Brad Alles

My book, Starting at the End, focuses on worldviews and their vision of the future. Here is what New Age teaching reveals.

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains that the New Age movement has many subgroups, but it is generally a collection of Eastern beliefs like Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s a mix of “correct thinking”, “universal tolerance,” and hope. And the hope lies in evolution.

In seeking the perfect society, Secular Humanists trust a world government while Marxists depend on economics. New Agers rely on a different source for the future, idyllic state—the next step in human evolution, realizing that we are divine. Starting at the end with the New Age worldview reveals a spiritual, rather than a physical, evolution to perfection. Dr. David Noebel writes, “Ultimately, every person will achieve godhood, and total unity will be restored. New Age theology, like fairy tales, guarantees happy endings.”

According to New Agers (or Cosmic Humanists), human history is the story of evolution, an ascent from lower to higher forms of consciousness, from amoeba to man. The next rung on the evolutionary ladder is achieving unity of consciousness with God, since God is everything. And since all things are God, you are God. You just don’t realize it yet, according to New Age thought.

According to the New Age worldview, evolutionary godhood is the inevitable next step in human history. Humans will attain a higher consciousness, treating all people with respect as manifestations of God. All will live in harmony, displaying mutual love and acceptance of others. Within this hoped-for harmony is economic unity. Poverty and greed will disappear; people will work together to share wealth that is created. But it is not just individuals that are evolving; governments are as well.

Seeing the world as a whole rather than parts, the New Age future of humanity will be some sort of global civilization. National boundaries will fade, and all of humanity will join together in common cause. Noebel explains, “The desire for global government is based less on political theory than on the concept that ‘all is one’ and that evolution and other scientific principles are leading humanity to global unity.”

So unlike Secular Humanism and Marxism, the New Age doesn’t specify politics of the coming world state. Because of the next step in evolution, each individual will decide right and wrong for him or her, without the need of supervision. The state would not be necessary. Another term for this would be self-government: individuals governing him/herself, without the need of an outside authority like the state. However, anarchy is the logical outcome of life without government. New Agers counter that with this belief: the concept of community will overcome the dangers of anarchy.

Because everyone has not yet grasped this next step in evolution, a spiritual one, some New Agers believe a savior, or World Teacher, will appear.  He will guide man to this status of godhood and the utopia that is sure to follow. Beyond global civilization, “it is also hoped that this leader will unite the world into a spiritual unity; that is, a one-world religion.” To New Age thought, this savior would be similar to spiritual gurus of the past like Jesus and Buddha. We need counselors who will direct us in our path to enlightenment.  Once this World Teacher appears, a global civilization of peace will ensue.