OPRAH WINFREY: THE NEW AGE HIGH PRIESTESS
Pastor Dale Morgan
OPRAH WINFREY: THE NEW AGE HIGH PRIESTESS*
May 7, 2008
By: David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service
The following is excerpted from our new 505-page book The New Age Tower
of Babel, which is available from Way of Life Literature.
______________________
Few things illustrate the dramatic increase in New Age influence over
the past two decades than Oprah Winfrey.
Winfrey (b. 1954), the highly successful television talk show host,
actor, producer, activist, and businesswoman, has been called "a really
hip and materialistic Mother Teresa," "a symbolic figurehead of
spirituality," a "moral monitor," "America's pastor," "today's Billy
Graham" (USA Today, May 10, 2006).
Her syndicated television show is the highest-rated and longest-running
television talk show in the United States, having run since September 8,
1986, for over 22 seasons and 3,000 episodes ("The Oprah Winfrey Show,"
Wikipedia). Her show has 49 million viewers in 122 countries and
practically any book that she recommends rises to the top rung of the
sales charts. Her O magazine readership is about 3 million. She receives
10,000 letters and 4,000 e-mails a week. Her web site is visited 1.3
million times per day. A Gallop poll survey ranked her the number 4 most
important woman in history.
Winfrey is one of the most influential promoters of New Age themes in
the world today, and the thing to understand is that she also does not
totally renounce her Christian heritage. She often talks about her
upbringing and how the church shaped her life, but she intermingles
Christian faith with paganism. She was raised in a Baptist church in
Mississippi, the daughter of a deacon. After a rebellious youth she
"repented" and joined a Baptist church in Nashville and spoke frequently
in churches.
Oprah is a New Age Christian, and as such she represents multitudes of
professing Christians, particularly in Western countries. She rejects
the "negatives" of the biblical faith such as man being a fallen sinner
and needing redemption through Calvary, but she tries to hold on to the
more "positive" aspects of love, hope, peace, grace, and blessing
(divorced from biblical meaning). She rips the heart out of the gospel
while still claiming to believe it!
She says that New Age and the Bible are saying the same thing, as long
as one doesn't have a literalistic mindset:
"As I study the New Age movement, it all seems to say exactly what the
Bible has said for years, but many of us were brought up with a
restricted, limited understanding of what the Bible said."
She uses biblical terms but defines them according to the New Age
dictionary. On one show with Shirley MacLaine, Oprah said that being
born again is the same as being "connected to the higher Self" and she
said that "ask and it shall be given" is the same as seeking answers
from your "intuitive Self" ("The Gospel according to Oprah," Vantage
Point, July 1998).
Oprah's objective is not merely entertainment. The Oprah Winfrey Show
Fact Sheet says:
"Our mission statement is to use television to transform people's lives,
to make viewers see themselves differently and to bring happiness and a
sense of fulfillment into every home."
Oprah's 2005 book Live Your Best Life described her philosophy that
everything is one and man is divine and man can create his own reality.
Her gospel is that man is not a sinner, God is not a judge, all is well
with the universe, and I just need to surrender to the flow. She
encourages people to meditate and pray (and it doesn't matter to what
you pray, to God or to Glorious Future or to All that is Divine or to
All that is Love, or whatever) and say:
"My heart is open to find the flow, the flow, the flow, the flow that is
my life. I am willing to surrender to the flow that is my life."
In a nutshell, Oprah's gospel is ME. She says, "God wants you to love
yourself. It starts with you." Her web site shouts the good news:
"Discover, embrace and nurture yourself ... celebrate and honor you!"
She says that gurus are here "not to teach us about their divinity but
to teach us about our own" (Wendy Kaminer, "Why We Love Gurus,"
Newsweek, Oct. 20, 1997).
In February 2008 singer Natalie Cole told Oprah and her audience how
that when she turned 58 she decided to pay tribute to herself. "I put on
a luncheon and I gave myself a cake, and on that cake it said, 'Happy
birthday to my best friend, me.' I thought that was the coolest thing
that I could have done"
(http://www2.oprah.com/spiritself/slide/20080228/slide_20080228_284_101.jhtml).
