Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For many decades, believers of all sects have heard about the dangers of the “New Age” movement. New Age’s broad tentacles blend Eastern Mysticism, self-help psychology, esoteric beliefs, and occult practices, offering paths to self-enlightenment and the idea that all paths lead to God. New Age ideas include Astrology, Karma and reincarnation, crystal healing, and numerology, among many other practices and cults.

Even though most New Age beliefs come in blunt opposition to biblical Christianity, certain New Age practices and ideas have indeed infiltrated Christian circles through the ages.

I became a believer at age 25. However, as a young seeker of “truth” in my teens and early twenties, I personally dabbled in New Age practices when searching for God. I grew up immersed in Catholic circles, attending Catholic schools and the mass, and yet found myself looking for answers in Tarot readings and Zodiac future predictions. The confusing (and often scary) experiences only led me farther from the truth.

In 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, the apostle Paul admonishes believers concerning the dangers of “false apostles.” In that chapter, he uses a phrase that is famous in Christian circles:

“Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

It is important to note that Paul’s warning is not directed at people outside Christian communities. He is talking about people who look the part but whose hearts and motives are far from believing in and pointing others to true biblical doctrine. The apostle Peter also warns against these “false prophets (or teachers)” in his second epistle.

New Thought

As pervasive as New Age thoughts and ideas may be, there is an even more insidious enemy of biblical doctrine gaining ground among believers. It’s called “New Thought.” You may never have heard the term, but if you are a Christian, you have certainly been exposed to (and possibly even been deceived by) its dangerous ideals.

Late in 2024, I interviewed Melissa Dougherty about her groundbreaking debut: “Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard Of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World.” Dougherty is a Christian apologist with an incredibly successful YouTube channel where she and her influential guests expose New Age and New Thought beliefs.

In Happy Lies, Dougherty uses theological insights and her own experiences with deceitful New Thought ideas and practices to expose the movement in light of biblical doctrine.

Among New Thought ideas, the “Law of Attraction” has been gaining ground among even seasoned believers.

The sinister issue with Law of Attraction beliefs is that Christians inspired by them use scriptures to support their ideas. Here are a couple of examples:

Proverbs 23:7 (King James translation): “For as (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Law of Attraction belief:

“Your thoughts have the power to create reality. If you think positively, you attract good outcomes. If you think negatively, you attract disaster.”

Biblical Truth:

There is no doubt that thoughts influence actions (“Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” – Proverbs 4:23), but we do not have ultimate control over life’s outcomes. God does. (“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” – Proverbs 16:9).

Another law of Attraction belief:

“If you say something repeatedly, the universe will make it happen.” This idea is also found in another New Thought movement called “Word of Faith” (“Name it and claim it”).

Biblical Truth:

Our words have power (“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” – Proverbs 18:21), but only within God’s will (“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” – James 4:15).

As Dougherty stresses throughout her book, New Thought mixes Biblical truth with self-empowered spirituality, making it harder to identify, sneakier, and more deceptive.

As believers, we must remain vigilant, testing every teaching against Scripture to discern truth from deception. While New Age and New Thought ideas may appear appealing, they ultimately distort biblical doctrine. True faith rests not in self-empowerment but in trusting God’s sovereign will and aligning our hearts with His unchanging truth.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, March 8, 2024. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s website.

• Listen to the interview below or on your preferred podcast platform: God-Sized Stories – Melissa Dougherty

Watch the Interview below or on YouTube: God-Sized Stories – Melissa Dougherty