Former Yoga Guru: How Twisting the Golden Rule Can Lead to the Demonic
A former yoga guru, author and pastor Mike Shreve used to believe all religions were a legitimate path to the same place—God. He used to teach that the Golden Rule was found in the Scripture base of religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and even Islam, and taught against the exclusivity of Jesus and the uniqueness of the Christian message.
Since becoming a Christian, however, Shreve has become enlightened to the truth of God’s Word, the true nature of salvation and the destiny of the universe. In essence, the only way to get to God is through the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Exposing other religions’ deception is the foundation of his podcast, Revealing the True Light, on the Charisma Podcast Network.
“Religions take so many different routes and promote so many different ideas that cannot be reconciled to each other,” Shreve told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of the Greenelines podcast. “Yes, there are major commonalities among most positive religious expressions in the world. However, those commonalities are almost always at the base of religious expression and usually deal with character issues like the Golden Rule or kindness or forgiveness.
“There are many good Buddhists and good Hindus and good Muslims who live or attempt to live a moral life. They believe in certain fundamental principles that are character-building ideas. That’s one reason that you find the Golden Rule in all religions because it is truth filtering through in a very subtle way through the vehicle of conscience. And that’s a very dim light compared to the light of the gospel. It illuminates the minds of those who are receptive to a certain degree, but certainly not enough to be saved.
“A guru within the framework of Hinduism is supposed to be a teacher who brings you out of darkness into light. But when I was teaching it, the huge problem was, I was not in the light yet, and I didn’t realize it. I thought I was helping people. I was in a world where there would be demonic influence in my life, which I now recognize that it definitely happened. .
“The exercises in yoga—breathing and physical exercises—were designed to open something that they call ‘chakras’ to awaken something they call ‘Kundalini.’ … That’s imaginary. … It’s all veiled language that really has something very demonic at its core. A lot of people—Christian mothers and fathers even—are influenced by the subtle, deceiving spirits that just move over them into a worldview that is absolutely nonbiblical.”
For more about Mike Shreve’s teaching and ministry, listen to the entire podcast. And tune into Revealing the True Light on cpnshows.com.
