
What is the New Age Movement? It is similar to New Age Spirituality, but different enough to warrant its own definition. The New Age Movement is a belief that the human race is all one. It is not about equality nor diversity. It is the idea that your gender, age, religion, race, nor sexual orientation makes you better or worse then anyone else. The New Age Movement is moving away from the US against THEM mentality. It is inclusive, open, detached from labels, and above all else, it's based in love not fear.
At our deepest level, there are only two motivators - love and fear. Fear breeds hate, anger, vengeance, greed, violence, selfishness, and alienates us from truly connecting with spirit and with each other. Love breeds compassion, understanding, forgiveness, charity, gentleness, partnership, and a sense of connectedness with spirit and with each other. One can focus on either motivator and see the logic behind it. Should you choose to see lack, poverty, and attacks towards your fellow man, it's easy to become fearful. It is part of the survival of the fittest. Fight or flight saved many a caveman to live another day and to breed more like himself. One can also argue that to see the beauty and tenderness that humanity is known to share with each other that it is logical to love thy neighbor and to turn the other cheek. There will always be intelligent arguments for both sides. We as a species have evolved enough to make our own decisions as to which will govern us as individuals.
The New Age Movement proposes that as a collective people we are also able to make an educated enlightened decision as to whether we will be controlled by our fears or by our loves. Will we be a society of angry divided hateful individuals? Or will we be a global community of loving supportive people who honor each other's right to choose their own path? Like all political, religious, and social movements there are zealots and extremists among the New Age Movement. In the same way that all Christians are not white supremacists and all Pagans are not Satan worshippers, all New Agers are not aging hippies sitting around getting stoned and playing with crystals. Those who endorse the New Age Movement are as diverse as any other group. Their one common belief is that love and true spirituality should lead us as a people, not fear and hatred of anything we deem as different from ourselves.
The New Age Movement embraces the teachings of Christ, the teachings of Buddha, the Native American teachings, the ancient Celtic Pagan teachings, and modern science's latest findings and teachings. We are explorers trying to understand spirituality on a deeper nuts and bolts level. It is not enough to be told by our parents that one religion is right and all others are wrong. We have a desire to understand and to choose for ourselves what is or is not spiritual. The result is that many New Agers have found themselves holding an eclectic view of religion. Many Native Americans have blended the teaching of Christ within their own beliefs. Many Pagans can see how much they have in common with the Native American beliefs. It is not unusual for Catholics to feel a deep connection to the Buddhist teachings. Forgive me for omitting so many other religions and beliefs but I am simply giving broad examples for the sake of making a point. The New Age Movement was birthed from this exploration of each other's beliefs. How can we hate someone so much like ourselves?
Christ did not teach blind hatred nor did he teach his followers to give their personal power away to the churches and governments. Only when the churches and governments took over his teachings did that all become part of being a 'good Christian.' He did not tell us to hate nor to judge. Bigotry and war is not Christ-like, nor Buddha-like, nor in keeping with the core teachings of any religion. All spiritual teachers taught the same message - love one another and do not harm each other nor the planet and the animals given to you. Take the politics out of religion and they all come down to the same wonderful teachings that have been trampled on by dogma, greed, and bigotry.
Most of America does not realize what a great event we have just experienced. This election was at its root a fight over fear and love. Which would govern us as a country? We are a country under attack. We are a country at war. It is only natural that people are afraid. One candidate ran his entire campaign on fear and hatred of others not like us. The other ran his campaign on love and fellowship. For us to come so close to winning during such a frightening time is marvelous! Were we not at war, I have no doubt that the American people would have chosen to be guided by a leader who chooses love and fellowship as his motivator rather then someone who teaches us to be afraid and to hate others. I have never been so proud or felt that the New Age Movement was so powerful as I do today.
