Customer Reviews

Embraced by the Darkness: Exposing New-Age Theology from the Inside Out

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

Brad Scott has done what NO other author before him has done in regards to exposing the exactness of the endless falsehoods of "BAD" religion. The truth and humbleness in which Mr. Scott exposes each deceptive layer of his past experience with Eastern Occultism makes this book required reading for any one who seriously attempts to seek the truth about the authorship of the One True God of the universe. What is most compelling, is the honesty in which he reveals the numerous dead end trails that "Religion" led him to, none of which delivered him to God. For the narrow minded (those who trust the Bible as bullet proof), to the open minded (those who accept any premise as valid), this book leads the reader toward the Light by way of the undeniable path of Truth, logic and personal life experience with the Spirit of God as his leader. From one who languished through numerous ideologies in search of God, this man has found and shared the essence of The Creator. Don't hesitate to read this compelling and fallacy-shattering documentary.

This book is an eye-opener for anyone who has tried to understand the appeal of the New Age and Eastern religion. It's told from an insider's (now outsider's) point of view. It sets out to explain and refute a "theology" that many have as yet failed to understand. Especially with millennium fevor in the air, people should read this one."

I have read (or attempted to read) several books about New Age practices... I have found them to be heavy, hard to grasp and dull. Mr Scott has shared a personal, empathetic and understandable experience in New Age that I found downright engrossing. I learned alot. I hope to use some of this info in my efforts to un-entangle my brother who is deeply into "Cosmic Consciousness," "Self Realization" "Sacred Geometry" "Love, Harmony and Truth" etc etc I recommend this book to all, especially the un-enlightened of us who wish to better understand the oft times bizarre beliefs of New Age Theology.

Pro: I enjoyed Brad Scott's biographical tale of how he turned from yogi to Christ. I also agree that absolute non-dualistic monism or Advaita Vendanta is a dead end. If the end goal of man is solely to merge with the absolute then why do anything in the world of illusion (maya)except to try and extinguish your individual sense of self? If all adopted Vendantic yoga there would be no science and everyone would sit around with a vacant look in their eye. Of course the Vendantic yogi would say since the world is an illusion so why bother with it or make it more livable. In fact if the world is more pleasant we would just be tempted to enjoy the world, and not seek for union with the divine. (We wouldn't desire to give up desire.) This viewpoint just doesn't jive with my gut feelings. Who wants to say their wife or baby or best friend is just an illusion? And if they die or suffer who really cares since it's all a cosmic illusion anyway. Just look at the slums and disease in the countries where Hinduism is prominent to see how well Hinduism works in this world. One other problem I have with this type of philosophy is it uses logic to prove it's premises and then turns around and says logic is an illusion. In fact words can only point to the end goal, but the end goal cannot be described with words (being as it is union with the infinite, finite words cannot describe the infinite). So how do we even know that the Yogi's have reached their end goal? Their words cannot describe it and we have only their testimony that they have. As we all know people have testified to all sorts of hogwash.
Con: I think the author by rejecting Vendantic Yoga went to the other extreme. Many of the criticisms of the Hindu faith could be leveled against Christianity. I know because I was raised as a fundamentalist Christian. If I had born in India I probably would been raised as a fundamentalist Hindu. The Bible contains many inconsistancies and errors. (Just try to reconcile the differing accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection in the four gospels). The Bible has a god with different human-like personalities. Contrast the vengeful Jehovah of the Old Testament (who gets angry and jealous,etc.) with the loving God of the New Testament. However the supposedly loving god of the New Testament is willing to let the vast majority of all the people who ever lived, be tortured mercilessly for infinity just because they didn't believe the hearsay evidence that Jesus was god. How do christians know that Jesus was god? Because the Bible tells them so, Jesus did miracles and if you accept him into your heart you will know in your personal experience that this is true. This is exactly the same logic the Vendantic yogas use. The gitas tell them what to believe, their yogi saints are proclaimed to do miracles and if you reach enlightenment you will know in (whatever is left of you) your heart that you have found the truth.
Conclusion: if you've read this far you know a couple of things:
1) I am not a professional philosopher or writer so some of my thinking may be in error and my writing style may be imperfect, but I try. I am just a layman who is trying to make sense of it all.
2) Neither Vendantic yoga, nor Born-again Christianity as esposed by the author of this book has the answers in my opinion. Neither seem to work in life as we know it. Both demand you give up this life for another unprovable form of existence (heaven or union with the absolute). I know that nothing I or anyone can say will dissuade from their beliefs a truly devoted Hindu or Christian.
3) Perhaps because we are finite humans we can never figure out the riddle of existence. Maybe it just is. I don't have the answers at this time (only speculations). Just watch out for those who say they do. As Bob Dylan once said "Don't follow leaders".

Instead of arguing against Hinduism (which is a negative approach), I suggest that Christians should try to understand their faith better (a positive approach). And before coming to a final conclusion based on Brad Scott's book alone, I suggest that readers should also read about the experiences of Swami Abhishiktananda (Dom Henri Le Saux). The Swamiji was a Benedictine monk who came to India in 1948 and died there in 1973. His experiences in India profoundly altered his life. He was a prolific writer and many books and papers have been written about him too. I recommend two books in particular: (1) James Stuart's biography "Swami Abhishiktananda: His Life as Told through his Letters" and (2) "Ascent to the depth of the Heart" by Swami Abhishiktananda himself. Both titles are published by the Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK). The Swamiji's faith in Christ was unwavering but his experience contradicts that of Brad Scott's.

I have been practicing a New Age religion for years and I have never heard anything like this before. I am perfectly happy with my beliefs and I do have to give the author credit for trying New Age. It was well written but I believe his beliefs now are clouding his judgement.

I have read the book and what the author says and now I have to say that I think it is a typical Christian attitude. I have nothing against Christians I was born and raised one. I just think that sometimes people could be more tolerant. Just because Brian Scott has found Jesus does not mean that he should have the right to go around condeming what others believe. I know that Christians believe that Jesus is the way and that they often try and evangalise but they really do go too far.