(Billy Humphrey, “Divine Convergence”)
From Chapter 18, entitled “One God, Many Paths,” of Tamara Hartzell’s new online book In the Name of Purpose: Sacrificing Truth at the Altar of Unity,” the reader learns more about this anticipated “Divine Convergence.” Here is an excerpt with important background information about the false prophets’ call for the “streams to flow together” into a mighty new “river.”
“The Religions are the Tributaries of One Great River”
“This concept [of unification] … does involve the development of a universal public consciousness which realizes the unity of the whole … It requires simply the recognition that all formulations of truth and of belief are only partial in time and space, and are temporarily suited to the temperaments and conditions of the age and race. Those who favor some particular approach to the truth will nevertheless achieve the realization that other approaches and other modes of expression and terminologies, and other ways of defining deity can be equally correct and in themselves constitute aspects of a truth which is greater and vaster than man’s present equipment can grasp and express.” —Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul (Emphasis added)1
One thing leads to another in the (New Age) New Spirituality’s larger understanding of “truth.” Since “the One Truth” is believed to underlie every religion, they are all considered to be on different but equally valid paths (approaches) to God. This “unity in diversity” allows for everyone to keep their own theology and doctrinal convictions and worship “styles” as their own portion and expression of the “fullness of truth.” This is the New Spirituality’s false gospel of Oneness: “We are all one. Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.”
This Oneness is found in Theosophy (part of the “Ancient Wisdom”) taught by both Alice Bailey and H. P. Blavatsky. It includes the following widespread principles listed by the Blavatsky Net Foundation:
● “Brotherhood is a fact in nature. We are ONE at the highest spiritual component of our nature. We are sparks from one flame.”
● “The religions of the world are branches on the tree whose trunk is the one ancient – once universal – wisdom religion. The religions are the tributaries of one great river.”
● “Humanity’s potential is infinite and every being has a contribution to make toward a grander world. We are all in it together. We are one.” (Emphasis added)2
It isn’t the message and Kingdom of God that are growing in popularity, but rather of the god of this world—the same god that enticed all to come together as ONE to build the tower of Babel.
“The day is dawning when all religions win [sic] be regarded as emanating from one great spiritual source; all will be seen as unitedly providing the one root out of which the universal world religion will inevitably emerge. Then there will be neither Christian nor heathen, neither Jew nor Gentile, but simply one great body of believers, gathered out of all the current religions. They will accept the same truths, not as theological concepts but as essential to spiritual living; they will stand together on the same platform of brotherhood and of human relations; they will recognize divine sonship and will seek unitedly to cooperate with the divine Plan … Such a world religion is no idle dream but something which is definitely forming today.” —Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul (Bold added)3
The Master Deceiver’s Plan is indeed forming today. He is achieving tremendous success in neutralizing today’s Christianity. A poll conducted in early August 2005 for Newsweek and Beliefnet asked the question, “Can a good person who isn’t of your religious faith go to heaven or attain salvation, or not?” And 68% of Evangelical Protestants and 83% of Non-Evangelical Protestants answered, “YES”! There was virtually no difference between Evangelicals and Non-Christians of whom 73% answered, “Yes.”4
This is clearly indicative of the current departure from the faith (not a “spiritual awakening”) in the new broad-minded “Christianity.” This new “Christianity” that believes the world does not need to change its ways also believes that the world doesn’t even need to change its religion (faith). The world can stay in whatever religious faith—whatever path to God—it wants and just add a “relationship” with God to it.
“I’m not talking about a religion this morning. Okay? You may be Catholic or Protestant or Buddhist or Baptist or Muslim or Mormon or Jewish or Jain, or you have no religion at all. I’m not interested in your religious background. Because God did not create the universe for us to have religion. He came for us to have a relationship with him.” —Rick Warren (Emphasis added)5
“One day we’re gonna stand before God and he is going to ask two questions. The first question is, ‘What did you do with my Son Jesus Christ?’ Not ‘What religion were you?’ Not what denomination, not what background, where did you go to church. We were created for a relationship, not a religion – not rituals, not rules, not regulations.” —Rick Warren (Emphasis added)6
“I have known many people who believe in the Messiah of Jesus, regardless of what religion they are, because they believe in him. It’s about a relationship, not a religion. You’ve heard this many times.” —Rick Warren (Emphasis added)7
In both the (New Age) New Spirituality and the Purpose-Driven Paradigm, doctrinal views (theological creeds) and the faith of Christianity are irrelevant:
“One day you will stand before God, and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity.… God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views.” (PDL; p. 34; emphasis added)
“What is this church of Christ? It is constituted of the sumtotal of all those in whom the life of Christ or the Christ-consciousness is to be found or is in process of finding expression; it is the aggregation of all who love their fellowmen, because to love one’s fellowmen is the divine faculty which makes us full members of Christ’s community. It is not the accepting of any historical fact or theological creed which places us en rapport with Christ.” —Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul (Emphasis added)8
“The Christ has no religious barriers in His consciousness. It matters not to Him of what faith a man may call himself.” —Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul (Emphasis added)9
“I happen to know people who are followers of Christ in other religions.” —Rick Warren (Emphasis added)10
Clearly, the message has changed! Rick Warren’s various statements render one’s religion irrelevant, even though he has acknowledged that all religions “have a different way to get to God”:
“I would say I am more interested in having a relationship with God than a religion. To me, I define religion as man’s attempt to get to God. And I have studied all the major religions … and they all just have a different way to get to God. Now, they are – anybody who has studied religions knows that they are mutually exclusive.” —Rick Warren (Emphasis added)11
Incidentally, Rick Warren has said, “Because I had been raised in a Christian home, I rejected it all, and I decided to study the religions of the world. I actually moved to Japan, and I studied Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism. I studied all the religions of the world.”12 Then he should know that religions aren’t just a “different way to get to God,” they follow different gods!
At the BWA’s Centenary Congress, where the recurrent theme was “unity, unity, unity,”13 the following statements were made by Jimmy Carter and Rick Warren:
“One of the world’s most prominent Baptists, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said the desire for oneness is a powerful force for global good. Differences of belief — even among Muslims, Jews and Christians — are outweighed by a common commitment ‘to truth …’ Carter said.” (Emphasis added)14
“Many people are ‘too glib’ in claiming the label of ‘Christian.’ If instead people define a ‘Christian’ as ‘a little Christ,’ it would have more meaning and produce more Christ-like behavior, he [Carter] said.” (Emphasis added)15
“I don’t see many people interested in Christendom. But I see a lot of people interested in God.” —Rick Warren16
First, as is increasingly evidenced, not even professing Christians are still interested in Christendom. They and the world prefer Oneness because its relativism allows them to follow the path of their choice on the “label” (religion) of their choice. “The desire for oneness” clearly shows the world is not interested in the true and living God or in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Incidentally, it is the reducing of Christ to a universal “example” that leads to the anti-Christ belief that people can become “little Christs.” The definition of “Christian” is broadening, true to the Master Deceiver’s Plan:
“It is here that the Church, as usually understood, meets its major challenge. Is it spiritual enough to let go of theology and … widen its horizon and recognize as truly Christian all who demonstrate the Christ spirit, whether they be Hindu, Mohammedan, or Buddhist, whether they are labeled by any name other than that of orthodox Christian?” —Alice Bailey (Emphasis added)17
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To continue reading this chapter, go to Chapter 18.
The Truth:
“Then you shall say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My Law. And you have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, you walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me.” (Jeremiah 16:11-12)