Do not weep and worry about the next four years. Love has taken hold of this country and all will be well. We have covered so much ground towards our goals of tolerance, acceptance, and true spiritual brotherhood. During our great grandparents time, the Gays and Lesbians, the Pagans and Native Americans, the Women and Blacks never would have been allowed to even speak out. We are no longer a minority, those of us who believe that good still exists and that the country can be ruled by humanitarian principles instead of fear and egos ruling our governments. Fear is still strong, but love is finally voted as equal. Balance has been restored. All is well.
Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge
About The Author
Skye Thomas is the CEO of Tomorrow's Edge, an Internet leader in inspiring leaps of faith. She became a writer in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, soulmates, and parenting. Her books, articles, and astrological forecasts have inspired people of all ages and faiths to recommit themselves to the pursuit of happiness.
To read more of her articles and to sign up to receive her free weekly newsletter, go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net. To download free previews of her books, go to www.SkyeThomas.com.
AP - Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after a three-hour lull to allow in humanitarian aid. Hamas responded with a rocket barrage.
AP - Pointing with concern to "red ink as far as the eye can see," President-elect Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to tackle out-of-control Social Security and Medicare spending and named a special watchdog to clamp down on other federal programs even as he campaigned anew to spend the largest pile of taxpayer money in history to revive the sinking economy.
AP - Senate Democrats beat a hasty retreat Wednesday from their rejection of Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's successor, yielding to pressure from Obama himself and from senators irked that the standoff was draining attention and putting them in a bad light. Burris said with a smile he expected to join them "very shortly."
AP - Confronting a grim economy and a Middle East on fire, Barack Obama turned Wednesday to perhaps the only people on the planet who understand what he's in for: the four living members of the U.S. presidents' club.
AP - Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt.
AP - The upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama is an attractive target for international and domestic terrorists, but U.S. intelligence officials have no information about specific threats to the Jan. 20 event.
AP - Holy, People's Choice Awards, Batman! "The Dark Knight" soared away with every trophy it was nominated for Wednesday at the 35th annual fan-favorite CBS ceremony. The caped crusader flick won five awards, including favorite cast, superhero, action movie and on-screen matchup for Christian Bale's Batman and the late Heath Ledger's Joker.
AP - Jeremy Lin scored 27 points to lead Harvard to an 82-70 upset over No. 17 Boston College on Wednesday night, three days after the Eagles upset previously top-ranked North Carolina.
AP - Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, a week after being fired by the New York Jets. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mangini will be introduced Thursday at a news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea.
Reuters - Israeli warplanes bombed the Gaza Strip on Thursday and tanks pounded Palestinian guerrillas on the ground as U.S. backing for a proposed truce raised expectations of an end to the offensive.
Reuters - A fresh wave of profit warnings and job cuts soured investor sentiment on Thursday after an employment report suggested U.S. job losses in December could be the worst in almost 60 years.
Reuters - In an abrupt switch, Democratic leaders began talks on Wednesday to swear in Roland Burris, appointed by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.
Reuters - The U.S. budget deficit will swell to a record $1.186 trillion in fiscal 2009, congressional forecasters said on Wednesday, the result of an economic recession that has cut tax receipts and caused massive government bailouts of banks and automakers.
Reuters - The case of Ali al-Marri, accused of being an al Qaeda "sleeper" agent and held for 5-1/2 years at a U.S. military prison in South Carolina, will be an early test for President-elect Barack Obama.
Reuters - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.
Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff should be jailed for violating a court order by mailing $1 million worth of diamonds, watches and other jewelry to friends and family, U.S. prosecutors told a court on Wednesday.
AFP - Israeli warplanes bombed suspected arms-smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza early Thursday, as diplomats worked to secure a ceasefire in an offensive that has killed 700 Palestinians.
AFP - Envoys from Russia and Ukraine go to Brussels on Thursday for emergency EU-brokered talks to resolve a bitter gas fight between the two ex-Soviet giants that has engulfed Europe in a major energy crisis.
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