Volume 1 Number 7 December 6, 2006

MarketFaith Ministries is an equipping ministry which is focused on helping Christians become more effective
in living out their faith in the midst of the increasingly diverse worldview environment of modern society.
Introduction

Wow, it is already December! What a special time for us, as Christians, as we celebrate the coming of God to earth in hu-
man form. It was this element of his work with mankind that gave us the ultimate foundation of his revelation - Jesus
Christ. In it, God not only revealed himself in a more profound way, but also put the crowning touch on his plan for the sal-
vation of mankind.

I have a special announcement to share with you. We have just received notice that our 501 (c) (3) application has been
approved by the IRS. This has been such a long process (we applied way back in January), but having it will enhance our
ability to minister on into the future. I hope that you will consider an end-of-year tax deductible contribution to the ministry.
We have several projects that we are working on to provide even greater resources for those who would like to grow in
their faith and witness (a rundown of those projects can be found below). Your gifts will help us get these projects off the
ground.

We are continually moving MarketFaith Ministries into a position to be a great benefit to believers who want to make a dif-
ference for Christ in the world. We are rapidly increasing the amount of resources which are available to help folks under
stand and use worldview principles in life. Most of these are free and available to you in the resources section of the min-
istry website. It is our hope that you are greatly benefiting from this information. (Continued on page 2)

What is Far Eastern Thought?

As you think about the worldview that dominates much of
the Far East, you may be thinking that this is something you
don’t personally need to pay much attention to. You may
have run across a few folks from India, China or Japan who
have Hindu or Buddhist roots, but that is hardly something
which significantly intersects your circle of relationships,
right?
Well, you may want to think again. While you might not
know too many people who come directly out of this world-
view, you certainly know people who have been signifi-
cantly influenced by it. In fact, you may have some of its
influence in your own life without even realizing it.
If you know people who claim to follow New Age practices
or have gotten into Transcendental Meditation, you interact
with this worldview. If you know anyone who believes in re-
incarnation or karma, you deal with this worldview. If you
know yoga devotees, you know people who are influenced
by Far Eastern Thought. If you deal with people who be-
lieve that all of life is connected by a universal life force, you
are dealing with this worldview. If you enjoy the Star Wars
movies or TV shows like Babylon 5 and Kung Fu, you are
seeing pantheistic beliefs being literally pumped into society
through images which bypass the intellect.
Whether you like it or not, we live in a world where transpor-
tation and communication technology has spread every
worldview into every corner. It is essential that Christians
understand the basics so we can live out our own faith and
stand up for the real Truth.
(Continued on page 2)

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(Introduction continued)
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There will be one more issue before Christmas. Please enjoy this one and let us know what you think.
Thanks, and God bless.

(What is Far Eastern Thought? continued)

Basic Premise
The reason we call this worldview Far Eastern Thought is because it originated, and is most prominent, in the Far East.
The ultimate end of the most prominent forms of Far Eastern Thought is the absorption of individuals into an all-encom-
passing, impersonal cosmos.

The most basic belief of Far Eastern Thought is that all of life is composed of a single substance and is all interconnected.
Adherents believe that in our earthly existence it may seem like there are independent and individual life forms, but that is
merely an illusion of our physical existence. In truth, our life form is part of a larger whole which manifests itself in numer-
ous forms. We are connected at an essential level with every other living thing.

When our life on this earth ends, it is asserted that this is not the end of our essential essence. Our part of the web of life
is slowly but surely working its way to a point where the individual form we now experience merges with the whole, and
we lose our individual identity. So, when this current life cycle ends, we will reincarnate into a different form and go
through the cycle again, always working toward our final unity with the cosmos.

In Far Eastern Thought, the thing that determines our progress on this path toward oneness with the whole is karma.
Karma relates to the deeds a person does in their current life. If a person does right, this goodness is applied to their lives
and allows forward movement. Wrong actions apply to the life force and generate backward movement. Karma is not only
applied to the present life, but also to reincarnated states. Living rightly in this life allows a person to move to a higher
level in the next life, and thus closer to the point of unity with the whole.

History
Far Eastern Thought has its foundations in Hinduism which, through the centuries, has split off into related offshoots. It
actually originated with the Aryan peoples who moved from what is now modern day Iran. They immigrated to the Indus
Valley in northwestern India somewhere around 1500 B.C. Over the next several centuries they conquered the entire sub-
continent and brought with them the religion that was common in Iran at that time. The Aryans were polytheistic and had
an elaborate system of sacrifices which led to the formation of a priesthood (the Brahmins). This later evolved further into
the caste system.

