50 years ago: Leading Canadian Roman Catholic theologian promotes unity with Protestants

On April 4, 1962, Reverend Gregory Baum was in Edmonton to speak on the subject of unity between Roman Catholics and Protestants. As reported in The Edmonton Journal of April 5, 1962:

Sweeping changes in the attitude of the Catholic Church during the last few decades were outlined Wednesday in the Jubilee Auditorium by Rev. Gregory Baum, professor of theology at St. Michael's College, Toronto.

Father Baum said he hopes the changes in thought will be clearly defined at the second Vatican Council in Rome in October. Father Baum is the only Canadian representative on the council.

He said it would be "absurd" for anyone to imagine Christian unity in the next 50 years. He said such an event would be "a miracle."

Even if Christian unity is never achieved, it is worth striving for, he said.

Some obstacles the Catholic Church presents to unity are unchangeable. These are its creed, sacramental system, and hierarchical structure.

He said the Catholics can learn from intelligent criticism by Protestants.

Father Baum said changes in Catholic attitude have taken place in four subjects: humanitarianism, scientific development, Jews and Protestants.

He said recent popes have endorsed both humanitarian movements to help people and scientific development to discover "God's hidden scriptures."

Father Baum, who was born of Jewish parents in Berlin, said Catholics have in the past scorned Jews with legends.

While Catholics believe there is "only one church," they consider baptized Protestants to be "separate Christians."

He said it is time for Catholics to stop "slandering, joking about and harboring disrespect for Protestants."

He urged Catholics to remove this "emotional reaction" against Protestants."

30 years ago: The New Age Movement gains momentum as the Great Invocation receives mass circulation in newspapers

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:3-5

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,
not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter —asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,
and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. II Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NIV)

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; I Timothy 4:1

On April 25, 1982, a prayer known as The Great Invocation was published in many newspapers, a signal that the New Age Movement was gaining momentum. The Great Invocation states:

From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men-
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.


From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.


Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

The "Christ" of the Great Invocation is not the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather,

The Christ is the Head of the spiritual Hierarchy of our planet: "The Master of all Masters and the teacher alike of angels and of men". The Christ belongs to all humanity, and not alone to the churches and religious faiths of the world. The Christ works for all people, irrespective of their religious faith. He does not belong to the Christian world any more than to the Buddhist, Jewish, Moslem or Hindu faiths. In fact, the name Christ is used in the Hierarchy as the title of an office and not in any way limited in the least to religious action but is concerned with all seven departments of hier-archical work of which religion is only one, the others being government, education, science, philosophy, psychology, and culture and the arts.

A veteran promoter of a New Age Christ--under the name Maitreya, the World Teacher--is Benjamin Creme, whose organization is known as Share International. The perceptive reader who goes to this site will notice the counterfeit of the true Christ. For more, search Constance Cumbey's blog My Perspective.

What the Great Invocation refers to as "the Masters" seem to be what the Bible refers to as demons ("devils" in the King James Version), while the New Age view of "Christ" sounds suspiciously like a fulfillment of the prophecies mentioned in the scriptural passages cited above. The "seven departments of hier-archical work" bear striking similarity to the "7 Mountains of Culture" on which Dominionist "Christians" are focusing their attention. In both movements, the focus is on Earth rather than on Heaven--a similarity which this blogger regards as very suspicious.