Oprah has paraded a steady stream of New Age thinkers before the world:
One of Oprah's regulars is Della Reese, star of Touched by an Angel.
This television show preaches the New Age doctrines that men are not
estranged from God by sin, that they do not have to be reconciled
through Christ's Atonement, that God is the Father of all men, that
angels are not perfect, and that salvation is by human kindness. Reese
is the co-founder with Johnnie Coleman of the Understanding Principles
for Better Living Church. Coleman is a New Thought minister of the Unity
School of Christianity, which teaches, "We are Divine through the Christ
within, the individualization of God in us."
Oprah's audience has followed movie star Shirley MacLaine's journey into
the New Age, beginning with her television mini-series Out on a Limb,
which promotes such things as spirit channeling, mental telepathy,
astral projection, and reincarnation. It even describes Shirley's
alleged out of body trip to beyond the moon. In the movie she stands
before the ocean and shouts, "I am God! I am God! I am God!" Twenty
years later, Oprah is still promoting MacLaine. In 2007 she had her on
the program to discuss her book Sage-ing While Age-ing. The book and
interview prove that MacLaine is still pushing the New Age.
In February 1988 Oprah featured Satanist Michael Aquino, who said, "We
are not servants of some God; we are our own gods."
Oprah has promoted several psychics who allegedly communicate with the
dead. Raymond Moody, author of Life after Life, has been on Oprah's show
to tell her audience that communication with the dead is possible.
Psychic medium John Edward told Oprah and her audience: "I act as a
conduit between the physical world and what I call 'the other side.' I
act as that conduit, like a bridge, and I bring through their
information. So it's like they beam me their energy, I interpret it in
my frame of reference, and I pass it on to the person I'm sitting with."
Oprah has also promoted psychic medium James Van Praagh. He claims to
receive messages from spirits that provide "detailed evidential proof
that a loved one survived death." He says, "I think that all things are
spirit and are derived from spirit. When you look at life from that
perspective, it takes on a whole new meaning."
In 1987 Oprah featured Wayne Dyer, Shakti Gawain and Arnold Patent as
expert panelists on the New Age. Dyer told Oprah's audience, "You are
what you think about, that's all you are, you're purely your thoughts."
During that program Oprah said:
"Isn't it just spiritual evolvement; isn't it coming closer to the force
that is God whether you call it God or not, isn't that what it is?"
"And so what you can create for that day you can also create for your
life. I realized this and say this often in speeches too. I am where I
am because for as long as I was cognizant I believed in my
possibilities. ... I allowed myself to move with the flow of the
universe even before I read any of these books. I understood that is
what I was doing. Once you get this and you understand what God is then
you never had to be unhappy ever--ever."
"What God really is, is God manifests himself--herself--itself through
your breathe through your conscience and through your intuition. And as
long as you have that, you have the presence of God and you also have
power and it is acknowledging and realizing that that's what it is
instead of looking out here to find it, you already have it."
Shakti Gawain's book Creative Visualization describes her New Age
doctrine. She says we should be open to "accept the goodness of the
universe ... to receiving the blessings of this abundant universe" (pp.
51, 52). She encourages people to trust their inner selves. "Make
contact with your inner Child, your Mentor within. That teacher knows
which fork in the road to follow. And you know when you have chosen
right, because then you feel alive. Start exercising your intuition by
letting it guide you on issues of less importance. For instance, shall I
go to that party or not? What feels best? And then act on it, like if
you never had a doubt in your mind" (http://shaktigawain.wwwhubs.com/).
Trusting oneself is actually a blind leap into the dark.
Another panel of Oprah guests who discussed the New Age consisted of Don
Curtis (Unity ministry and channeler), Kevin Ryerson (Shirley MacLaine's
channeler), and Marilyn Ferguson. Curtis claimed that the doctrine of
reincarnation was originally believed by Christians but was thrown out
at the Council of Nicea in the 4th century. (This Council had nothing to
do with deciding what was in the Bible and did not address the issue of
reincarnation; it was about the Arian controversy and the battle over
the doctrine of Christ's divinity.) Curtis said that there is a
spiritual awakening occurring in America and it is about "the awakening
of that divine self within individuals."
