Kansas Pastor Accuses New Age Group of Denying Its Religious Nature
by Natalie Harris
June 21, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Kansas pastor is raising concerns about a New Age group that he says refuses to acknowledge its religious ties. According to Evangelical Free Church pastor Greg Hubbard, the group attempting to build "peace palaces" in Smith Center, Kansas, is a Hindu missionary effort.The Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a man known to many as guru to the British band, the Beatles. Recently, according to an Associated Press report, a group of his followers announced plans to spend $15 million to build a dozen of its marble "peace palaces" in Smith County as part of an effort to disperse what it calls "waves of coherence" across as wide an area as possible. And, AP points out, in an apparent effort to maximize their area of influence, the TM practitioners have selected a spot just 10 miles west of the geographic center of the continental U.S.
Under the direction of the Maharishi, the TM group known as Global Country of World Peace intends to build a broadcast center, a teaching center, and a "coherence-creating center." The organization, which promotes yoga and meditation, says it has no religious affiliation and one can practice these techniques while belonging to any faith.
Pastor Hubbard seriously questions the group's claims, however. In April, he and other pastors sent a signed letter to the local newspaper stating that the TM group's members "are welcome" but must recognize that they and the church are at odds, "competing for the eternal souls of people." Neither freedom of religion nor property rights are at issue, he insists -- the blatant untruthfulness of the New Age group is.
This latest construction plan marks the second time the Global Country of World Peace has tried to build in Smith Center, Hubbard points out. The Kansas clergyman says the group attempted to move in ten years ago but failed, mainly because of a lack of receptivity among the townspeople. The New Agers offered to hold town meetings to address area residents' discomfort, but many local citizens were merely confused by the unfamiliar terminology the group used.
After the Global Country of World Peace vacated and sold the land they had previously purchased, Hubbard and others found a cornerstone. He says the brick was inscribed with a symbol indicative of the Hindu deity Shiva and contained eight fake jewels, which represent Hindu deities. Also, he notes, the TM group has had a Hindu priest chanting for it, he notes.
"Basically, our objection is that this is a religion and a sect of Hinduism," the Christian clergyman says, "and they're not being honest and up front about that with people. We see that as a spiritual danger."
While he does not hate these people, Hubbard says he and other townspeople are opposed to their teachings. "It could be any one of a number of divergent religious groups and we would still have the same problem," he explains. The Global Country of World Peace bought about 1,100 acres this spring for the purpose of building its "palaces" and growing organic produce, AP reports.
Natalie Harris, a contributor to AgapePress, is a summer intern/reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
