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Norman Vincent Peale
Posted by: AdminMagill on Sunday, June 27, 2004 - 07:56 PM |
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Ministry & Church
DIED 24/12/93 - AGED 95
Norman Vincent Peale’s first pastorate was the Kings Highway Methodist Church, Brooklyn, New York. He was Pastor at Kings Highway for three years.
Pastor of Marble Collegiate Church 1932-1984, Manhattan, New York (Protestant Dutch Reformed Church).
Served as President of the New York City Council of Churches.
In 1937 Peale founded, with Freudian Psychiatrist Dr Smiley Blanton, a Marble Collegiate counselling clinic which in 1951 became known as The American Foundation for Religion and Psychiatry. In 1972 it merged with the Academy of Religion and Mental Heath and formed the Institutes of Religion and Health (IRH).
Peale was the IRH board President/chief fund-raiser.
Weekly radio program The Art of Living was broadcast on NBC for 54 years.
Founded in 1940 the psychologically oriented Foundation for Christian Living.
Founder of the heretical, interfaith, Guideposts magazine established in 1945.
Beliefs & Key Doctrines- Freemasonry
- Ecumenical/Interfaith
- Approved of Mormonism
- Approved of the false Shinto religion (Peale frequented Shinto shrines)
- False psychologized gospel/false gospel of positive thinking/self-esteem/human potential
- New thought, Mind Science/Religious Science blended with Christian terminology
- Involved in the occult/spiritism (Peale endorsed the occult practice of automatic writing and practiced and taught occult visualization)
- Advocated Pantheism (Everything is part of God, God is in everything and everyone. There is no distinction between creature and creator in Pantheism)
- Peale believed it isn’t necessary to be born again and it isn’t necessary to believe in the virgin birth
- Peale believed in salvation by good works. He believed people are inherently good
Ministry Emphasis- New Thought
Science of Mind/Religious Science/Christian Science
- Positive Thinking
- False psychologised gospel
- Published many heretical books and teachings
- The Interfaith Guideposts Magazine
Books Authored
Peale wrote more than 46 books during his life-time including his visualization books, positive imaging, improve your life with positive imaging etc. His most popular and well-known book was The Power of Positive Thinking, published in 1952 in 41 languages. Peale sold more than 20 million copies. Peale’s interfaith Guideposts magazine had the largest circulation of any religious magazine.
Known Associates- Norman Vincent Peale was Dr Robert Schuller’s mentor
- Evangelist Billy Graham endorsed Peale
Mentor
Phineas Parkhurst Quimby is considered to be the father of New Thought. Quimby’s teachings influenced Norman Vincent Peale.
Peale was heavily influenced by Ernest Holmes, the founder of the Occultic Church of Religious Science.
The term positive thinking, was originally developed by Spiritist Charles Fillmore. Peale popularised it. Fillmore founded the Unity School of Christianity, which is a mind science cult. His influence on Peale is obvious.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Norman Vincent Peale was a false teacher who taught and believed a false gospel. He was a religious liberal who denied the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Peale endorsed and practiced New Thought/Science of Mind teachings. He was ecumenical/interfaith and taught that there are many pathways to God.
Truth Watch: Assessment / Warning
Norman Vincent Peale is regarded by some as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our time. His books and teachings are still read widely and his dangerous and heretical teachings still influence the church today, through the likes of his protégé Dr. Robert Schuller.
Peale is the man who was largely responsible for introducing secular humanist psychology into the church. He was one of the first to establish a psychiatric clinic in the basement of the Marble Collegiate Church in 1937. Sadly, most churches these days have followed suit and counselling rooms, headed by the resident psychologist, can be found right throughout the evangelical church today.
Due to men like Norman Vincent Peale, the church is now riddled with a false psychologised gospel where man looks to himself and secular psychological techniques for answers to his spiritual problems. Many in the Church no longer look to God and his glorious Word for answers - Scripture is no longer sufficient. Colossians 2:8 See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Peale was heavily influenced by ‘New Thought’, which is the forerunner of the modern day New Age movement. A number of cults have been founded from New Thought teaching. The Church of Religious Science (science of mind) founded by Ernest Holmes, heavily influenced Peale. The Unity School of Christianity founded by spiritist Charles Fillmore also influenced Peale. Peale took from Fillmore the term positive thinking and introduced it to the church.
New Thought is a philosophical religious system that emphasizes the power of the mind, which can be used to create our own reality of good or evil, health or sickness, prosperity etc. Phineas Parkhust Quimby was the father of New Thought. He was an occultist who studied spiritism and mesmerism. Quimby influenced Charles Fillmore with his teaching and also influenced Mary Baker Eddy who founded Christian Science and based her false interpretation of the Bible on Quimby’s teachings.
Peale believed the unconscious mind has the power to turn wishes into realities. Peale used visualization, an occult technique (called ‘positive imaging’), to tap into this power to change and create reality. Peale taught people to visualize what they wanted to obtain, in order to make it a reality. He believed his positive thinking was another term for faith. Peale confused metaphysical mind power with true biblical faith. New Thought/Science of Mind teaches, Man controls the course of his life. We create our own experiences by our thoughts, creating our own reality. The Bible says Man can do nothing apart from God. John 15:5 I am the vine you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.
