Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Theological Seminary (where he teaches apologetics,) and am deeply concerned by the syncretism of many in the Christian world whose influence in our churches, Christian schools and seminaries are feeding unsuspecting millions with what has the appearance of light yet is dark, and has the taste of sweetness yet is bitter.

Isaiah 5:20 says,

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

Sadly, within Barrs comments and Mark Beuving's blog is another heartbreaking example of confusion and compromise, showing how those calling themselves Christians are presenting evil as good and darkness as light. 

What may seem obviously dark and rooted in occult paganism within the storyline of Harry Potter is being repackaged and presented by Christians as Christian allegory and analogy, with new declarations. In this case, the message is that "self-sacrificing love is the greatest power in the universe". The twist is that a witch (Harry Potter is a Wizard, Shaman, Sorcerer) in his act of "sacrificial love" in the offering of his life for his friends is being compared to what Jesus did in the giving of His life for mankind. Harry's is the preaching of another gospel, written through another spirit, contrary to the Truth of Jesus, and cannot be compared to the uniqueness of God's Salvation in Jesus (2.Cor. 11:4).

When I noticed how aggressively the west has absorbed Yoga into its churches as well-being exercise, I returned to the India I grew up in for almost twenty years to interview Hindu Yogis asking if the physical aspects of Yoga could be separated from its spirituality (see DVD Yoga Uncoiled: From East to West ) and they said absolutely no! Yet alarmingly the merging of eastern mysticism is being taught by Christians and absorbed into the church.

Repackaging darkness and attempting to blend it with "christianese" and opposing worldviews (humanism, secularism, paganism, mythology et. al.), and promoting the spiritual concoction as fiction and fantasy for children is a dangerous place to go. Jesus warned the consequences of injuring children, "whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me. It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Mat. 18:6).

Read the entire article here.