Oprah said that if Jesus claimed exclusive divinity, "It would make
Jesus the biggest egotist that ever lived"
(http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/oprah-gospel.htm).
On that program Oprah said:
"We are talking about the new age movement, which in essence a lot of
people are now believing, but you have to take, you are responsible for
your life is one of the philosophies, the power of God lives in you as
well as above and around and through you and with that power you control
your life" ("The Universe According to Oprah,"
http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac36.htm).
In 1998 Oprah featured another panel on the New Age composed of Betty
Eadie, Sophy Burnham, and Dannion Brinkley. On that show Oprah said:
"... one of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe that there is
only one way. Actually, there are many diverse paths leading to what you
call God."
When an audience member disagreed, testifying that she believed that
Jesus Christ is the only way to God, Winfrey got upset and said that she
didn't think that someone would go to hell because they don't believe in
Jesus. She stated emphatically, "THERE COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE ONLY ONE
WAY." She argued that it is the heart that matters to God, not faith in
Christ. She asked, "Does God care about your heart or whether you called
His Son Jesus?" When the audience member tried again to testify for
Jesus, Oprah cut her off and said, "I'm not going to get into a
religious discussion." Why, the fact is that she gets into religious
discussions all of the time. There is only one religion she avoids, and
that is Jesus Christ as THE way, THE truth, and THE life. For a video
clip of this episode see
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/oprah-fool.htm or
http://www.watchman.org/oprah.htm.
On the same program Oprah said:
"I was raised a Baptist and we were too hung up on traditional ways. I
was sitting in church and heard that God is a jealous God. I asked 'Why?
Come on-let's get over it!' ... I believe in the FORCE--I call it God"
("The Gospel according to Oprah," Vantage Point, July 1998).
Oprah has gotten so big and wise in her own eyes that she can instruct
God! People should be able to do what they please and worship whatever
they please, and if God has a problem with it He just needs to get over it!
Betty Eadie, a New Age Mormon and the author of Embraced by the Light,
has described her personal trip to heaven to Oprah's audience. She said
that when she had a near death experience, three spiritual beings who
were her guardian angels appeared to her and guided her to heaven. Oprah
said: "I believe that there are many paths to God, or many paths to the
light. I certainly don't believe there is only one way..." Eadie replied
that she talked to Jesus in heaven and he also said that there are many
paths! Eadie said: "But he [Jesus] said about the other faiths that it
didn't really matter, that love was the ultimate. That if we love one
another that everything else would be okay
(http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac36.htm).
Let's see, now. The Jesus of the Bible said that no man comes to God but
by Him (John 14:6), whereas the Jesus Eadie talked to said there are
many paths. Obviously one or the other of them is a false christ! Oprah
and her audience like to think that they can believe the Bible and New
Age, too, but believing in opposites is not reality; it is an exercise
in futility.
Oprah has featured Sarah Breathnach and her New Age books. In 1996 Oprah
promoted Breathnach's Simple Abundance, which encourages journaling as a
tool to "dig below the secret wounds of the soul" to discover "your
authentic self." Breathnach tells her readers that they are "asleep in
God." In 1998 Oprah promoted Breathnach's book Something More:
Excavating Your Authentic Self, which is "a life bible for women around
the world." Breathnach says, "Whatever we are waiting for--peace of
mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance--it
will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an
open and grateful heart."
Oprah has often promoted Caroline Myss (pronounced mace), the author of
Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing. She
teaches the divinity of man and the power of positive confession. She
claims that "all circumstances can be changed in a moment, and all
illness can be healed" (Anatomy of the Spirit, 1996, p. 286). She says,
"Act on your inner guidance, and give up your need for 'proof' that your
inner guidance is authentic" (daily message on her web site for April 5,
2008). She says, "For me, the spirit is the vessel of divinity. Its
language is intuitive. Its truth is rooted in ancient wisdom" ("Caroline
Myss' Journey," Conscious Choice, September 2003).
Deepak Chopra received a great boost after his appearance on the Oprah
Winfrey Show in 1997. His book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind sold 130,000
copies in one day. Chopra says, "In reality, we are divinity in
disguise, and the gods and goddesses in embryo that are contained within
us seek to be fully materialized" (The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success,
p. 3).
