The Meaning of
At-one-ment
Atonement does not have the
same meaning as the New Age/occult term, at-one-ment. The interchanging of the
terms, "atonement" and at-one-ment is an example of syncretism.
"Syncretism
is the merging or union of conflicting religious beliefs which forms a
new
religious philosophy." (1)
At-one-ment:
"...at-one-ment, the term relates primarily
to the New Age idea that complete oneness with God
can be experienced by human beings." [emphasis added]
(Quote source: http://logosresourcepages.org/Occult/na-dict.htm)
At-one-ment: Term used by
several Mind Science or New Thought religions (such as Christian
Science) referring to the supposed metaphysical unity or “oneness” of
human beings and God as demonstrated by Christ. Contrast the Christian
term “atonement,” which refers to Christ’s death on the cross as the
means by which he reconciled sinful human beings to God.
(Quote source:
http://www.watchman.org/cat95.htm)
At-one-ment is
New Age "salvation":
At-one-ment, or absorption
into the One energy that is God, is a prominently held view of most New
Agers' understanding of salvation. It is the unfolding of one's
consciousness to the point that the "True Self," the divine nature, is
realized. As a flower unfolds petal by petal, so too does spiritual
evolution unfold, revealing the deeper realms of God-consciousness.
(Quote source: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/nachrist.html)
The Meaning of
Atonement
The Webster's 1828 Dictionary states the
theological definition of atonement:
"In theology, the expiation of sin made by
the obedience and personal sufferings of Christ."
The Free Dictionary's definition of atonement:
"The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and
death of Jesus."
The Webster's 1913 dictionary's definition of
atonement:
(Literally, a setting at one.)
Reconciliation; restoration of friendly relations; agreement; concord.
[Archaic]
Atonement is NOT at-one-ment, which New Agers
define as "absorption into the One energy that is God." (2)
Notes:
(1) Syncretism, What is it?
http://logosresourcepages.org/FalseTeachings/sync.htm
(2)
Christ in a New Age http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/nachrist.html
return to:
New Age
Markings on Ellen G. White's Writings -- "At-one-ment"
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