I dealt with some reactions to my most recent article where it was lambasted as “New Age” or “Buddhist”. The Christian insistence on division continues.
We’ve reached a point where the actual teachings of Jesus gets labeled as “New Age,” with many not even realizing that Jesus taught concepts like the release of attachment to the body and identity. A practice that many Christians mostly associate with “demonic” eastern faiths. This misunderstanding shows just how far mainstream Christianity has drifted from Jesus’ original message.
Before dismissing these teachings, it’s worth actually familiarizing yourself with what Jesus actually taught rather than the distortions of his message that took place after his death. Jesus consistently spoke about ascending beyond the ego into higher Self consciousness. This is precisely what is meant by “salvation” and being “born again, the shedding of every layer of ego to reveal your truest, highest Self. The term salvation is thrown around often, yet there is ambiguity on what a person is being saved from, the answer is the human ego. The ego is of course what gets personified as the devil in ancient scripture, which is understandable because due to how self destructive it can be, but it is purely a component of our psyches. The closer one gets to accurately teaching the principles and practices of Jesus, the more likely they are to be called “New Age” or accused of promoting “Eastern nonsense.”
What isn’t realized by these critics is that dismissing something simply because they feel it resembles “New Age” or Buddhist thought ironically means they are rejecting the very teachings of Jesus himself, teachings that have been misrepresented and distorted in mainstream Christianity for centuries. By doing so, the path to genuine spiritual awakening, as Jesus outlined, is being blocked.
Sadly, many Christians become entangled in semantics and terminology, quickly rejecting concepts from other faiths even when those concepts are identical to what Jesus taught. This rejection often stems from an ego-driven desire to maintain boundaries between “us” and “them,” a stance that directly contradicts one of Jesus’ core messages: to see others as yourself, your neighbors, your brothers, your sisters.
In short, reaffirm to yourself often that we are all one.
“I accept my unity and oneness with my brothers and sisters here as we are all eternal reflections of our father and source”
At its heart, Jesus’ teachings call for the permanent termination of tribalism, yet many Christians seem intent on preserving it. I hit this wall far too often when conversing and participating in discussions in online Christian communities. This tribalism is purely driven off an egoic desire to see one’s group as superior to another. This is further reinforced by the fact when they argue that their spiritual tribe is the only one God favors. God, who is love, is apparently playing favorites regardless of the selfless and loving lifestyles people have led.
The idea that a God who is love incarnate would favor one group over another reveals a misunderstanding of the true nature of God. There are no selective favorites being played despite what people of different faiths would like to believe. Many faiths teach identical core values, yet Christians claim that those outside their tradition will burn in hell, even if they live by the same ancient moral principles that align with Jesus’ teachings, simply because they do not wear a cross or wear the right label.
This “my tribe is better than yours” mindset is born of human ego, which thrives on division and a sense of superiority over others, even when those others share far more in common than they realize. It’s a holdover from ancient tribal “us versus them” thinking. The true goal of spirituality, however, is to awaken to the reality that we are all one—not separate tribes, despite what mainstream Christianity often proclaims.
What’s more troubling than the fear of so-called “New Age” teachings is the widespread misunderstanding of what Jesus actually taught. Many will avoid adhering to his teachings simply because they resemble the practices of spiritual traditions they dislike or feel are inferior.
As a result, only a small minority of Christians genuinely follow his path toward remembering our oneness with God and awakening to the Universe within — the very state he described as Heaven. This resistance stems less from theological conviction and more from prejudice against anything that evokes Eastern faiths, which they instinctively dismiss as inferior.
For those whose knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss anything resembling Buddhist philosophy, it’s worth noting that Jesus explicitly taught many of the same ideas within Buddhism that predated him by several centuries. Despite Christians insisting they are living by a distinct or unique spiritual path, to put it simply the teachings of Jesus echo Buddhist teachings. Before demonizing such teachings, take time to truly familiarize yourself with what Jesus said and what Buddhist thought says. The way Christianity as a theology has attempted to distinguish itself from Buddhist thought is by insisting the only path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment is by “accepting Jesus as your savior” or that he “died for your sins”. Two conditions that Jesus never gave in order to awaken to our unity with the universe.
The tendency among some Christians to disparage another spiritual practice despite it sharing a remarkable amount of common philosophy and practice with their own faith is especially puzzling, given Jesus’ clear instruction not to judge others. It’s quite clear that most times it’s motivated by a tribalistic superiority complex.
Many are simply unaware that Jesus taught the very same concepts found in Buddhism, such as releasing all identification with the body and ego-based identity. To make this clearer, I will provide excerpts from scripture that support this fact:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:28)
An honest comparison of Buddhist philosophy and Christianity reveals that they are, in many ways, spiritual cousins. For this reason, I urge Christians to stop judging others simply to preserve a sense of tribal identity and exclusivity. Instead of drawing lines that separate us, we should be upholding Jesus’ call to love and embrace our neighbors.
These boundaries are often maintained for reasons of pride, tribalism and ego, not truth. The rejection of oneness with all humanity, as Jesus himself taught, only shows how far Christianity has drifted from his original message. In some circles, his teachings are even dismissed as “Buddhist philosophy” or “New Age,” which is ironic given their direct connection to his own words. This misunderstanding largely stems from modern misrepresentations of his philosophy, which have shifted attention away from his core principles.
I admit that Jesus’ message might have been even more effective had the language in scripture been more direct rather than metaphorical. Still, today we have the clarity and awareness to understand the steps he outlined that guide us in shedding the ego and awakening to our truest, highest selves.
In short, no, Jesus’ teachings are not “New Age.” In fact, an objective comparison shows they share much in common with Eastern practices. However, it is precisely this resemblance that leads many to reject his teachings outright, dismissing it because of its similarities to Buddhist philosophy. This misunderstanding is a major reason why so many Christians miss out on the profound, transformative experience of shedding the ego and awakening to their oneness with the Universe and God the Father within.
In your consciousness, announce to our source and the universe with sincerity:
In peace, I release all labels. I am not merely a Christian or a Buddhist, I am simply a child of God, united with all my brothers and sisters. I ask the Holy Spirit to dissolve every illusion of separation, whether racial, tribal, national, or otherwise. I let go of these false distinctions and embrace my true unity and oneness with all humanity as our father’s children.
The universe, its quantum field and God our father does not play favorites.
That is purely ego speak.
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