I came across an rather lengthy analysis of Masters’ teaching which should be of interest to us: http://www.theworldviewcenter.org/encyclopedia_foundationforhumanunderstanding.html
A few excerpts and comments:
We may categorize Masters’ teachings as follows. We should first recognize that in his system the normal definition of words are often changed. For example, a state of imagination is the equivalent of normal daily thinking and living. Temptation is, in part, emotional stimulation. Objectivity is the subjective “awareness” produced through meditation. This restructuring is true of Biblical concepts as well; in Master’s “theology,” Biblical Christian terms assume an entirely new meaning, as we shall see. Undoubtedly, his extensive use of Christian vocabulary is one reason why some Christians believe he is Christian—he “sounds” right. We have enumerated eight sections in summary, documented form.
“Doctors and Dentists are interested in one thing—profit.” Likewise all pastors are only interested in personal glory.28
[Like Smith and Camping and other cultists, Masters has no use for the competition, as they effectively promote themselves as the replacement. He even says none of the people that belong to Billy Grahams organization are right, they just don’t know they are wrong.” Anb “Damn all the hellfire-and-damnation preachers.” 122 ]
“Study is not really learning.”70
Stored intellectual knowledge of Truth is nothing but vanity and serves nothing but evil. The Light in you is the ultimate witness to Truth—even to this statement of truth.74
It is the wordless Truth Who will save you from the evil you see.78
Denial of independent Bible study: while all men have the “potential” to “understand” the Scriptures the way Masters does, few are really going to trust their own study over Masters’. He is the Master. This is one consequence of expounding a mystical hermeneutic—its application is so subjective, vacuous, and uncertain that it is much easier simply to accept what the guru teaches. Also, Bible study is worse than useless; it is dangerous. In The Satan Principle, Masters asserts:
YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO LEARN VERSE AND CHAPTER. Study kills. It is a very dangerous “informing” indeed. . . .By all means read Scriptures, but do not study. . . . You are not going to fail or go to hell if you don’t study. You are more likely to fail and go to hell if you DO. .
And later in the same text he states: “Scan these words. Scan the Scriptures for understanding. BUT NEVER STUDY OR BE ABSORBED IN MERE WORDS.”85
Masters: [So] I threw a Bible in the garbage can. That Bible can go in the garbage can just as soon as anything can go in the garbage can. Slop can go in the garbage can, because the Bible isn’t God.136
The whole process of growing is not from words but from realizing and then you can throw your Bible in the garbage can and there’s no sin in that.137
The Scriptures can poison you, and destroy you. They are lethal, they are deadly. They are more deadly than any drug.138
Masters teaches that “many of the Scriptures have been deleted,” and that the “best parts” of the Bible are left out.132
[This is all contrary to Christ, who only affirmed Scripture and invoked specific words (Mt. 19:4-6) and chastened souls for their ignorance of what Scripture said (Mt. 22:29-32) and commanded men to “Search the scriptures,” for “they are they which testify of me,” and thus “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself,” (Jn. 5:39; Lk. 24:27)
And His Spirit saith, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. “ (2 Timothy 2:15)
And Daniel “understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet.” Dan. 9:2)
Moreover, even unbelievers are sanctified due to the presence of one believer: 1Cor. 7:14)]
Masters goes on:
And now I know why I cannot remember my childhood or my youth or even yesterday; . . . And so, as I die to this world, my memories fade and as knowledge passes away, so does guilt and sin. In the Ever-Present, I am becoming absent minded, in that I cannot remember like other men do. I cannot learn as others learn. The willfulness and mindfulness of this present world are passing away as new knowledge—understanding—comes.89
[Thus guilt and sin are forgotten, not taken away by faith in the Lord Jesus to save one by His sinless shed blood. (cf. Rm. 3:25; Acts 10:43)]
The writers comment, ..nowhere in the Scriptures are we ever told that man lives in a hypnotic state or that he is to turn inward for salvation. If anything, man lives in a freely chosen sinful state and needs to turn to a Savior outside himself.
the fact is that Masters’ philosophy has nothing whatsoever to do with true Christianity, and even he admits he is not an evangelical Christian. He asserts, “I am not a converted Christian. I’m a Jew. How do you like that?”104 Far from believing in Jesus Christ, he rejects the teachings of Jesus Christ. How then do we account for the Christian claims quoted earlier? Simply that one may claim Christianity even while rejecting it; indeed this is a common feature in modern America, not only in many cults, but the populace at large as well. Thus, in his Biblical sounding phraseology, the meaning of the words is the key. Within a Biblical framework they mean one thing. For Roy Masters, however, they take on different meaning: he uses Biblical words and concepts within an entirely foreign framework. The result is that such words are redefined in accordance with his personal presuppositions and world view.