Debbie Ford, another New Age guru promoted by Oprah, preaches the gospel
of "self-love and emotional freedom." Her philosophy is the typical New
Age synthesis of eastern mysticism, Jungian psychology, hypnosis, and
more. She says: "My work and what I teach people is that you must go
inside. You must go inside and get the answers because that will move it
from your heard to your heart" (Linda Richards interview with Debbie
Ford, January Magazine,
http://www.januarymagazine.com/profiles/debbieford.html). She teaches
that people don't have to be ashamed of seeming bad traits like
selfishness or laziness or greed or lying because they can be good
things in their place. She says, "I found out what people hated about
themselves and I taught them how to embrace it and to love that part of
themselves and have compassion" (interview). She calls the dark side of
one's self "the shadow," and encourages individuals to learn how to make
peace with it. "Most people think that our shadow side is something to
fear, run from, hide or suppress. But our shadow side, when it's
reclaimed, when it's brought into the light, can give us all the gifts
we are looking for" ("Debbie Ford on the Shadow Process," Innerchange,
Feb. 1, 2004). She does not mean to say that the dark side of man is sin
and that sin must be repented of and forgiven by God. To her, the
biblical concept of sin does not exist and darkness can be embraced for
the "good" it can do.
Ford believes in the divinity of man. The front flap to her book The
Secret of the Shadow: The Power of Owning Your Whole Life says that once
we learn to integrate the shadow side we "return to our Divine essence."
Ford says:
"There is a Rumi quote that I heard many years ago that really drove my
spiritual search: 'By God, WHEN YOU SEE YOUR BEAUTY, YOU'LL BE THE IDOL
OF YOURSELF.' Somehow, I knew that was the truth. When we have the
courage to become intimate with all of ourselves--the dark as well as
the light--we come face to face with our authentic selves. And we
discover that we are absolutely lovable, even though we are flawed human
beings" (Innerchange interview).
That's the message that resonates with Oprah and her friends so very,
very deeply!
Dannion Brinkley has told Oprah's audience about his near death
experiences and the spiritual power and truth he gained from these. He
describes this in his books, beginning with Saved by the Light (1994).
He says that he met Thirteen Beings of Lights within the Hall of
Knowledge and was given a mission, a message, and prophecies of the
future. His web site says: "This new millennium holds more power than
any other in history. We are all great, powerful, mighty spiritual
beings for choosing to be part of this most special time on Earth."
New Ager M. Scott Peck promoted his book The Road Less Traveled on the
Oprah show. He wrote: "God wants us to become Himself (or Herself or
Itself). We are growing toward God. God is the ultimate goal of
evolution" (The Road Less Traveled, 1978, p. 270).
Oprah has promoted Jack Canfield, "America's Success Coach," who says,
"The power of your mind is unlimited." Canfield is the co-editor of the
seemingly endless Chicken Soup for the Soul series of self-help books.
Canfield says that through meditation the individual can hear the voice
of God. "As you meditate and become more spiritually attuned, you can
better discern and recognize the sound of your higher self or the voice
of God speaking to you through words, images, and sensations" (The
Success Principles, 2005, p. 317).
Oprah has promoted John Gray, the self-help guru who authored the
popular Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus series. There are at
least 15 titles, including Mars and Venus on a Date, Mars and Venus in
Love, The Mars and Venus Diet, and Mars and Venus Starting Over. Gray
spent nine years as a monk and secretary to the Hindu guru Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi and earned degrees in the "Science of Creative Intelligence"
from the Maharishi European Research University. This so-called science
is the New Age practice of "developing higher states of consciousness"
through Transcendental Meditation. In his book Practical Miracles for
Mars and Venus, he says that "everyone now has the power to create
practical miracles in their own lives." His nine steps for creating the
miraculous include meditation, visualization, focusing, and positive
thinking.
Oprah has highly recommend Unity pastor Eric Butterworth. Of his book
Discover the Power within You, which teaches the divinity of man, Oprah
said: "This book changed my perspective on life and religion."
