John Catanzaro

(continued from Part 1)

The Gray Zone

There is a “gray zone” between cultural practices that deny the deity of God and those that explicitly affirm it. This gray zone must be made clear, because the health and vitality of the church depends upon it. Cultural healing and spiritualism have a strong connection with each other. Eastern healing practices weave together culture and spiritualism by putting emphasis on the self and self-empowerment, making it appealing to be very human. What human does not desire to be healed, to be empowered, and to be a better person? All of these are reasonable pursuits—similar to the reasonable arguments presented to the first humans, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). We can see the end result of such thinking.

The most important question is this: does this human desire rule and become higher than the Highest Authority and Ruler of all? If so, it is pagan, anti-God, and human-centered. Conforming to the image of the reasonable is a great temptation. Conforming to the image of God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit is humble admission that our true empowerment comes from God alone. As Christians we need to embrace this truth with our whole being.

Our Being Is Involved

Oswald Chambers said it well:

“Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God. The Christian religion bases everything on the positive, radical nature of sin. Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone deals with sin.” (My Utmost for His Highest)

Any healing practice that encourages deliberate and emphatic independence from God is anti-theistic and should be considered a forbidden practice. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual practices that are inconsistent with God’s will and purpose can lead to serious harm and even sin. Our being needs to be transformed as stated in Romans 12:1-2. If a healing practice does not nurture the central theme of conforming to Christ through Christ-centered faith, it is anti-God and will offer only temporary relief from sickness and pain.

New Age Healing

What comprises New Age medicine and Eastern healing practices? There are several systems that are wrapped up in New Age healing. I will outline the main points and parallel them with the Christian faith. As we begin, it is important to remember that the popular aphorism, “All religions and religious practices are fundamentally the same” is false. There are vast and fundamental differences between Christianity and Hinduism, Buddhism, and New Age practices. It does matter what you believe and allow as a practice.

Understanding the foundational teachings of these Eastern practices is necessary for comprehending the healing teachings. A significant portion of alternative medicine includes Eastern cultural teachings as part of its healing modality matrix. Sorting out the Eastern pagan and pantheistic practices is necessary to keep the “priesthood of believers” out of harm’s way.

(Continued here: Part 3.)