Masters also teaches,
When Christ said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” he meant that the body of God is to be made up of people who see for themselves and who are taught by no man.176
Jesus was a created being, although a special one, being immaculately conceived.147 Being a man, he himself had to earn eternal life :”Christ gave us the perfect example by suffering the physical stress without resenting torment—earning life eternal.”149
Some of these are “Jesus freaks,” others fundamentalists and some “charismatic Christians.” All are really hypnotized zombies.
We are human beings with our own original power source—endless and eternal.214
The evidence of a Higher Presence in meditation is [manifested by] a change in breathing.233
Cold shivers, occasional perspiration, and labored or heavy breathing reveal contact-response to a higher consciousness. It means something has been added that is causing changes to occur.234
Occasionally you will feel suspended in space, as if your body had melted into the universe and become “one” with all nature. . . . You will find yourself expressing wisdom and knowledge that you never outwardly learned or heard before.235
Comment: It is a fact that Eastern forms of meditation have long been acknowledged as paths to altered states of consciousness, and these allow intrusion of the spirit world and demonic influence on the meditator.
More from Masters:
If a dog had tempted Adam to fall, he “would have had sexual
feeling toward that dog.” (His view of the Fall is that it instituted sex and procreation.) “Sex is . . . the evidence of original sin.”285
God was obliged to give Solomon his wealth.286
“Hate and pleasure are weird forms of the same thing.”287
The little voice of conscience is the voice of error.304
THIS is familiar...
Here is an alphabetical list of some of the more important terms and their meanings to a Mormon:
AARONIC PRIESTHOOD: This is called the lesser priesthood, and is usually held by young men starting at the age of 12 to the age of about 18. It is also held for a short time by men who have just become members.
AFTERLIFE: The Mormon afterlife is divided up into four levels. From the lowest to the highest they are: hell, and then three levels of heaven: the telestial, the terrestrial, and the place where God dwells, the celestial (also called the kingdom of God). The celestial is also divided, the highest level being "exaltation," or becoming a God.
APOSTLES: The Mormon Church claims to have the same organization as the primitive church that Jesus set up. They also have twelve apostles and sometimes use this as a proof of their divine appointment as the one true church. But they actually have fifteen or more most of the time. The general practice has been for a new president, who is also an apostle, to appoint counselors from the Quorum of the Twelve; then the openings left by the president and his counselors are filled, resulting in a total of fifteen.
CELESTIAL KINGDOM: See Heaven.
ELOHIM: The name of God the Father.
EXALTATION: This is becoming a God in the highest level of the celestial kingdom.
ETERNAL PROGRESSION: The teaching that each of us has the potential to become a God just like God the Father did. He was once a man capable of physical death, was resurrected and progressed to become a God. We can take a similar path and get all the power, glory, dominion, and knowledge the Father and Jesus Christ has. We then will be able to procreate spirit children who will worship us as we do God the Father.
GOD: Usually means God the Father. He was once a man like us capable of physical death and he progressed until he became a God. He has a body of flesh and bones, but no blood. Within Mormonism, Gods, angels, people and devils all have the same nature or substance but are at different stages along the line of progression to Godhood.
GRACE - The Mormon concept of grace means making oneself worthy of the grace of God by doing good works in the church, temple, and community.
HEAVEN-The Mormon church teaches there are three levels of heaven (three "degrees of glory"):
HELL: A place of torment from which the worst of sinners are resurrected (if they repent) into the Telestial kingdom; only a limited number remain in hell forever, - the devil and the demons and apostates who consciously reject and work against Mormonism.
HOLY GHOST: The third member of the Godhead, a personage of spirit, unlike the Father and Son who have bodies of flesh and bones.
JEHOVAH: The pre-incarnate name for Jesus Christ.
JESUS CHRIST: The spirit of Jesus Christ was the first spirit born to God the Father and his wife (Heavenly Mother). He progressed to become a God under the Father. (The Father is also the literal father of Jesus' body in the exact same way we were begotten by our earthly parents.) He now has a body of flesh and bones, but no blood. He is the spirit brother of Satan whose spirit was procreated in the same way as Jesus'. To Mormons, even the atonement of his shed blood is not enough to provide forgiveness of sin and bring eternal life. Stripped of his Deity and demoted to a partial Savior, the Jesus of Mormonism has been robbed of his power and authority. Not only is the Mormon Jesus one who had struggled to achieve his own salvation, he also failed to establish his church. Both in Jerusalem and in the America's where Jesus was supposed to have visited, he attempted to build a group of followers. But in each case, truth was overcome by the alleged early church apostasy into false teaching.