Butterworth taught that God isn't "up there." "He exists inside each one
of us, and it's up to us to seek the divine within." On a 1987
television program Oprah said, "What Eric Butterworth says in that book
is that Jesus did not come to teach how divine he was but came to teach
us there is divinity within us, so that is essentially what we are
offering." Butterworth, the author of 16 best-selling books, was the
senior minister of The Unity Center in New York City from 1961 until his
death in 2003. He wrote: "We must begin to see Jesus as the great
discoverer of the innate Divinity of Man, the supreme revealer of the
truth about man, the pioneer and way-shower" (Discover the Power within
You, pp. 23, 137). Butterworth's "Jesus" learned how to recognize his
divinity through contact with eastern gurus. Butterworth denied sin,
evil, and the devil. One of Butterworth's books was titled Celebrate
Yourself.
Maya Angelou has appeared on Oprah numerous times. She promotes unity,
tolerance, and the divinity of man. She and Oprah share affection for
the New Age teaching of the late Eric Butterworth. Angelou said of him,
"He has been, is now, and shall forever be my teacher"
(http://ericbutterworth.com/html/eric_bio.html).
Gary Zukav has been a regular guest on Oprah's program since his first
appearance in 1998. He is the author of The Seat of the Soul, which shot
to the top of the New York Times bestseller list after Oprah recommended
it. She called it "one of my favorite books." Zukav teaches karma-driven
reincarnation and promotes attunement to spirit guides. He says, "Each
human soul has both guides and Teachers." Zukav says Jesus is "the most
evolved of our species" (The Seat of the Soul, p. 21). Zukav encourages
his readers to "dwell in the company of your nonphysical Teachers and
guides" (p. 239).
In August 1999, Winfrey featured Iyanla Vanzant, a New Age "life coach"
who preaches a gospel of self-esteem. She has published a number of
self-help books, has her own institute, Inner Visions Worldwide, and a
line of Hallmark cards. Oprah says Vanzant is "one of the world's most
admirable spiritual leaders." She is an ordained minister in the Yoruba
priesthood. This is a polytheistic, ancestor-worshipping religion of
western Africa. Vanzant recommends the spirit-channeled A Course in
Miracles. Vanzant says: "Universal love, God's love, is the only real
love that exists. ... Universal love has no conditions. It accepts all
as is, because All is the true identity of God" (In the Meantime:
Finding Yourself and the Love You Want, 1998, p. 190). On page 6 of her
book, in the acknowledgement section, Vanzant acknowledges her Self.
In 2001 Cheryl Richardson promoted centering meditation on Oprah's show.
She described it as "spending time with yourself just turning your
vision inward." Oprah calls this "centering up for myself." It uses
guided visualization in an attempt to connect with one's higher self or
spirit guides for wisdom and direction. Richardson suggests that the
practitioner relax and then, "imagine that you are inhabiting yourself
... imagine someplace where you feel comforted ... Just relax into this
place ... As you rest in this place, just ponder the question: Why am I
here? ... You may see an image or hear a word. Just sit with this
question: Why am I here? What are you called to do? What's calling you
in your life. Simply notice anything that comes to mind, and enjoy this
time with yourself." The meditation concludes with thanking oneself.
"When you're ready, thank that wise part of you for being there, for
allowing you these few moments of peace and connection."
In February 2007 Oprah featured Brian Weiss, a psychiatrist and the
author of Many Lives, Many Masters. He uses regression therapy to help
patients heal in the present by digging up events from their past lives.
He said that his New Age journey began when he put a female patient
under hypnosis 27 years ago and asked her to describe when her psychotic
experiences began. She described a past life 4,000 years ago. He became
a firm believer in reincarnation and has since helped more than 4,000
patients dredge up alleged past life experiences. When Oprah described
the criticism she received when she first started interviewing New
Agers, Weiss replied that "it's fear that keeps minds closed" and
likened the resistance to New Age thought to the idea that the earth is
flat. Weiss says that heaven is all around us and hell is "something
that you don't experience after you die unless you expect it"
(http://www.oprah.com/xm/oprah/200703/oprah_20070301.jhtml).
I guess you would call that the ultimate in the power of negative thinking!
