Not to get too far off topic, but Om is a Hindu mantric word and
Ohm is a unit of electrical resistance. It's symbol is the Omega.
Yes, I have studied Kriya Yoga. Quite literally is part of spirit binding, which is a good translation for Yo Ga. But, I am not into bondage anymore.
From the Wikipedia:
The
Katha Upanishad has:
"The goal, which all
Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which humans desire when they live a life of continence, I will tell you briefly it is
Aum""The one syllable [
evākṣara, viz.
Aum] is indeed
Brahman. This one syllable is the highest. Whosoever knows this one syllable obtains all that he desires."This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma." (1.2.15-17)
[1] The
Chandogya Upanishad (1.1.1-1) states:
om ity etad akṣaram udgītham upāsīta / om iti hy udgāyati / tasyopavyākhyānam"The
udgitha ["the chanting", that is, the syllable om] is the best of all essences, the highest, deserving the highest place, the eighth." The
Bhagavad Gita (8.13) has:
Uttering the monosyllable Aum
, the eternal world of Brahman, One who departs leaving the body (at death), he attains the superior goal.
It bears some functional similarity (at least conceptually) to calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus. As you know from John 1, In the beginning was the Word .... The Christian has a philosophical or mystical concept of a first or eternal order or things, sort of like Brahman. Certain words are to create an association with that first order.
Although the concepts are intended to be parallel, the question becomes whether that intention or similarity in the human construct is enough. If it were enough, intention would be enough to dignify satan worship. Since we are inherently under authority in a spiritual sense, we retain the obligation to submit to the proper authority, by name.
Paul dignified the idol to the unknown God in Acts, but there is a huge difference between preaching to those in darkness and teaching that human intention makes all teaching about such matters equivalent. Once you have the names, the histories (e.g., Ishtar/Astarte and the pentagram) and an understanding of what these authorities represent, you have an obligation as a teacher to make these distinctions. Mercy and tolerance are not the same thing. Mercy for the confused is not a license to expect mercy for all deliberate obfuscation on such matters.
Paul's speech to the Athenians is that much more brilliant where one understands idolatry and its source. As is Jude dense, deep and hugely misunderstood letter.
Act 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;
Act 17:23 "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
Act 17:24 "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
Act 17:25 "Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
Act 17:26 "And He has made from one blood
[fn3] every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
Act 17:27 "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
Act 17:28 "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
Act 17:29 "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.
Act 17:30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
Act 17:31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
Act 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this
matter."
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
What is Jude implying? It is not all about our intentions as humans. There are other intentions, hidden from us. There is a spiritual war raging and rampant evil intentions. We need some kind of a playbook to understand which names are trustworthy and which are not. What is the fall of man in Gen. 3 but a case of inviting the wrong authorities or guides without a full knowledge of their intentions (ie, curse and blessing, good and evil)? You don't mess with them - not even to call them names. The Lord says, My grace is sufficient for you.
Jam 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.