MARRIAGE: The Mormon Church teaches two types of marriage. One ends at death. The other is for "time and eternity." If the couple is married in a Mormon temple by someone with authority it is believed they will stay married in the next life. This kind of marriage is needed if they are to progress, not only as husband and wife, but as God and Goddess.
MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD: The higher of two categories of ministry in the LDS Church, assigned primarily to seasoned members over the age of 18, males only.
POLYGAMY: The practice of men having more than one wife was started by Joseph Smith in the early/mid 1830's and ostensibly ended in 1890. It is not now sanctioned by the LDS church headquartered in Salt Lake City. Members found practicing it are excommunicated. While the practice was ended, the revelation teaching it is still in Mormon scripture (Doctrine & Covenants 132). Some Mormon splinter groups believe the teaching was for eternity and still practice it. These modern-day polygamists (called fundamentalists) number in the 30,000-50,000 range.
PRE-EXISTENCE: The Mormon teaching that our spirits (Mormons and non-Mormons) were procreated in a premortal life by God the Father and our Mother in Heaven, that our spirits were born and raised to maturity before coming to earth to obtain physical bodies, and that the spirit of Jesus Christ was the first one born to our Heavenly parents.
PRIESTHOOD: A category of ministry in the LDS Church open to all worthy males 12 years of age or older, empowering them to act in God's name. Non-Mormons cannot hold the priesthood, hence they have no authority. Men of African descent have only recently (by special correction of the original revelations) been allowed to hold these offices.
PROPHET: The top leader of the Mormon Church is considered not only a prophet but is also a seer and revelator. He has the title "president." He is the only one who can speak for the whole church and receive new revelation for the whole church. When the current prophet dies, the most senior (time as an apostle, not age) of the twelve apostles, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, becomes the new president. He can appoint counselors, who receive their authority from him.
SALVATION: A word that Mormons qualify in one of three ways: unconditional or general salvation is simply resurrection from the dead, granted to all through Christ's atonement; conditional or individual salvation involves entering the celestial kingdom through works of Mormonism; full salvation means exaltation to become a God as a result of temple ceremonies and other works. The word 'salvation' can have a two-fold meaning: a) forgiveness of sins and b) universal resurrection:
The Mormons have several different levels of "salvation".
SATAN: One of the spirit children of God. As a consequence of their rebellion Satan and his angels cannot have mortal bodies - hence cannot progress.
SCRIPTURES: The Mormon Church has four documents it calls canonized scriptures: the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
SON OF GOD: Along with Jesus Christ, all of us are viewed as the children of God, his literal spirit children. This makes us all - Mormons, non-Mormons, Jesus Christ and Satan - spirit brothers.
SPIRITS: Nonmaterial beings allegedly procreated in the pre-existence by God the Father and his wife. Jesus Christ, and even we ourselves, were supposedly born and raised to maturity as spirits before coming into bodies on this earth. The spirit of Satan was also procreated in this way. This makes Satan and Jesus Christ spirit brothers. Jesus selected a righteous path; Satan selected the opposite.
STANDARD WORKS: The four canonized scriptures (see Scripture above) used by the Mormon Church are called the Standard Works.
TEMPLE: One of about four dozen special (for LDS) buildings around the world in which sacred (to LDS) ceremonies are performed for the living and the dead; off limits to nonmembers and even to Mormons who lack a "temple recommend" from their leaders. Only about 20% of the Mormons qualify to go.
TRINITY: This word is used by Christians to summarize the Biblical teaching that within the one true God is three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. They share the same nature or substance so that there are not three Gods, but three persons in the one God. Mormons say they also believe in the Trinitarian concept of God. But really what they mean are that God the Father is a God, God the Son is another God, and God the Holy Ghost is a third God and they are "one God" because they are "one in purpose." Mormons often have an incorrect understanding of what Christians mean by the "Trinity." They say Christians believe that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one person (i.e., Monophysiteism) or that God shows himself as the Father or the Son or the Holy Ghost (i.e. Modalism).
VIRGIN BIRTH: A concept negated by the view that God, a resurrected man with flesh and bones according to Mormon teachings, literally fathered Jesus in the flesh in the same way in which earthly men father their children. Despite the documented position of previous Mormon prophets, presidents, and apostles about the nature of Christ's conception, modern LDS apologists maintain that "Christ was born of a virgin". How can they? By changing the definition of the word "virgin". The reasoning goes like this: since Mary had sexual relations with an immortal man, not a mortal man, the phrase "virgin birth" still applies.
WORD OF WISDOM: The name for the Mormon Church's teaching requiring abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, and hot drinks (tea and coffee).
"Some of these are Jesus freaks, others fundamentalists and some charismatic Christians. All are really hypnotized zombies"
Yeah well we obviously won't be bashing your door down looking for BRAAAAIIIINNNZZZZ.
Just...... wow......
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither whatever they do prospers.