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This is all laughable but I want to point out a few things anyway in case you meet someone who believes this stuff. New Agers don't have leaders. That is one of the characteristics of the NAM -- it's leaderless. There are writers and people who influence others, but not leaders. I am a former New Ager and my ministry deals with this, and I can guarantee you -- 100% -- that no New Ager has the faintest idea who Westcott and Hort are, nor would they care. They probably would not know an NIV if it bit them.
Also, witches do not believe in Satan and do not worship him (another area of my ministry is the occult).
The sad irony of all this is that these people are afraid the New Age is a danger because of the NIV or NASB when actually some very conservative believers are getting into New Age (and occult) practices and beliefs through yoga, energy healing, and other stuff that is mainstreaming in the culture. I have heard from believers who are accepting chakras (from Hinduism) and auras.
Satan can get us to look at the wrong thing so that we ignore the real dangers, and this is what is happening here with this NIV New Age myth.
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This may be "lauphable" to you, but I have to say that there is NOTHING lauphable about this. Many posting on these threads have absolutely no idea how dangerous these things are, and are happening (that is implied can't or doesn't happen) right before our very eyes, and have been for quite some time. If you actually did any research on this, as I would guess since you mention you were once involved, and now have a ministry regarding these things, you most assuredly would know this.
Even though DeclareHim apparrently was posting sarcasim, his posts rings with the truth. What many do not realize, is that many people use words and change their meaning. This is what the New Agers do, and it has terrible consequences for those who do not know any better. The lie then, can be seen, or perceived as the truth. The words are the same, but the meanings of these words have changed subtily. Take for instance, the Roman Catholic. If you asked if they were born again, most wouldn't know what you are talking about. But the charismatic catholics would, but would give you a totally different explanation (the New Age explanation) of what they mean than what is the truth (and unfortunately even amongst those who consider themselves of Jesus Christ).
You claim that New Agers do not have leaders. Well, technically this would be true. However, if you understand most people, and human nature, it is always to follow someone, to be led, or influenced (whether aware of it or not)or in some cases to lead. There have ALWAYS been those few people that LEAD others without the person even realizing it. It is called brainwashing, and the power of persuassion using WORDS. How many people living in Germany prior to WWII would have EVER agreed or admitted to the fact that they were being brainwashed? And how in affect were these people brainwashed, even in the face of that fact that they should have known better? Yet, they most assuredly were. We are all being led by someone, and there are always those who are doing the leading, since the very beginning of time. Let us hope and pray earnestly that we are being led by the right person, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Most today are not - including those calling themselves christians.
You made another point that is true on the surface, that witches do not, nor ever have worshipped satan. This is true technically, but literally they DO worship satan, whether they realize this or not. They worship the creature, more than the creator. This is satan worship. They are believing what satan has tempted in the garden, and recieve power from him as they ask. Who do you think witches make their requests to? Who do they think they recieve these powers from? Ultimately, we all know who allows this to be done, but THEY worship something, or someone, who by their terminology and misunderstanding is nature, but nature has no power to give to them. They worship someone, or something that gives them power. This is satan. The dragon. That old serpent called the devil. Do they believe this? NO. But they DO worship and follow him and his lies, and he decieves them into worshipping him, and themselves. I was once in the New Age ideology myself (and all along I thought I was christian), although I didn't even realize it then. My understanding of things and my outlook on life were just as those who claim to be New Agers, yet I didn't even know I was, until the Lord showered upon me his abundant mercy, love and grace and opened my eyes and heart up to his truth. Those who are not yet saved and some that are saved, do not understand, nor can understand, until the Lord shows them. Do you know that the term used in many of the modern versions for God is "the One"? This is very New Age and very satanic. Our Lord is a personal God, and he has a name. He is never refered to, nor does he EVER REFER to HIMSELF as "the One". This is a gnostic term for their god, who is Satan. WE see this term or title in the modern versions, that call themselves a Holy Bible, the very words of God Almighty, who is a very personal God, and a trinity? I do not even have to read Gail Riplingers book to know that this is not right, and very misleading to which can lead to deception.
Many of you can deny up to your ears, that Westcott and Hort were upstanding Godly christian men, but it might do you well to know that just because someone claims or seems christian, doesn't make it so. I have read the quotations of these men, and if that were not enouph, there involvement in those societies is enouph for me to know them by their fruits. During the time that these two men lived, there were more Godly christian people, and morals and values of God that ruled the society, which is opposite of what we see today. These two men, and others like them, had to be very careful in what they said, and how they said what they believed, otherwise they would have been branded as heretics. These two men, were wolves in sheeps clothing that our precious Lord warned us of. Just remember our Lord's words: If the blind follow the blind, they both fall in the ditch. Do not let ANY man decieve you, for many shall come in MY name. These days, are not the days to be tiptoeing arouond these most important issues, and it is sickening to me, to hear and see so many claiming to love the Lord, make continual excuses for those things that would lead many astray that our precious Lord Jesus also shed his blood for, and not call out a warning. Is it trust first, question later? WE are to continually test things, to see if they are true. All I see is continual excuses in order to be accepted and politcally and socially correct. Let's not make any waves - my sarcasm. Each and every one of us will give an account to our Lord Jesus Christ for what he has given us. Are we going to hear those wonderful words from our Saviour: " Well done, thou good and faithful servant"? or the opposite? Do we care enouph about others that we would send out the warning? OR are we more apt to appease others and make excuses, as if none of it matters, and is lauphable? Is it lauphable that many are being decieved? Is it?
The NIV is very dangerous to those who are not saved. Satan has done a good job convincing many of you that it doesn't matter. I wonder how many of those charismatic christians that are involved in the Chakra (Hinduism, etc.) use the NIV or some modern version. Using these versions will not warn them of the dangers of what they are involved in, because the same terminologies are used in their very Bibles, that they believe is God's pure word. This is deceptive and will lead many astray, and already have.
Love in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
michelle