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...the 'New Age' movement involves a variety of viewpoints, spiritual teachings... some forms of New Age spirituality are seen as a bit 'woo' -- ... There are small packets of wisdom to be found in many New Age teachings, but very few reputable scientists consider New Age practices to be anything more than wishful nonsense.
While most New Age gurus are quick to dismiss accusations of 'commercialism', the New Age movement is very lucrative for those that want to make a quick buck; there are hundreds of New Age authors and vendors, offering all sorts of quackery and whacky 'spiritual advice' to credulous New Agers.
That description could probably fit a lot of religions, including Christianity.
That description could probably fit a lot of religions, including Christianity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arach Angle
sounds like a description that fits many organizations. start small, with good intentions, and then the nasties show up.
Whether it's religions, New Age-isms, or whateverisms, it's all about selling. Selling redemption. Selling absolution. Mostly selling hope. And some of the salespeople believe in their product and some are snake-oil salesmen.
And there's always sheeple to keep them in business.
If you want a rather technical definition, the 'New Age' movement involves a variety of viewpoints, spiritual teachings and pseudo-scientific 'theories'. It's mocked and derided in some circles, because some forms of New Age spirituality are seen as a bit 'woo' -- 'pyramid power', psychic surgery, alternative medicine, channeling spirits from Atlantis, and so forth. There are small packets of wisdom to be found in many New Age teachings, but very few reputable scientists consider New Age practices to be anything more than wishful nonsense.
While most New Age gurus are quick to dismiss accusations of 'commercialism', the New Age movement is very lucrative for those that want to make a quick buck; there are hundreds of New Age authors and vendors, offering all sorts of quackery and whacky 'spiritual advice' to credulous New Agers.
If you want a rather technical definition, the 'New Age' movement involves a variety of viewpoints, spiritual teachings and pseudo-scientific 'theories'. It's mocked and derided in some circles, because some forms of New Age spirituality are seen as a bit 'woo' -- 'pyramid power', psychic surgery, alternative medicine, channeling spirits from Atlantis, and so forth. There are small packets of wisdom to be found in many New Age teachings, but very few reputable scientists consider New Age practices to be anything more than wishful nonsense.
While most New Age gurus are quick to dismiss accusations of 'commercialism', the New Age movement is very lucrative for those that want to make a quick buck; there are hundreds of New Age authors and vendors, offering all sorts of quackery and whacky 'spiritual advice' to credulous New Agers.
And the fact is that this has been going on since the end of the first century, most notably in the different permutations of gnosticism, and we see that today. "Special knowledge" is a siren song.
sounds like a description that fits many organizations. start small, with good intentions, and then the nasties show up.
Correct. That applies to things like Marxism, Aryanism (a pseudo -scientific dogma) and as is often overlooked, the enlightenment, which somehow or other ended joined at to hip to the Terror of the French Directory. It isn't just religious organizations that can get into this dreadful spiral. We atheists would do well to remember it.
And the fact is that this has been going on since the end of the first century, most notably in the different permutations of gnosticism, and we see that today. "Special knowledge" is a siren song.
Yes, they used to call it "esoteric knowledge" or "mystical initiation". The raw appeal is that you are aware of something that few or no others are. It flatters one's ego.
Gnosticism however, while it leaned more that way, was ultimately just an argument within Christianity over whether Jesus was a celestial being or a flesh and blood god-man incarnate*. Gnosticism eventually lost the argument, and the victors got to write history, so they termed Gnosticism a "heresy". It could have easily gone the other way; gnosticism did not die easily. Indeed, it was quite popular well into the fourth century.
* Though it should be pointed out that a faction of gnostics did believe Jesus was the physical embodiment of divine knowledge.
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