By Dr. Jeffery J Ventrella – Posted at Truthxchange:
“Antidotes to Idolatry” – Part 9“Astrology is one big word association game.”[1]
“The basic problem of Christians . . . is that they have seen things in bits and pieces instead of totals.”[2]
“Claiming to be wise, they became fools”[3]
Paganism’s ethos and ethic is among us. Hear this plainly: I am not saying the barbarians are “at the gates.” No, the data suggest that WE Christians have invited paganism into our midst; it now dines and reclines – quite comfortably and unchallenged – at our own tables. Because Truthxchange exists to Inform the Public; Equip the Church; and Protect the Future, let’s get to the gist.
Dear Christians: Look in the Mirror
Recently, a study disclosed that over 60% of Christians hold to at least one “New Age” – aka pagan – tenet.[4] This is not some occasional quirky software bug, but instead suggests deep corruption of the church’s operating system.
This comprehensive study reports on the beliefs of several categories of Christian across the spectrum: Evangelical, Mainline, Historically Black, and Catholic. It also compares these results to what it deems the “Unaffiliated” – Atheists, Agnostics, and “Nones.” Well, the Christian categories are cumulatively less pagan than the Unaffiliated – by one percentage point: 62% to 61%.
Here’re the results encapsulated:
Overall, roughly six-in-ten American adults accept at least one of these New Age beliefs. Specifically, four-in-ten believe in psychics and that spiritual energy can be found in physical objects, while somewhat smaller shares express belief in reincarnation (33%) and astrology (29%). . . .[5]
This produces syncretism, a deadly form of heresy:
While eight-in-ten Christians say they believe in God as described in the Bible, six-in-ten believe in one or more of the four New Age beliefs analyzed here, ranging from 47% of evangelical Protestants to roughly seven-in-ten Catholics and Protestants in the historically black tradition.[6]
Christ Himself articulated and “called out” this syncretism nestled in several congregations, warning them that He would remove their lampstands absent corporate repentance:
- Ephesus – losing their first love, that is, loving something more than the Creator God – a form of idolatry[7]
- Pergamum – embracing the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, resulting in sexual immorality and Gnostic notions[8]
- Thyatira – tolerating the teaching of Jezebel, resulting in sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols and predicated on seeking the “deep things of Satan” aka Gnostic notions[9]
- Sardis – rejecting a living faith that manifests works of obedience and instead being “dead”[10]
What’s all this mean? The difference between what Christians believe compared with what real pagans believe is statistically immaterial. The doctrinal salt is losing its saltiness. While evangelicals “do better” than the other Christian categories, it would be premature to boast. Atheists – by far – reject pagan views much more readily than Evangelicals:
[A]theists are much less likely to believe in any of the four New Age beliefs than agnostics and those who say their religion is “nothing in particular.” Just 22% of atheists believe in at least one of four New Age beliefs, compared with 56% of agnostics and eight-in-ten among those whose religion is “nothing in particular.”[11]
Let’s peak under the doctrinal hood of the Evangelical car.
https://www.christian-heritage-news.com/2024/06/paganism-in-pews-and-truthxchange.html
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