The Christian Broadcasting Network

Oprah & Spirituality: It's No "Secret"

Oprah is pushing her New Age philosophy on the public, and the Church and other media is pushing back.

Watch the video: Oprah Denies Christ

Recently, Oprah began a ten-week long online course on the best-selling book, “A New Earth,” by New Age guru, Eckhart Tolle. Thanks in large measure to Oprah's publicity campaign, “A New Earth” has already sold some 3.5 million copies worldwide.

According to Oprah, 500,000 people from across the world signed on to the first segment of the online course, to spend an hour and a half listening to Ekhart and Oprah talking about chapter 1 of the book. There is also an in-depth interview with Tolle in Oprah's magazine this month.

Craig Parshall writes of the "Oprah-zation" of religion in the National Religious Broadcaster's "Inside NRB" e-newsletter:

The content of Tolle’s religious philosophy is, by his own admission, a combination of Buddhist and Islamic thought, with some measure of what he calls 'Christianity' (in actuality a few New Testament verses misapplied and then sprinkled into the mix).

What is dangerous about all this is, at a minimum, three-fold: it presents a deceptive and false spirituality; it is massively communicated by one of America’s most recognizable media divas using the interconnected vortex of radio, print, and the Internet; and lastly, big media, oft-too quick to man-handle conservative Christianity, seems to have nothing but plaudits for this new 'Oprah-zation' of religion."

In an article titled, "Is Oprah Starting Her Own Cult?" Roger Friedman, writing for Fox News, suggests that "Oprah Winfrey may have gone too far in exploiting and distributing the teachings of this questionable New Age writer."

On the first 90-minute Webcast with Tolle, Oprah extolled the author’s virtues, calling his best-selling "New Earth" book "one of the most important books of our time," the seminars one of "the most exciting things I’ve ever done."

But is Eckhart Tolle an appropriate spiritual leader? … He says in interviews that he had a personal epiphany in 1977 at age 29 after a life of suffering from suicidal depression. For the next 15 years, no one knows much about what happened to him, and he’s not saying. He says he spent time wandering and sitting in London’s parks, with "no relationships, no job, no home, no socially defined identity," but a sense of "intense joy." … His books, "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth," are the same gobbledygook as most New Age stuff. They’re all about self-empowering and how to find out who we are. "Awakening" is Tolle’s key word.

In a recent Blog, The 700 Club's Scott Ross writes this concerning Oprah's spirituality:

Another follow up to the Oprah story with author Eckhart Tolle, and his “theology,” including Oprah’s own belief in regard to Jesus Christ; obviously not biblically sound or orthodox.

Oprah, in reply to a caller, stated that one must simply realize that Christianity is but one of many ways to achieve the “higher consciousness,” and that the belief that one must follow a set of doctrines is a consequence of “egoiic consciousness.” While Christianity is a valid way to achieve high states of spirituality, it must not be considered a unique way, or a “correct way.”

“Jesus,” said Oprah, “came to show us Christ-consciousness … Jesus came to show us the way of the heart…Jesus came to say, "Look, I’m going to live in the body, in the human body, and I’m going to show you how it’s done." These are some principles and some laws that you can use to live by to know that way.”

She concluded, “I don’t believe that Jesus came to start Christianity.”

Oprah also indicated that there are many names that one might give to that which she calls “God," including “energy,” “consciousness,” and “life.”

There's no real "secret" here -- Oprah has rejected the biblical Christianity of her youth and has gone "after other gods."

They have returned to the sins of their forefathers. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. (Jer. 11:10, NLT)

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6, NLT)

Print     Email to a Friend    posted on Monday, April 21, 2008 4:52 PM