[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 11, Issue 3, 1994. David W. Cloud, Editor. All rights are reserved. O Timothy is a monthly magazine. Annual subscription is US$20 FOR THE UNITED STATES. Send to Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org. FOR CANADA the subscription is $20 Canadian. Send to Bethel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 9075, London, Ontario N6E 1V0. The Way of Life Internet web site is http://www.wayoflife.org/.]

An article appearing in the March 1988 issue of the World Council's monthly publication One World, encouraged the readers to adopt heathen practices from Buddhism and Taoism. Someone might argue that the WCC is not promoting heathen practices through publishing such an article, but are only reporting what the author of the article believed personally. We would reply that no one publishes an article in a magazine without comment if they do not want their readers to give serious consideration to it. Don't be confused by the double-speak of apostate groups. On the one hand they publish all sorts of heresies, and on the other hand they often try to escape the consequences of what they have printed. The record stands. These are the kind of things they consider important enough to take up space in their publications. Consider this strange report from the WCC publication:

"Coming from an ordinary Chinese humanistic milieu, where the air is a mixture of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, I EXPERIENCED A SENSE OF UNSETTLEDNESS IN MY EARLY YEARS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE, A FEELING OF SOMETHING MISSING.

"Finally in the late 1960s, I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE INADEQUACY FOR ME OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY. ... I turned to my own Chinese religious-spiritual traditions to search for a more wholistic and integrated philosophy of life. Since I found it difficult to make sense out of theology, I decided not to be troubled by my inability, but to follow the direction of Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist path to enlightenment: A SPECIAL TRANSMISSION OUTSIDE THE SCRIPTURES; NO DEPENDENCE ON WORDS AND LETTERS; DIRECT POINTING THE HUMAN HEART (SOUL); SEEING ONE'S NATURE AND ATTAINING BUDDHAHOOD. ...

I was no longer able to do this type of practice [normal Christian prayer]. With some necessary adaptation, I have taken up the practice of Mahayana Ch'an (Zen) meditation and Thervada vipassana (i.e., insight awareness) meditation.... CHRISTIAN PRAYER for the most part remains in the dualistic realm where the experience of the ultimate One IS RATHER SHALLOW, that is, it remains still on the level of relationships. THIS IS PRECISELY THE PROBLEM OF WORDS, SYMBOLS AND LOGIC. 

"In order to go beyond this stage, in addition to silent meditation, I have also taken up the practice of mantra chanting. Mantra chanting, a short, simple repetitive form of vocal prayer, has the power to silence the mind and emotions and eventually to enable the chanter to sink into the abyss of utter silence, where the internal dialogue ceases and a true prayer happens" (Chwen Jiuan A. Lee, "The Search for an inclusive spirituality: A Chinese experience," One World, March 1988, p. 22).

The Bible, of course, condemns heathen practices such as these. Buddhist and Taoist meditation is not Christian prayer; it is communication with demons. Prayer is not seeking enlightenment in oneself; it is talking with the Living God through Jesus Christ. The Bible warns against losing control of one's conscious mental activities as those who meditate seek to do. Christians are warned to be sober and vigilant (1 Pet. 5:8; Tit. 2:2,4,6), which means to be in control of one's mind and to be on guard continually against spiritual error and deception. Those who practice heathen meditation are disregarding these warnings. Note also that the writer makes light of the role of the Holy Scriptures in prayer. This is demonic. Psalm 119 illustrates how important the Scriptures are in every aspect of the Christian life. We do not know how to pray apart from the Scriptures.

The WCC article claims that words are a hindrance to prayer. Quite the opposite. God communicates in words! The very words of the Bible are an important part of the prayers of those who know God in Truth and who know how to pray properly. The Lord Jesus also warned against repetitive "prayers" such as the mantra chanting mentioned in the WCC article. He said, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do... Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him" (Mt. 6:7-8). Christ then gave a model of how to pray.