The Orthodox Answer to the Confusion of “New Age”.

PARAINESEIS FOR PARENTS

Mr Konstantinos Papachristodoulou,
Chairman of the Board the P.E.G.

The biggest “achievement” of the “New Age” is sowing confusion in the modern man. So, continuing the work of the “New Age” is trying to convince us that a) the practice of self-development techniques, b) the belief in ‘karma’ and ‘reincarnation’, c) the abandonment of traditional religions as outdated, and d) the glorification of occultism and paganism, can lead man to enlightenment and salvation. is certainly so that aptly called the blessed Father Antonios Alevizopoulos as “gospel of the serpent.” What had promised the “serpent” in humans? That could be God without God. Alone, with its own forces . Once they broke away from God, that won was death.

This promises a “New Age”. The “self-development,” the “self realization”, the “salvation”. The Orthodox faith but teaches that no salvation can not man only through Jesus Christ, and even within the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. The view that strongly preaches the “New Age”, that ie one can be Christian, to worship, to communion, attend the sacraments while practicing meditation techniques and yoga, going to magicians, to believe in astrology and reincarnation, this view is a demonic deception and must be condemned by the Church.

Error is also the belief of ‘New Age’ that ‘God is inside us “and that if we develop the” hidden our capabilities “can aftoexelichthoume. The man in the Christian view does not expect salvation “from within”, but “outside” from God. Also, the Christian does not expect salvation from some “global forces”, with an abstract concept, which are supposedly outside and beyond our observable world.

The Christian, above all, believes in “personal God” who reveals His will and calls people to obedience. But if apostatised and test cases, the Christian knows that the path of penance and humiliation are blessed and may ask for mercy and the love of God, not just once but again and again, throughout his life. [1]

The Messiah, claiming the “New Age” has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. They talk about “Christ situation” in which everyone can supposedly be reached, since different techniques can be “aftoexelichthei.” Jesus Christ is for us Christians, the Son and Word of God, second person of the Holy Trinity. Him that sarkothike for our salvation in a specific place and time. “Ex Virgin Mary and born to Pontius Pilate, crucified, suffered and was buried.”

The Christian can not believe in reincarnation because it is simply believes in the Resurrection. The man, according to the Orthodox faith, born again, following a path of life with struggle, faith and repentance toward God, a once-dying with the separation of soul and body, and is on standby for the Resurrection, the day Judgement. This process preserves the uniqueness of our face “forever.” The man becomes immortal only in relation to the eternal God. This possibility has given us the same Lord Jesus Christ and His Resurrection. Certainly this has nothing to do with the “perpetual cycle of reincarnation,” as the final aim to exterminate humans within a faceless ocean, the “New Age” calls “God.”

And is the crucial question: how can today be guarded minutes from the “Tsunami” called “New Age”?

According to the late Fr Antonio Alevizopoulos [2]: “Prevention is much better than cure. That’s why parents must be vigilant and to carefully examine each player, which offers various opportunities for children, gymnastics, martial arts, or even school foreign language. The various sects and novel parathriskeftikes groups acting with masks and hundreds of unsuspecting names, thus trapping many. ” The risk is really serious. We will complement that present a new, moving into an environment such as that described above do not even need to join an organization that altered his personality. Can live in an environment of confusion, has obsessions and fantasies and driven slowly to a mental and social isolation.The surrounding atmosphere, the environment of the “New Age”, which is to insidiously erode all most aspects of modern life and convenience, which are now in ‘information’ everyone, call for vigilance by all.

Parents first and foremost must be correct and constant contact with their children. The current way of life, the abandonment of children in third person and improper involvement with the child, may give the opportunity in every epitidio to reach out and offer him what we seek and that may not find in the environment, love. There are many “sects” today that the first contact with a new offer what is called “love bombing” . In a meeting lasting three hours can accomplish such a change in personality that the child can begin to question his relationship with his parents . We must not leave gaps in children because they love this vacuum someone will try to fill it.

