From: goff@intruder.navo.navy.mil (Victoria Goff)
Subject: Re: Cultural Appropriation and the New Age
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-19472]: intruder.navo.navy.mil
Reply-To: goff@pops.navo.navy.mil
Organization: GDS 
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 20:13:03 GMT

In article <1gud41INNpip@flop.ENGR.ORST.EDU>, irwinke@storm.CS.ORST.EDU (Keith Irwin) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> I'd like to know what people think about New Agers (ie, Europeans and
|> Euroamericans) appropriating the spirituality of various indiginous and
|> small scale cultures.

New age ideas result from the theory that life is ever evolving to a
more complex state ie man evolved from lower forms and so if man
has evolved (physically) then he must evolve spiritually. These
ideas seem to coordinate nicely with many comparative religious
experts who view man's religions as evolutionary so that the
polytheistic religions of primative cultures are considered 'not as evolved'
as monotheistic religions.

New agers do not agree on all the details but they seem to share the
view that there is a "oneness" of a spirit and that all religions
in some way try to describe it. Therefore, all religions are right
in that they describe this spirit from a different perspective.
Thus, they are sort of monotheistic.
 
|> What are some of the ethical issues involved?

The Newager seems to have trouble with Jesus Christ and must either destroy
the credibility of the account of Christ's life and death as recorded in
the bible and of course, they must discount those who claim a relationship
to Christ. Those who are just following a religion of Christianity seem
to get along with the Newagers and so view this New World religion as
a synthesis and a way to incorporate everyone's believe systems under
one big tent thus the family of man has evolved spiritually, except for
those who believe Christ actually said "I am the way, the truth and the
life and no one comes unto the Father except by me".

Many Newagers distort Christ's purpose- saying that he was a great teacher,
or he was a myth, or he was a alien, but the bible is clear as to who he
claimed to be and why he came. The biblical view of Christ cannot be 
accepted by Newagers. 

|> What does this sort of New Age appropriation say about members of the
|> "dominant" culture?

By this I suppose you mean 'Christian' culture, if you are talking about
the US. Well, the biblical Christ is considered passe and that was our
"less evolved past". My personal experience with Newagers is that they
make fun of Christians, calling then close-minded and they imply that
they are not as educated (probably not as evolved). 
|> 
|> What kind of effect might it have on the cultures being appropriated from?
|> 
There is no absolute right or wrong and there is no notion of "sin" as
it is in the eyes of the beholder. Man is god.

|> Would you say that the New Age in its various manifestations,
|> especially in regard to this issue of spiritual appropriation, fits
|> within the framework of AFC Wallace's revitalization movement theory?

I don't know who AFC Wallace is. Please explain.

I suppose I will add my very unpopular opinion to the subject and I'm
sure I'll get some heat. I know the Lord Jesus Christ and so there is
no way this Newage religion has any truth to it. I must admit, it does
seem to neatly explain everything almost as if it were masterminded...
hummmm...

What I think you most want to know, considering where you posted this
article, is what effect this up and coming religion will have on the
dominating culture and I will tell you what I think. Christian persecution,
accelerated moral decay as the society is less and less tolerant of anything
related to Christianity.

May I remind you that the first step of indoctrination to the Chinese
when communism was enforced was a crash course on Darwinism; and are
we forgetting Hitler who was going to create a master race. 

Man is an animal, survival of the fittest euthenasia abortion...this
is going to be a cold new world folks. If our parents wanting or not
wanting us to be born were the critera to our right to be born, I
daresay most of us would not be alive right now. Aren't you glad
your parents didn't think that way?

-Victoria Day Goff