Humanism, Satanism, and The New Age Movement
An Introduction
Though on the surface, these three subjects may seem as though they are not at all related, upon further investigation we find great similarity among them. In fact, they are as it were, different sides of the same coin. Whereas the Humanist says, "Man has replaced God," the Satanist (for our purposes, we will include the wiccans in this category as well, though they do not believe in a literal devil) believes man can control god, while the New Ager (ala Shirley McClain, John Denver, Human Potential Movement, etc), proclaims that man can become god or is already a god. All of this stems from the old lie with which Satan deceived grandmother Eve in the Garden of Eden saying " For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:5) Herein is the temptation of the "vain pride of life" of 1Jhn 2:16. They are all religions of self-worship, with "self actualization" as the new mantra. A religion where the "self" has become the replacement of the soul, and the therapist couch as the pew.
Satanism and the New Age Movement are simply Humanism gone to seed, with a slightly religious flair to it. Try as they might, man is still essentially a worshipping being and has this innate desire and need to worship that must be fulfilled, for, "He hath set eternity in their hearts" (Eccl 3:11, ASV). Man realizes he cannot live in a spiritual vacuum, so Satanism and New Age are feeble attempts to have one's cake and eat it too. In this way, man can both be the Supreme Being and still worship a god (self) at the same time. These three philosophies then form a sort of "occultic pie", served straight from the ovens of humanism when half-baked and served up regularly in your community and fresh to your children. Ingredients include a hint of wealth and power with self in the center of it all.
In this series, we want to show just how entrenched these values and philosophies have become in our society. In our public schools and colleges, self help books, sales and personal improvement seminars, etc. it has become commonplace. These views are no longer confined to the fringe of society, but rather have become the posh and accepted trends from Hollywood to Main Street. The "preachers" of these faiths have moved from beads and tie-dye to three-piece suits.
It is as though we went to sleep and woke up in a strange and foreign world. None of this is new, however. Most every society, shortly before their downfall, has promoted these "values", from France to Russia. By their very nature, these are self-destructive, as sin is always. Paul affirmed such by saying, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." (Gal 6:7).
The poet, Walt Whitman, in his "Song of Myself" said in the very first line "I celebrate myself." This is the pervasive thought of today even as Whitney Houston sang, "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all." Contrast this mentality with Jesus statement, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). These views all promote selfishness, whereas the Bible teaches selflessness. Do we see this kind of lifestyle for what it really is? Mindless hedonism? The only real life one can live is when we learn to die first to self and then to live for something greater than self. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour" (John 12:24-26).
When we see ourselves as souls created in the image of God, then we see our self in relation to God. When we see ourselves as simply self, then we see ourselves only in relation to self.... and we collapse under our own weight. We implode under our own burdens. To say, as "ol' Blue Eyes" did, "I did it my way" is truly to commit spiritual suicide. - Wayne Goforth