As often mentioned in the “Dialogue”, special attention to choices of toys and shows, which allow you to monitor a child on TV. Many times parents leave their young children especially, in front of the TV in order to “have their peace of mind.”But today hundreds of moving children’s films and animations, which can easily introduce someone in the occult and the teachings of the “New Age” from the children even age. Parents, at least Christian parents must check thoroughly the television shows of the child. This means however that they also should be advised to avoid the pitfalls.

What we all apefchontai is to realize suddenly that your child displays deviant behavior because he has been involved in the nets of an organization. The symptoms often resemble those caused by drug dependency. In our case we are dealing with a kind of “psychonarkotikon” . You must know that any relationship with a “sect” can degrade completely the personality of the victim. The victim is subjected to an effective brainwashing and after some believe that there is no salvation outside the organization; that the world -together and family- owned lower evolutionary order, at best, or belong in the camp of the devil, in the worst .Thus, the victim shall be cut off from family, friends and business environment and immersed in the organization. The group and the ‘teacher’, and shall have such effect on members who can hate a child to its parents to abandon not only the house but also the country in order not to affect them. This dependence is absolute. We have, indeed, the extreme case, child murder his parents by order of the organization! We refer to these cases not to terrorize, but to create the necessary climate of vigilance. Climate that might prevent such tragic situations.

Parents should watch for even the slightest deviation in the child’s behavior. If you begin to isolate trends, if read strange books, though often absent from home, if you wear black clothes and strange accessories, if you consistently avoid eating in the meat and insist on vegetarianism. It has probably been misled by some group or some “weird” friends. Requires careful approach and certainly love and understanding.

It is rare to become victims even in Christian families. It is often so hidden and ‘scientific’ meticulous approach a victim from the organization, sect, which may be someone is trapped in the organization, engage in practices while he thinks that this becomes a better Christian. So we need to contact only with healthy elements within the space of the church and certainly should reach out to intellectuals, who know in depth the issues of heresy and parathriskeias and can give correct directions. A wrong spiritual guidance can create bigger problems. There is a risk after cessation group a sect, the spiritual, which will take the victim, simply replace the eyes of the victim guru. That the victim sees as a spiritual guru and the spiritual can not understand it. Surely this is a difficult and complex case, not to this to expand.

Finally, we think that, apart from waking the proper and reliable information, as parents need to stoop over to children and to “discover.” Find: What prompts a young man now and before others to rush to give us the proper pedagogy, with caution, prudence and Christian culture. Saint John Chrysostom, many centuries ago, said: “The youth is a difficult age, which is unstable, which ripped easily, prone to fall and requires a very strong reins.” Elsewhere observes: “The youth are wild thing and therefore needs many caretakers, teachers, educators, followers, carers.” Above all, we should have proper education, Christian education and church beliefs. Only then can to guide children properly and to prevent the worst. A typical excerpt from “Diary of Saint John of Kronstadt” speaks to the heart of the matter and gives a rule for this course. He writes St. John: “To lead others, it is necessary first to learn to guide yourself. To teach others it is necessary to obtain the same knowledge … Each man in approaching him accept kindly and cheerful mood. “

Can all this, we note that at times creates a climate of intense concern, and perhaps disappointment coming ills. But let us not overlook the possibility of prayer. The warm and simple prayer heard by God and then what people failed to toil, struggle, tears and sorrows, resolved “above” and in a way that we could ever imagine. The examples are many. This does not mean that tie their hands and wait only “on high” means. Information, awareness and faith in God and His Church is the triptych, which can solve the large, indeed dangerous and polyplokamo “monster” that threatens us and listens to the name “New Age”.

Magazine “Dialogue”
Issue 49, July-September 2007

[1] P. Anthony Alevizopoulos: “Self-awareness, self-realization, salvation”, Ed.Metropolis Nicopolis and Preveza, Athens 1991, p. 119.

[2] Fr Alevizopoulos Anthony: “Addressing Heresies and Parathriskeias. Practical guide for the family, “Ed. P.E.G. Athens 1996, p. 43.