Peale’s teaching was heavily influenced by the occult. Use of thought processes and visualization to manipulate reality is occultic sorcery, forbidden by God. Deuteronomy 18:10-13 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God.
Norman Vincent Peale was a heretic and the Church in earlier years, questioned his heretical teachings. Sadly, the Church today has fallen more and more into apostasy and Peale’s errors are embraced to a lesser or greater degree throughout much of today’s Church through the likes of his protégé Dr. Robert Schuller. Peale was directly responsible for Schuller’s possibility thinking/false psychologised gospel.
An article in May 1st 1955 United Evangelical Action said of Peale "Norman Vincent Peale's philosophy is so high-sounding, so full of secondary gospel truth, that millions of his patrons fail to see that the basic redemptive truth of the gospel, is completely ignored. Unless one is deeply discerning it will not be noticed that Peale has caricatured God, ignored sin and its needed repentance. Peale presents a very convenient God who is a sort of 'glorified bellboy'.
An Article in November 11th 1957 Christianity Today, said of Norman Vincent Peale “Peale speaks much of faith, but it is not faith in God, but faith in faith, which means in your own capacities.”
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than put confidence in man.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Mark 11:22 "Have faith in God", Jesus answered.
In an article in Modern Maturity magazine, December - January 1975-76, Peale was asked if people are inherently good or bad. Peale said "They are inherently good. The bad reactions aren't basic. Every human being is a child of God and has more good in him than evil--but circumstances and associates can step up the bad and reduce the good. I've got great faith in the essential fairness and decency, you may say goodness, of the human being." In the same article Peale said concerning Christ, "I like to describe him as, the nearest thing to God."
Peale was a heretic. Jesus isn’t the nearest thing to God. He is God (John 1:1-5 The Word became flesh, John 8:58 I tell you the truth Jesus answered, before Abraham was born I AM!). Jesus clearly stated his deity as in Exodus 3:14 God states his deity to Moses and refers to himself as I AM. This is why the Jews in verse 59 tried to stone Jesus. Jesus declared himself to be God.
As for people are inherently good: Romans 3:10 As it is written: There is no one righteous not even one. Verse 12 there is no one who does good, not even one. Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 7:14-25 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.
On the Phil Donahue Show in 1984 Peale stated the following “It’s not necessary to be born again. You have your way I have mine. I have found eternal peace in a Shinto Shrine. I’ve been to Shinto Shrines and God is everywhere” (Hugh Pyle, Sword of the Lord, Dec. 14th 1984).
Jesus said to Nicodemus John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. As for Peale’s many path-ways to God including the Shinto religion. John 14:6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In a Family Weekly (April 15th, 1984) cover story Peale referred to the virgin birth as “some theological idea” of no importance to salvation. Yet Scripture declares: Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Luke 1:26-35).
Norman Vincent Peale was a 33 degee mason. He was a member of the Woodbridge Lodge in Brooklyn New York. Life member of The Crescent Shrine Temple in Trenton, NJ, and a Past Imperial Grand Chaplin of the Shrine. Masonry is deeply rooted in the occult and paganism. It is anti Christian and Luciferian. Many professing Christians are involved and deceived by Masonry. Masons teach salvation by good works and by obedience to Masonic doctrines, a mason will reach the Celestial Lodge in the sky ruled over by the Great Architect Of The Universe, who can be whatever a deity a Mason perceives him to be. Masonry is ecumenical/ interfaith and teaches many pathways to God. When one reaches the highest degrees, as Peale did, they find Lucifer (Satan) the light bearer, is the real Masonic god and they worship him as such (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
Additional references on false interfaith teaching:
John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5-6 and in Acts 4:12, speaking of Jesus: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. As for salvation by good works: Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is a gift from God-not by works, so that no-one can boast.
Norman Vincent Peale was involved in spiritism and he claimed to have been in contact with a number of spirits on several occasions (familiar spirits/demons). Of one encounter Peale wrote in the magazine of Positive Thinking pages 6-8 March 1985: "I was seated on the platform of a huge auditorium. Some ten thousand persons were singing hymns. Then I saw him, my father who had died long before at age eighty-five. I was spellbound by what I was seeing. The huge auditorium faded away. I was only with him. Getting closer, he gestured. I arose from the chair, advanced to the edge of the platform, reaching for him. Then he was gone."
The Lord has a lot to say about spiritists and mediums: Leviticus 19:31 Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. (See also: Leviticus 20:6,27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13; Revelation 22:14-15).
Norman Vincent Peale indorsed a number of occultic books including the diabolical book, The Jesus Letters. The book was dictated to Jane Palzere by her spirit guide (a demon) through the occult technique of automatic writing. The spirit guide (demon) identified itself as Jesus. The book was co-authored by Anna Brown. Peale said of this evilness “What a wonderful gift to all of us from you is your book. You will bless many by this truly inspired book.” Extra biblical revelation/new revelation is a lie to deceive those who do not believe in the sufficiency of scripture. The Bible alone is the infallible and inerrant word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Those who preach a false gospel will be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:6-9; Revelation 22:18-19).
Cross referencesRecommended Books
Occult Invasion - The subtle invasion of the world and church. By Dave Hunt.
The Seduction of Christianity. By Dave Hunt.
Beyond Seduction. By Dave Hunt.
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