The Modern Fall of Science and Philosophy: The Revival of Pantheism in Preparation for the Antichrist – KAU#091

THE MODERN FALL OF SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY: THE REVIVAL OF PANTHEISM IN PREPARATION FOR THE ANTICHRIST
“The grand, ultimate struggle between Christianity and Atheism will resolve itself into a controversy between Christianity and Pantheism.” (James Buchanan, 1857)

“God is one, that is, only one substance can be granted in the universe…Besides God there can be no substance, that is, nothing in itself external to God.” (Spinoza)

“I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologise their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us [i.e. devils], (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy [i.e. God]. The ‘Life Force’, the worship of sex, and some aspects of Psychoanalysis, may here prove useful. If once we can produce our perfect work – the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls ‘Forces’ while denying the existence of ‘spirits’ – then the end of the war will be in sight.” (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters)

1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of SCIENCE FALSELY SO CALLED:

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through PHILOSOPHY and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Pantheism seeks to unify man, nature and God into one single substance (Rom.1:25). In so doing, it diminishes the glory of God and deifies man. Pantheism is the belief that the universe and nature are divine. The whole modern world is rushing toward pantheism with open arms. The world is therefore more than ready to welcome the Antichrist.

Al Gore is a pantheist. This is how popular the philosophy has now become. Perhaps in Al Gore we can begin to see an individual example of what will happen to mankind as a whole as it embraces pantheism. If one believes that “God” is in everything, then it follows that the pantheist is also “God”. So why not aspire to be president of the U.S.? And while you are at it, why not refuse to take “no” for answer on election day?! Such, I suppose is the moral fruit of pantheism (2Tim.3:1). Gore writes:

“My understanding of how God is manifest in the world can be best conveyed through the metaphor of the hologram; I believe that the image of the Creator, which sometimes seems so faint in the tiny corner of creation each of us beholds, is nonetheless PRESENT IN ITS ENTIRETY…My own faith is rooted in the unshakable belief in God as creator and sustainer, a deeply personal interpretation of and relationship with Christ, and an awareness of a constant and holy SPIRITUAL PREESENCE in ALL people, all life and ALL THINGS.” (Al Gore, “Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit”)

How could modern man end up on the same level as the ancient pagans? How did this degenerated state of mankind come about? I will briefly describe one process the Devil has used to bring modern man to this miserable level. I will then spend some time documenting the fact that pagan pantheism has invaded almost every facet of our modern society. The reader will then understand how close the whole world really is to opening its arms to the prophesied Beast of the Book of Revelation (Rev.13).

The Devil is skilled in the art of spiritual Jiu-Jitsu. For years he screamed that each man’s intellectual mind was the only “Bible” anyone would ever need. He claimed that reason was supreme and that it alone could unlock the secrets of the universe. Multitudes of Christians immediately launched their counter-attack. Men like Joseph Butler showed the limitations of human reason, unaided by God’s written revelation. He was, however, very careful to sound the alarm to his fellow soldiers not to retreat from reason altogether. How would one then argue any point? To vilify reason would be to cut off one’s ability to believe or argue anything at all – even the very limitation of reason itself. Man’s mind is a candle (Prov.20:27). To function properly, it must be lit by the Holy Spirit with the light of God’s Word (Ps.18:28, 1Co.2:10,11, Isa.8:20). Butler and other prudent men knew how to contend against deism, atheism and unholy rationalism without retreating to the shadows of eastern mysticism. Butler wrote:

“I express myself with caution, lest I should be mistaken to vilify reason, which is indeed the only faculty we have wherewith to judge concerning anything, even revelation itself…but it is urged, as I hope it will be understood, with great caution of not vilifying the faculty of reason, which is the ‘candle of the Lord within us’, though it can afford no light where it does not shine: nor judge, where it has no principles to judge upon.” (“Butler’s Analogy”, pp.161, 252)

These men had studied the Bible and knew that God desires man’s mind to be fully engaged and submitted to Him in truth:

Isa 1:18 Come now, and LET US REASON TOGETHER, saith the LORD…

2Th 3:1 ¶ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from UNREASONABLE and wicked men: for all men have not FAITH.

Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as BRUTE BEASTS, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Sadly, later generations soon took the Devil’s bait. As the Devil pushed one way, the majority of Christians pushed the opposite way with all their might. As they threw their combined weight against “rationalism”, the Devil, with a sinister grin, quickly stopped all resistance. He let go of the rope! Immediately, multitudes of saints fell into the dark, miry pit of irrational mysticism. Faith became “blind faith”. Reason (even aided by
revelation) was despised. Soon, Azuza Street Pentecostals would cover their heads with shoe-boxes in an effort to escape the rational mind. They soon made animals noises. In the midst of all the built up momentum against reason, the Devil quickly added all his strength in the same direction. As Christians were now falling rapidly toward the mystical pit of absurdity, the Devil ran behind them carrying the rope! [To see a more subtle example of this eastern mystical seduction as it relates to new "bible" versions, visit: http://www.refugebaptist.org/tracts/KJVstands2.htm]

Even to this day, perhaps few Christians have realized that it was never the Devil’s goal to simply exalt unaided reason and make men atheists. He has always had a greater “religious” end in sight. The Devil seeks to make men atheists, only so he can make them pagans! And he makes them pagans only so he can ultimately make them Devil worshippers:

Re 13:4 And THEY WORSHPPED THE DRAGON which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

The Bible is addressed to the Christian’s mind. We are commanded to “study” the Bible. But as Christians retreated from rational study of the Scriptures, they began to be led more and more by feelings and intuitions, assuming that all of these inward impressions were the leading of the Holy Spirit. Instead of restraining the forces of evil in direct mental combat, many Christians became passive toward false doctrine; they thought that such mental pacifism was the way to be meek and humble and therefore win others by “example”. This left the majority of people in the world (to this day) thinking that to become a Christian one has to commit intellectual suicide. In the midst of the void left by this great surrender, the Devil has begun to bring the world to the FINAL LEVEL. The age of atheism has ended. They are now worshipping pyramids where they were before slaves to communist atheism. The world has come full circle. The pantheistic world now awaits its Satanic prince:

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, SHEWING HIMSELF THAT HE IS GOD.

Let us go back and see how we arrived at the present state of things. G. H. Pember, in 1876, described the unbelievable revival of paganism that was already occurring in his day:

“…if we investigate early Paganism by the light of recent discoveries, we soon perceive that its chief strength lay in its intellectual attractions, and that many of its priests and initiates were distinguished as philosophers and men of science. But – still more strange! – if, after our investigation, we glance at the world of to-day, we see the men of this nineteenth century returning to the wisdom of long past ages…Nay, almost every characteristic of antiquity seems to be reappearing…And impossible as it would have seemed a few years ago, all these ‘superstitions’ are floating back to us upon the tide of ‘modern thought’. They come no longer veiled in mystery, nor claiming to be miraculous or Divine; but, in accordance with the spirit of the age, present themselves as the fruit of science, as an evidence of the progress of knowledge…’Unless we mistake the signs,’ says the writer of ‘Isis Unveiled,’ [Blavatsky] ‘the day is approaching when the world will receive the proofs that only ancient religions were in harmony with nature, and ancient science embraced all that can be known…An era of disenchantment and rebuilding will soon begin – nay, has already begun…’…They may
indeed: for the Apocalypse foretells a yet future sojourn of fallen angels upon earth…” (G.H. Pember, “Earth’s Earliest Ages”)

This revival of paganism in the 19th century invaded almost every area of life. It occurred in the realms of philosophy, science and religion. In 1898 Samuel J. Andrews wrote:

“In examining the anti-Christian influences now at work, we find current pantheistic philosophy the most fundamental and powerful. Beginning with the century, it has now penetrated all regions of human thought. Theology, Literature, Science, Art, all bear its impress.” (Samuel J. Andrews, “Christianity and Anti-Christianity”)

Andrews argued that before the Antichrist can seat himself in the temple of God “shewing himself that he is God”, there must first come this change in many concerning their conception of God. He traces the foundation of this change as it has progressed through the pantheistic, pagan philosophies of Spinoza (d.1677), Fichte (d.1814), Schelling (d.1854) and Hegel (d.1831). He then quotes from various men who have realized the growing influence of pantheism in the 19th century:

“The philosophical writings of Schelling and Hegel have given pantheistic principles a complacent admission and a currency which they never before this age possessed…” (J.S. Mill, 1840)

Samuel J. Andrews then reveals how all the pantheistic streams will finally meet in the coming of Antichrist:

“Philosophy teaches man that he is Divine, and he is quite ready to believe it, and to act accordingly. Science, which shews the greatness of the universe, and which should teach him humility, only enlarges his conception of the greatness of the intellect which is able thus to search out Nature’s mysteries…If humanity is under the law of dynamic evolution, or if a Divine Principle is ever developing itself in men, must there not be a continual upward religious progress?…It is also to be remembered that in rendering homage to one who appears as the rival of Christ, men will not do homage to one who differs in his nature from themselves, and superior to them; but to their own nature as embodied in him. In exalting him, they exalt themselves…The time may not be far distant when multitudes will say what a few now affirm: ‘It is a dishonour done to human nature to teach that in any man of the past it has reached its culmination.’…This is the spirit that prepares the way for the Antichrist. Christ being deposed from His place as the only Godman; all men being as to nature equally with Him Godmen, the nations are prepared to welcome one who will prove to the deceived and wondering world his Divinity by his might acts, wrought in Satanic power…As a representative of deified humanity, he will seat himself in the temple of God, and ‘all the children of pride’ will worship him. And thus the kingdom of Man will come, and the world will say, this is the kingdom of God, this is the King.”

