Human Beings as Gods
Hinduism, and the New Age movement both perpetuate the same lie that Satan told Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden that men can become god's. They believe that many of people's problems stem from the fact that they do not realise that they are actually god's. New Agers believe that with the right meditation, people receive enlightenment and come to the realization that they are god's. It is commonly held that we can attain to the same "Christ consciousness" that Jesus had. Speaking of this the channelled New Age book, A Course in Miracles asks:
"Is He the Christ? O yes, along with you." (A Course in Miracles, p. 83).
New Age promoter Shirley Maclaine speaks about the belief that everything in the universe is intrinsically linked and goes on to say:
"This understanding brings us to the most controversial concept of the New Age philosophy: the belief that God lies within, and therefore we are each part of God." (Shirely Maclaine, Going Within, London: Bantam Books, 1994, p. 100).In the same book, MacLaine also describes the mantra that she chants in her yoga practices:
"I hold each yoga position for twenty seconds and internally chant, "I am God in Light." (p. 68).
When it appears to suit them, New Ager believer's will quote various texts from the Bible to teach their deity of man doctrine, which on a surface level, appears to support the belief. Probably the most popular of these Bible passages is John 10:34. Here we have Jesus in dialogue with the Jews of His day and quoting from the Old Testament Psalms, saying:
"Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said you are gods'?"
Both the context of this verse and the context of the Psalm from which the verse is taken, sheds light upon what Jesus meant when He said this. Verses 31-33 shows how the Jews wanted to stone Jesus for calling God His Father and making Himself equal with God. Jesus responds with the words from Psalm 82 to make a contrast between himself and those in the Psalm who were called "gods". The Jews of Jesus' day would have known that the Psalmist wrote Psalm 82 against certain unjust rulers in Israel's history. Verse 2 of the Psalm states: "
How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?"
Verses 6 and 7 state:
"I said, "You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High. "Nevertheless you will die like men, and fall like any one of the princes."
The point that Jesus was making, in effect, was that if individual's like that can be called gods, how can you object to my saying I am God's Son?
There are numerous problems in human beings asserting that they are gods. Norman Geisler rightly points out that one of the major flaws in realizing our deity is that the very fact that we have to come to a realisation that we are god in itself proves that we are not God. Because God, by His very nature (omniscience), has always been aware that He is God. If He wasn't aware of it, then how could He be God? (Norman L. Geisler & Ronald M. Brooks, Christianity Under Attack, p. 43).
The Bible makes it clear that there is only one true God (John 17:13) by nature (Gal. 4:8) and that there was no god before Him and there will be none after Him (Isa. 43:10). There is also a vast gulf between humanity and true Deity. For example, Ron Rhodes, in his book on the New Age points out the following striking comparisons:
There are a number of ways that New Ager's say that they come to realize their godhood. Two of the most popular are via the means of meditation and yoga.
1. Meditation
Meditation has taken on many forms and meanings in recent years. "Looking within", "meditating on 'nothingness' (Buddhist meditation) etc. Despite the popularity in meditation, there have been many who have reported negative spiritual effects. I recently read the story of a man who meditated regularly until he described a sense of being invaded by overwhelming feelings of dread and despair. He remained in this condition for six months until he eventually became a Christian by accepting Jesus Christ into his life. Even New Age teacher Shirley Maclaine recognises the possibility of danger in meditation, albeit in a round about way:
"Meditation is not something to be taken casually. It is a pathway into the centre of the self. Therefore, it is extremely important to evaluate your image of your self before meditating. If a person believes in demons, evil spirits, Satan, and hell, it is possible that those conditions of belief - fear, panic, guilt - could emerge during deep states of meditation. But remember that such beliefs are a conditioned response. They have been taught - indeed, drummed in - precisely in order to produce fear and negativity." (Shirely Maclaine, Going Within, London: Bantam Books, 1994, p. 68).
2. Yoga
Many people, including some Christians, are involved in Yoga as a form of exercise. But what people may not realize in being involved in this practice, is that they are actually being slowly introduced and slowly indoctrinated into Hindu philosophy. The most popular form of Yoga in the west is known as "Hatha Yoga". This is the most common and popular and it is used by westerners for exercise. However, it should be noted that Hatha Yoga is considered to be the first step in the ladder towards deeper involvement. The ultimate aim of Yoga is to obtain liberation from the normal human state of consciousness and come to the realisation that one is a god. (Gheranda-samhita 7:17-23).
Many of those who teach yoga in the likes of sports centres etc. are themselves deeply involved in other aspects of Eastern philosophy and New Age thinking and will often introduce others to deeper involvement. Some are even disciples of various Hindu guru's and are seeking to make disciples.
The Bible clearly tells us that people's problems do not stem from their ignorance that they are gods but rather that we all have a sin nature (Rom. 3:23). Human beings are not gods. God and humanity stand realms apart in nature and attributes.
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