Melissa Dougherty, a Christian apologist and author of "Happy Lies," delves into the insidious influence of the New Thought movement on modern spirituality. She shares her journey from gender dysphoria to finding faith in Christ, critiquing how 'happy lies' mislead believers. Their discussion explores the deceptive nature of New Thought, the challenges of biblical literacy, and the tension between self-help ideologies and spiritual truths. Dougherty also addresses the Enneagram's potential occult ties and the complexities of large church dynamics, advocating for discernment in faith.
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insights INSIGHT
New Thought's Deceptive Christian Appearance
New Thought is a Christian-sounding but theologically bankrupt spiritual movement rooted in Gnosticism.
It uses metaphysical reinterpretations of scripture and positive thinking claims to deceive believers.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Melissa's Journey to New Thought
Melissa Dougherty became a Christian at 16 but was disillusioned by lack of deep teaching and immature responses in church.
This led her to explore New Thought beliefs which seemed more spiritual and gave supernatural experiences.
insights INSIGHT
Appeal of New Thought Power Trip
New Thought offers people a spiritual power trip by promoting self-sovereignty and divinity within.
This appeals especially to those who dislike perceived Christian stereotypes and want control over their truth.
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In this episode, we welcome Melissa Dougherty to the show. She is a Christian apologist, author, and YouTuber. She is also the author of the book “Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World”. In this interview, we discuss what “New Thought” is and how it relates to “New Age”, why New Thought philosophies contain “happy lies”, the most nefarious thing about New Thought as it pertains to Christians, what can be done to eliminate the negative consequences of this ideology, why New Thought is fueled by moral relativism as the pursuit of “my truth”, how her own gender dysphoria as a child led to her subscribing to New Thought beliefs, how her faith in Christ saved her from these Satanic ideologies, how we are not enough, problems with the Church Growth Movement, why Satanic and occultic things like the Enneagram actually work, and much more. Let’s get into it…
Undaunted.Life: A Man's Podcast by Kyle Thompson 
