The new age movement is a Trojan Horse designed to capture souls for the devil and detract from Christian worship, a conference heard last week.

These Seductive Spiritual Snakes, come in a myriad of forms and subtly take people from the monotheistic Christian God.

Church worker Ismay Cartwright was speaking at last week's Unity of the Spirit conference at the Marriott Castle Harbour Hotel.

Speaking to a captivated audience, Mrs. Cartwright listed a catalogue of dozens of cults and religions that are not compatible with Christianity.

These include Hinduism, Buddhism, Transcendental Meditation, Lazaris, and such popular names as Shirley McLaine, Alice Bailey, and Abraham Maslow are all part of the "Old Lie'' as written about in Genesis 3, verses 1 thru 5.

"The only certain thing is that the New Age Movement is not new,'' she said.

"Reincarnation is the substitution of redemption of Christ.'' "What is humanism? It is a belief that we depend on ourselves. But what we do against or without God is evil. We Christians are monotheistic, that is we have one God.'' Mrs. Cartwright explained that the new age movement emphasises the individual becoming god-like or even gods themselves.

The NAMs are often characterised by syncretism, a deification of humanity, transformation, eclecticism, and an ecological orientation.

She said its dangers lie in the redefinition of sin, it's belittling of Christ's work on the cross, meditation, and an abandonment of moral foundations.

The movement's influence can be found in all aspects of life, even in the most innocuous things.

"We danced and partied to The Fifth Dimension's "Age of Aquarius'' didn't we?'' Mrs. Cartwright said. "We didn't know did we. But when we were dancing some spiritual occult practices were going on.'' She explained new agers believe that we are in the beginning of a new astrological age -- the age of Aquarius -- which is characterised by a heightened degree of spiritual consciousness.

She said there is a satanic aspect to wearing anything to ward off spirits and communicating with spirits -- channelling -- is equally evil.

"There is evidence that many new agers are seeking a links into one general brotherhood, its what you call networking,'' Mrs. Cartwright added.

"This will bring in a one world government, and a one world religion, to usher in the anti-Christ,'' she said.

Mrs. Cartwright added: "We must read the word, and give our testimony. Let it ring in their ears. Define Jesus for them. We have to pray that as they read the word, the spirit will move them.'' Explaining that much of the new age movement is a repackaging of eastern mysticism, Mrs. Cartwright said that under normal circumstances "westerners would not embrace these things''.

Mrs. Cartwright added: "We Christians must be vigilant. Christians must be aware that these philosophies are gaining ground, and it's because they sound so `Christiany'.'' She concluded: "Let us guard ourselves so that we have only God. We have to be careful. We often have faith in our faith and not in our God.'' Organisers of the Unity of the Spirit Conference held a post-mortem yesterday and there might be another -- if the public wants one.

And more than 300 people packed the main ballroom of the Marriott Castle Harbour Hotel for the gala banquet on Saturday night.

That was the word from Bishop of the New Testament Church of God, Goodwin Smith this week.

Pastor Smith said the conference, with its emphasis on the family, was well received by people who attended the workshops.

"What was a blessing was that we were doing the family and it had a good response with good turnouts on both days,'' he said.

Of the American guest speaker, Dr. Clarence Walker, Bishop Smith said: "Rev.

Walker presented the word in a different way from a lot of pastors that I have heard. He was excellent.'' Bishop Smith said resolutions from the 1998 conference informed last weekend's but there would not be any from this year, adding: "Now we try to bring these resolutions into fruition.'' "If the people overwhelmingly ask, we will consider having another,'' he said. "The support is growing, but we will sit back and discuss the issues that came out of it.''