Prior to that arrival of the Aryans, the people of India had a somewhat Animistic religious tradition. This early time is usu-
ally called the pre-Vedic period. At this time the people were polytheistic and worshiped a Mother Goddess and a horned
god.

The Vedic period began around 1500 B.C. when the Aryans invaded northern India and imposed their Vedic civilization
and religion on the Indians.

Around 600 B.C. came the Upanishadic period when Hinduism became a more philosophical religion and developed into
the popular religion of the masses. During this time, the Vedic religion boiled all the gods down into a single pantheistic
principle (the absolute universal soul, or Brahman) with the belief that the universe is god and god is the universe. This
completed the process of evolution from which the major tenets of Hinduism emerged.

There were three basic ways that the underlying themes of Far Eastern Thought morphed and spread throughout the Far
Eastern world. One was through various individuals who saw hypocrisy and decline in the religion and created reform
movements which were slightly different than what they left. These reform movements caught the imagination of many
people and spread widely throughout that region of the world. Another cause of its spread happened as elements of the
religions of conquered peoples became syncretized into the Hindu ideas. This made them more acceptable to the con-
quered masses. A third way was that certain individuals actually created new religious forms as a means of making the
beliefs more appealing to people in other countries or regions. These various conditions ended up creating a diversity of
religions and groups all based on the underlying themes of Far Eastern Thought.

Belief Systems Which Come from Far Eastern Thought

There are a number of different religious traditions which have Far Eastern Thought as their core worldview. These in-
clude: (Continued on page 3)
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(What is Far Eastern Thought? continued)
C Hinduism
C Hare Krishna
C Transcendental Meditation
C Buddhism
C Taoism
C Jainism
C Sikhism
C New Age (though there are other elements here, as well)

How Far Eastern Thought Answers the 7 Worldview Questions?

1. What is the nature of ultimate reality?
Ultimate reality is impersonal, pantheistic (god is everything and everything is god), and monistic (all of reality is
composed of different forms of a single substance).
2. What is the nature of material reality?
Material reality is impersonal, illusory, and seeking oneness.
3. What is a human being?
Personality and individuality are illusions. Humans are simply a life force striving toward oneness.
4. What happens to a person at death?
At death, the life force recycles (reincarnates) into another form.
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
Knowledge is an illusion. Nothing exists as it appears.
6. How do we know right and wrong?
The cosmos is perfect at every moment. Good and evil are an illusion.
7. What is the meaning of human history?
Time, as we experience it, is an illusion. Reality moves in cycles.

Practical Implications of Far Eastern Thought

The ultimate impact of Far Eastern Thought on culture is to
promote a type of passivism concerning ones place in life.
It is asserted that when a person (or any life form, for that
matter) reincarnates into this world, it is the direct result of
the way that their life essence lived in its previous incarna-
tion. As a result, their place in life is fixed and there is noth-
ing that they can, or should, do to move to a different
station. Moving up in ones life station only happens at the
next incarnation.
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So, if you are born in this life as a peasant, you should be-
come the best peasant you possibly can. If you were born
a Christian or Muslim, be the best one you can. If you do,
you might possibly move up into a good Hindu culture, or a
higher level in a Hindu culture, the next time around, and
become closer to the ultimate goal of being absorbed into
the impersonal “One.”
In Far Eastern Thought there is an essential unity between
all of life. There is no distinction between the secular and
the divine - everything is god and god is everything. All of
reality is composed of, and reducible to, a single sub-
stance. Everything that exists is simply a different form of
the same basic material that is ever moving toward an ulti-
mate unity.
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Another implication of this worldview is that no one is able
to take seriously any kind of objective reality - whether
knowledge or sensory experience. It is acknowledged that
there is such a thing as objective reality, but it goes on to
assert that the nature of that reality is quite beyond our
ability to comprehend. The goal of life, therefore, is to sim-
ply recognize that reality cannot be known and to passively
live life as best we can (continued on page 4)
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The purpose of MarketFaith Ministries is to equip the Body
of Christ to become more effective by sharing the practical
applications of worldview. We are involved in developing
training and resource materials for that very purpose. If
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send your tax deductible contribution to MarketFaith Minis-
tries, 321 Anton Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32312.
(What is Far Eastern Thought? continued)
within our current state of existence. This attitude frees a person from all of the personal sense of suffering that “seems”
to be all around. When the state of total passivity is achieved, individuals are freed to simply let life come as it will.

There are two huge problems, though, with this kind of worldview system.

First, it asserts an understanding of reality that cannot be backed up. Where is there any objective indication that reincar-
nation actually happens? Where is there any objective evidence that karma actually operates the way they say it does?
All that exists is anecdotal evidence which cannot be substantiated outside of the Far Eastern Thought worldview. And
since ultimate reality is understood to be impersonal, rather than personal, there is no higher intelligence which is avail-
able to pass this information on to mankind through revelation.

