2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.                 KJV

Five Things You Should Know about Eckankar
By R. Braun

1. The History of Eckankar.

Eckankar calls itself “The Religion of Light and Sound.” The group originated in 1965 and became a registered religion in 1975. Eckankar was founded by Paul Twitchell, who claimed that he was the 971rst Eck Master. Paul Twitchell was born in 1909 and was influenced by his father and sister’s activities in the occult. Twitchell attended two colleges but never actually graduated from either of them. After his failed pursuit in the academic world, he joined the navy and eventually went on to be a journalist. In 1942 he married a woman named Gail. The Twitchells moved to California where Paul studied under Kipal Singh. During this time the ideas of Eckankar began to take shape in his mind. Eckankar is an accumulation of beliefs going back through the ages, and is steeped in Gnostic thought. The Eckist’s “teachers” range from Moses to Shakespeare. Their accepted texts vary from the Torah to the book of Mormon. The purpose of Eckankar is to assist people in their knowledge and understanding of God or “the Sugmad” through sound and light in “non-physical states” to free the spirit by “returning the soul to its true home in the god worlds” (Ankerberg and Weldon 114).

2. What is the “cornerstone” of Eckankar?

Harold Klemp, the self proclaimed Eck Master, in his book Eckankar: Ancient Wisdom for Today stated, “A cornerstone of Eckankar is the value of personal spiritual experience.” He goes on to say, “Your experience with the spiritual light and sound of God will enrich your life” (3). Eckankar is a religion that is extremely subjective, and puts the human experience, whatever it may be, on the same plane as God. Christians point out that in architecture the cornerstone is the very strength of the building. It holds up under all scrutiny. The apostles Paul and Peter use the same terminology, referring to Christ as the cornerstone for Christianity, 1 Peter 2:6, 7 and Ephesians 2:20. From beginning to end, a careful study of Christ throughout scripture reveals Christ, our substitute, as the perfect Cornerstone who is able to hold the body of Christ or the universal body of Christians up so that we may be accepted by God: Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11. It is both unwise and foolish to equate human light and sound experiences on same plane as understanding our holy and righteous God.

3. How Can the Eckist Attain Salvation?

To the Eckist the word salvation is not in his terminology. The Eckist strives to know God, or at least a better expression of Him. The more the Eckist can free himself of his physical body and desires, the more he can progress into higher god world’s, in that way, experience salvation. The two main ways Eckists do this is through Karma and Reincarnation. Eckankar states, “We build up Karma (sin) as a result of the spiritual law of cause and effect. The Eck ( their Holy Spirit in contrast to the true Holy Spirit) helps us purify ourselves of karma, making it possible for us to accept the full love of God in this lifetime” (Pamphlet on Eckankar). Notice the Eckist stated “in this lifetime.” This is because of their belief on Reincarnation. This is the belief that through the repetitive cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth the individual can experience survival, love, accomplish self mastery, find the way home to God and eventually be in charge of his own destiny. Also, through reincarnation the Eckists believe they can climb through the god worlds, evolving from lifetime to lifetime into a more godly being. All Eckists’ strive for salvation and they strive to know God. The Eckist believes that all religious roads (except Christianity) lead to God in one way or another, but Eckankar is the most direct route. However, the Bible says that Jesus is the direct route to God and salvation. Jesus Himself said, “…No man cometh to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). An example of this may be seen in Luke 7:47-50 where a woman received salvation and forgiveness because she loved Jesus and had faith in him.

4. How does the Eckist view Christ?

Eckankar doctrine states that Jesus was a son of Kal (the devil). Otherwise, outside of the Bible, he was a chela or disciple of Eckankar. They believe that he was just a good man who came to earth. Among the long list of Eck master’s that Eckankar has had over the past ages, Jesus is among them. Jesus is neither the Son of God, nor is he the Savior of mankind. This is opposite from Christian doctrine which teaches that Jesus is the Son of God: Matt. 8:29; Mark 15:39, the New Covenant: Heb. 9:28, 10:9, 10 and the Person through whom mankind is redeemed (bought back) from sin: 1 Peter 1: 18, 19; Revelation 5:9.

5. How does the Eckist view morality?

At first Eckankar appears to be a moral religion. In a booklet written by Harold Klemp titled: Is Life a Random Walk? He states their goal is to quote, “be more godlike…It is our mission, or purpose, here. It is the key to happiness” (Klemp 11, 12). A heavy emphasis is put on love in Eckankar. Eckankar stresses two principles: 1. Love is the key to a golden heart and, 2. Love does not interfere with other people’s problems. (This is strangely like that form of Hinduism which stresses those individuals be left alone and not helped in their poverty stricken states because of the cycle of reincarnation that they must go through). Eckankar also believes that moral decisions must be made by the individual. Yet to the Christian, morality is the very expression of God, not mankind. 1 Corinthians 13:3-7 gives us the ultimate definition for love and by doing so gives us the ultimate definition for the God Christians worship. Christianity believes that no man is good in the sight of God. “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23).” The only way true morality can be discovered is through faith in Jesus Christ, and a personal relationship with him.