From: goff@intruder.navo.navy.mil (Victoria Goff)
Subject: Re: Cultural Appropriation and the New Age
Reply-To: goff@pops.navo.navy.mil
Organization: POPS Facility Managment
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 21:39:30 GMT
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-26344]: intruder.navo.navy.mil

In article <C0338B.CFD@inews.Intel.COM>, mdouglas@cad067.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Maria Douglas ) writes:
|> 
|> -- 
|> Let me say up front that I am a Christian (in the orthodox sense) and
|> I am interested in the effect of the New Age on our culture, in 
|> addition to its spiritual impact on the world in general.  I will leave
|> my second interest aside for now: while I agree with Ms. Goff on
|> some points, I'm afraid that her "cultural" analysis was definately
|> affected by her frustration with the New Age movement and its effect
|> on traditional values.  These frustrations are experienced by many
|> orthodox Christians, but would be better discussed (I think) in a
|> different forum.

Maria, I do not know what you mean by orthodox Christian. Either one 
believes Jesus or one doesn't. You asked for an opinion on the
effects of the New Age movement on modern culture and my basic
reply was that I thought it would accelerate the moral decline
of an essentially Christian culture. 
|> 
|> On the other hand, this bold exploration into other cultures (of which
|> religion is such an important part) has certainly helped us all be
|> more sensitive to and aware of other ethnic groups.  We could ALL
|> stand to learn some respect for others, even if someone thinks they're
|> absolutely wrong about one thing or another.  

You know, Jesus was so narrow and hardheaded, wasn't he Maria? He
just didn't respect anybody's beliefs if they didn't line up with
his. You would think he thought he was God...

|> 
|> I believe that the New Age movement is the natural result of our
|> cultural "melting pot."  Our country was founded on Deism and
|> Freemasonry, not Christianity per se.  Deism (if I'm not mistaken)

You are mistaken. The Constitution is based on biblical principles.
We take for granted the impact Christian principles have given to
society and are spoiled to it's precepts and ideals. 
 
|> is *similar* to New Age beliefs in that it encompasses all religions
|> and strives to *extract* a universal deity (a *little* like the
|> oversoul in Transcendentalism), a single spirit, as it were.
|> Benjamin Franklin was a Deist and a Freemason, and so was Thomas
|> Jefferson.  (I studied Deism in one of my Early American Literature
|> classes a few years ago, since it had such a profound effect on
|> our founding fathers.)

There is no doubt that they might have even been influenced by Shakespeare
but the overall plan for this country (Constitution) bears the mark
of a higher power. 

|> 
|> Well, that's my $.02.  (And, yes, I've *studied* the Bible, and

Ah, you might have *studied* the bible, but do you *live* it?

|> if the New Testament is not taken out of context with the Old Testa-
|> ment and the Jewish culture of Jesus' time, it's message is VERY
|> clear.  Hmmmmm...culture impacting religious beliefs?  AMAZING!)

You sure you're a Christian? You don't sound like you know Christ.
Besides, all the real Christians I know hate religion as much as
Christ does.

-V.Goff   "...always in trouble"


 
|> 
|> M-
|> 
|> --
|> Maria E. Douglas	(408) 765-4728		    
|> Intel Corporation	mdouglas@cadev6.intel.com  
|> 
|> "Mina!  You're TOTALLY a vampiress!" 
|> 	
|> 	Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in "Dracula"

-- 
-Victoria Day Goff           POPS SuperComputing Center Performance Analyst 
            Primary Oceanographic Prediction Systems 
               Grumman Data Systems
               Bldg 1001 Room 101
               Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39522-6000
               (601)-688-4083 goff@pops.navo.navyl.mil