The second problem with Far Eastern Thought is that in order to follow it consistently, a person must disavow an indis-
pensable part of human existence. The most essential aspect of human existence is a self-conscious personality. Far
Eastern Thought asserts that this is an illusion, and that our ultimate essence is impersonal. They maintain that when we
reach the ultimate place in existence, we will lose the sense of self-consciousness and be absorbed into the impersonal
unitary cosmos.

How Does Far Eastern Thought Deal with Specific Culture War Issues?
Life Issues - Abortion, Euthanasia, Suicide, Genocide, Murder, “Right to die,” Terrorism, War
These issues would typically be considered wrong. Every creature is moving on a path that takes them through succes-
sive lives toward the goal of uniting with the impersonal “One.” No one has a right to disrupt this process, and those who
do will find themselves moving backward rather than forward in their next incarnation.

Sexual Issues - Adultery, Bigamy, Polygamy, Exhibitionism, Fornication, Homosexuality, Pedophilia, Pornography, Bes-
tiality, Prostitution, Rape
Far Eastern Thought basically promotes a conservative attitude concerning sexual matters. It teaches to observe celi-
bacy when single and promotes faithfulness in marriage. This attitude is founded on a basic passivity that promotes re-
straint. There is a basic order of the universe which includes traditional ideas about sexuality, and humans should try to
live within it. Moving outside of those parameters goes against the flow of the universe and puts a person in a position to
inhibit progress toward his or her proper ultimate destiny.

Personal Integrity Issues - Cheating, Fraud, Greed, Lying, Profanity, Revenge, Theft
These issues would all be considered wrong as they go against the natural order of things. Contentment with one’s place
in life is a central value, and each of these integrity issues steps outside of that principle.

Physical Health Issues - Alcohol abuse, Drug abuse, Gluttony, Obesity, Smoking, Overwork, Lack of exercise
These issues would typically be considered wrong. Each of them are an indication that a person is putting physical plea-
sure over inner serenity. The ultimate goal is to completely put aside physical expressions of the human condition and
move toward oneness with that which is beyond the physical.

Industriousness Issues - Gambling, Hedonism, Laziness, Begging, Mooching

Self-absorption is completely contrary to the tenets of Far Eastern Thought. The goal is to put personal desires aside, not
revel in them.
(Continued on page 5)

Find these books along

with other great world-
view resources at
www.marketfaith.org

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(What is Far Eastern Thought? Continued)
Relationship Issues - Bigotry, Child Exploitation, Domestic Violence, Hatred, Divorce, Prejudice, Slavery, Torture
These issues would typically be considered wrong. Every creature is moving on a path that takes them through succes-
sive lives toward the goal of uniting with the impersonal “One.” No one has a right to disrupt this process, and those who
do will find themselves moving backward rather than forward in their next incarnation.

Church-State Issues - Posting of Ten Commandments, Religious symbols on public property, Praying in school, Praying
at public institutions, Government money to religious schools, Government money to religious charities, Religious organi-
zations meeting on public property, Religious symbols included in public symbols, Religious words in the pledge of alle-
giance
Church-state issues are virtually meaningless to people who adhere to this worldview. The very institutions of state, as
well as any other material expressions in the world, are considered to be temporary and illusory. Thus, getting involved in
arguments about them has no significance. There is also no sacred-secular divide. All parts of religious and secular life
are integral to one another.

Summary
Elements of Far Eastern Thought have become very prominent in modern Western societies. It is not at all unusual to find
the ideas of reincarnation, karma and the essential unity of all life put forth as the truth about how reality is organized.

Of course you will, from time to time, run into people who adhere to more traditional Hindu or Buddhist beliefs. In fact, you
may actually know people, even native Westerners, who are followers of one of the religions based on Far Eastern
Thought. But there are an even larger number who have simply tried to incorporate various elements of Far Eastern
Thought into their own religious philosophy. For example, Transcendental Meditation has been touted as a completely
secular meditation technique which can be used by people of any religion, though it is actually nothing more than a way to
introduce Hindu ideas without using the word Hinduism. Another example is New Age beliefs. New Age is not a singular
belief system, but it is full of doctrines based on various tenets of the Far Eastern Thought worldview. There are many oth-
ers who simply pull elements of this worldview into their life philosophy as it is introduced by popular movies like Star
Wars.

It is essential that we understand the Far Eastern Thought worldview so that when we bump up against it, we will be able
to discern what is false. Only then will we be in a position to share the real truth of Jesus Christ.

Coming in December - What is Animism?