These early seeds of pantheism in the 19th century have now come to fruition. Notice just a few examples of how widespread pantheism has grown in the various fields of science (once largely dominated by materialism)!

-Albert Einstein once stated:

“I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings.” (Telegram of 1929, in Hoffman and Dukas)

-Sir James Jeans (The Mysterious Universe, 1931) writes:

“Today there is a wide measure of agreement which, on the physical side of science, approaches almost to unanimity that the stream of knowledge is heading towards a nonmechanical reality; the universe begins to look like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears as an accidental intruder into the realm of matter; we are beginning to suspect that we ought rather to hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter – not, of course, our individual minds, but the mind in which the atoms out of which our individual minds have grown exist as thoughts…”

-Max Planck (Nobel Prize in physics, 1918; Where is Science Going?, 1932)
stated:

“I regard consciousness as fundamental and matter as derivative from consciousness.”

-Erwin Scroedinger (1973 Nobel Prize, My View of the World, 1964; Mind and Matter, 1958) tells us:

“Looking and thinking in that manner you may suddenly come to see, in a flash, the profound rightness of the basic conviction in the Vedanta…you are a part, a piece, of an eternal, infinite being, an aspect or modification of it, as in Spinoza’s pantheism….inconceivable as it seems to ordinary reason, you – and all other conscious beings as such – are all in all. Hence this life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of the entire existence, but is, in a certain sense, the whole…This, as we know, is what the Brahmins express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and clear…’I am in the east and in the west, I am below and above, I am this whole world.’…Thus you can throw yourself flat on the ground, stretched out upon Mother Earth, with the certain conviction that you are one with her and she with you….For eternally and always there is only now, one and the same now…”

The departure from strict materialism is found primarily in the great scientific leaders themselves. Many of the sheep are now following. The following works by famous scientists all contain a rebuttal of materialistic philosophy:

-”Physics and Beyond” by Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976)
-”Across the Frontiers” (Ch.3: Wolfgang Pauli’s Philosophical Outlook) by Werner Heisenberg -”Where Is Science Going?” by Max Planck (1858-1947) -”Ideas and Opinions” by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) -”Mind and Matter” by Erwin Schrodinger (1887-1961) -”My View of the World” by Erwin Schrodinger -”Science and Humanism” by Erwin Schrodinger -”Science and the Unseen World” by Arthur Stanley Eddington (1882-1944) -”The Nature of the Physical World” by Arthur Stanley Eddington -”The Mysterious Universe” by Sir James Jeans (1877-1946) -”Physics and Microphysics” by Louis de Broglie (1892-1987)

This rejection of materialistic philosophy, while certainly opening the door for true Christianity, equally opens the door to pagan pantheism. This can be seen in the quotes from the great physicists provided previously. But notice some more recent examples of scientists embracing a form of pagan pantheism:

-Brian Josephson (Nobel Prize Winner, 1973, professor of physics at University of Cambridge) read and endorsed the New Age books, “The Tao of Physics”, and “The Dancing Wu Li Masters”. He practices TM.

-The web site for the Institute of Noetic Sciences (Sausalito, CA) relates the pantheistic conversion of astronaut Edgar Mitchell (the 6th man to walk on the moon):

“Sitting in the cramped cabin of the space capsule, he saw planet Earth floating freely in the vastness of space. He became engulfed by a profound sensation – a sense of universal connectedness…After his safe return ‘home,’ Mitchell sought out others who likewise felt the need for an expanded, more inclusive view of reality. They resolved to explore the inner world of human experience with the same rigor and critical thinking that made it possible for Apollo 14 to journey to the moon and back. In 1973 this small group of explorers founded The Institute of Noetic Sciences – derived from the Greek word ‘nous’ for mind, spirit, or ways of knowing…”

Mitchell writes:

“God sleeps in the minerals, awakens in plants, walks in animals, and thinks in man.” (“Noetic Sciences Review”)

-In an article titled, “What Are Noetic Sciences?”, Willis Harman (Stanford University professor of engineering-economic systems and senior scientist at SRI) writes:

“…A new science is arising, a science of the human mind much broader than psychology has been to date. We have called it ‘noetic’ science, after the Greek word for intuitive knowing. Perhaps it is somewhat inaccurate to speak of it as though it were totally new…It is the SECOND STAGE of a two-stage process. The first stage, the rise of modern materialistic science, is one of the most important evolutionary leaps in human history…The NEW SCIENCE IS NOT REALLY NEW. It is the esoteric core of all the world’s religions, East and West, ancient and modern, becoming exoteric, ‘going public…’”

Pantheist Rupert Sheldrake (Ph.D. from Cambridge University its director of studies in cell biology) is excited that his religion is growing in popularity. He writes:

“But today, with the rise of the green movement, Mother Nature is reasserting herself, whether we like it or not. In particular, the acknowledgment that our planet is a living organisms, Gaia, Mother Earth, strikes a responsive chord in millions of people.” (Rupert Sheldrake, “The Rebirth of Nature: The Greening of Science and of
God”)

Robert Jastrow is founder of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the Professor of Astronomy and Geology at Columbia University; he received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement. He is an agnostic evolutionist who nevertheless believes in a form of creationism. Scientists like Jastrow are prime candidates for deception when the Antichrist and his angels soon reveal themselves to mankind. Jastrow
writes:

“We are the latest in the succession, but probably not the end of the line…Scientists living on those other, older worlds must long since have unlocked the secrets of the brain…In countless solar systems science has created a race of immortals.” (“The Enchanted Loom”)

The fact that the world of science has opened its door to “spirituality” (and therefore the coming Antichrist) is noted by many today. For example, a “Cardinal” tells one reporter what can be easily seen by all honest
observers:

“The hostile attitude of positivist scientism is now worn out…in August 1997, ‘Science’ magazine published an article entitled ‘Science and God: a Warming Trend?’ The question mark at the end shows the uncertainty of many scientists but, at the same time, the article echoes the symptoms of a certain change. More recently, in the September issue of ‘Scientific American,’ the argument was studied again in an article on the relation of U.S. scientists with religion. Such an article could never have been published before in that magazine. The article calls attention to a series of movements, meetings, conferences, courses that suggest a greater concordance between science and religion.” (“Scientists are Rediscovering God”; Interview with Cardinal Paul Poupard, Vatican City, May 23, Zenit.org)

Since science has traditionally concerned itself with fixed laws, many scientists (after the glorious age of Newton) developed a natural inclination toward atheism and humanism. This bias is certainly still seen today. Yet, it is quickly fading. There is a new generation that is fascinated with “life” in outer space (i.e. angels and devils!). They are enthusiastically embracing a movement called “scientific pantheism.” (If only there were more scientists today that loved the Lord and His Word! Praise God for those scientists who resist the admiration of peers and openly stand up for fundamental, Bible-believing Christianity. They are ignored by the godless “establishment” – Heb.13:13. But they will soon be known in glory!)

It’s unnecessary to continue with the documentation of pantheism’s revival. The mystical, pagan revolution is occurring all around us. A visit to the local bookstore will reveal thousands of scientists, philosophers and other writers seeking to “cash in” on the revival of new age pantheism. I will, however, conclude this article with some final quotes from the popular, entertainment culture.

Parents, in a loving, but firm manner, teach your children to love the Lord and hate the lies of the world, and then throw all the atheistic “Star Trek” trash out the window! Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek” has illustrated in his very life, the historical movement from humanism to pantheism. Having rejected Jesus Christ in a Baptist church as “largely nonsense”, Roddenberry became a devout humanist. Like modern man in general, he finally ended up a devout pagan. The following are a few quotes that document his pantheism:

“It was at Denver that someone wrote a question ‘What is your religion?’ My answer was: ‘I do not belong to any church but I do consider myself a religious man. I believe that I am a part of you and you are a part of me and we are a part of all life… also a part of the creative force and intelligence behind life.”

“As nearly as I can concentrate on the question today, I believe I am God; certainly you are, I think we intelligent beings on this planet are all a piece of God, are becoming God.”

“To me the whole joy and glory of Jesus is the fact that he is one of us. It seems to me that the whole statement of the New Testament is, ‘Hey, man, you can too, because I was born like you. I died like you. There’s nothing special about me that’s not special in you. And I’m offering you both.’” (The above quotes can be found in David Alexander, “Star Trek Creator”; Terrance Sweeney, “God &”)

As the door opens to paganism in preparation for the Antichrist, it is also a wonderful opportunity to preach the Gospel. Let us contend for the faith and resist pagan foolishness. It is not a trivial matter. As we see in ancient history (and as we can begin to see in abortion today), paganism eventually leads to murder and “bloody sacrifices” to “Mother
Earth”:

Re 9:21 Neither repented they of their MURDERS, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Re 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and EVERY bondman, and EVERY free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And SAID TO THE MOUNTAINS AND ROCKS, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Rev.6:15 reveals that a form of pagan pantheism will soon be the religion of the whole world. Do you not see the stage being set for this in the present time? If not, your eyes are willfully closed to your own hurt. Surely the coming of Jesus is near!

KAU #91p.2 (11-18-00)