In July 2007 Oprah had a conversation with Laura Day about the power of
intuition. Day is the author of The Circle: How the Power of a Single
Wish Can Change Your Life. She claims that one's intuition is
"unmistakable" knowledge and "direct oneness with the energy that is in
all of us." She says that once you start listening to your intuition,
you will tap into abilities you never knew existed and thus improve your
life. Oprah responded enthusiastically to this teaching, saying that
"intuition told me that I needed to own myself."
In April 2007 Oprah had a channeling session with Esther Hicks, author
of The Law of Attraction. While Hicks channeled her "spiritual teachers"
known collectively as "Abraham," Oprah asked them questions. Hicks told
Oprah, "Everyone gets to create their own reality and Abraham's not
interested in telling us what we should create--they're only interested
in showing how we go about creating what our life path is about"
(http://www.oprah.com/xm/oprah/200704/oprah_20070405.jhtml).
In March 2007 Oprah interviewed James Hillman, author of The Soul's
Code. He teaches that the soul is a product of reincarnation. The soul
chooses its parents, circumstances of birth, and type of body in order
to fulfill its purposes. Hillman applies this New Age doctrine to child
training, claiming that training should be aimed at helping the child to
find his evolutionary "calling." Children's behavioral problems are seen
as "signs of their calling."
In October 2007 Wayne Dyer appeared on back to back Oprah shows to
explain the teachings of Taoism. Oprah's objective with this type of
interview is to "distill the spiritual similarities and lessons between
them and elevate our own spiritual consciousness"
(http://www.oprah.com/xm/oprah/200710/oprah_20071004.jhtml).
In his book Wisdom of the Ages: A Modern Master Brings Eternal Truths
into Everyday Life (1998), Dyer quotes from about 50 "teachers and
spiritual leaders." In the chapter entitled "Divinity" he quotes
Epictetus, "You are a distinct portion of the essence of God in
yourself. ... You carry a God about with you" (p. 31). Dyer then comments:
"If God is everywhere, then there is no place that God is not. And this
includes you. Once you connect to this understanding you regain the
power of your very source. ... you claim your divinity and reclaim all
the potency that God is. When you are eating you are ingesting God and
replenishing God. When you sleep you breathe in God and allow God to
rest. When you exercise, you move about on God and strengthen God at the
same time" (p. 32).
That month Oprah also interviewed Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron. Her
original name was Deirdre Bloomfield-Brown, but after two divorces she
became a Buddhist nun in her mid-30s. She has since worked to "bring the
teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to Western audiences." Oprah is helping
her immensely in that work.
In January 2008 Winfrey began broadcasting the Marianne Williamson's 365
lessons on A Course in Miracles on her XM Satellite Radio program "Oprah
and Friends." A Course in Miracles was allegedly channeled to the
atheist Helen Schucman over a course of seven and a half years. It
purports to be a new revelation from Jesus for these troubled times, but
it claims that there is no sin and that each person is God. Winfrey
interviewed Williamson on her television program and said that Return to
Love was one of her favorite books. In fact, she bought 1,000 copies to
hand out to her studio audience. Because of Oprah's recommendation, the
book sold 200,000 copies that same day! In her book A Return to Love:
Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Williamson says,
"Jesus and the other enlightened masters are our evolutionary elder
brothers" (p. 42), and, "To remember that you are part of God, that you
are loved and loveable, is not arrogant" (p. 30). The "entity" that
delivered the messages channeled in A Course in Miracles said, "Do not
make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross.' ... This
is not the gospel that I intended to offer to you" (A Course in Miracles
textbook, p. 52), and, "There is no sin. It has no consequence" (p. 183).
Each day throughout the year on Oprah's radio program, one lesson will
be covered from Williamson's A Course in Miracles workbook. The course
includes statements that the student is instructed to repeat as positive
affirmations. For lesson #29 the affirmation is "God is in everything I
see." For Lesson #61 it is "I am the light of the world." For Lesson #70
it is "My salvation comes from me."
Warren Smith observes:
"By the end of the year, 'Oprah & Friends' listeners will have completed
all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles Workbook. Those
who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset--a
New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no
evil, no devil, and that God is 'in' everyone and everything. A Course
in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe
about God and life. The Course Workbook bluntly states: 'This is a
course in mind training and is dedicated to thought reversal'" (Smith,
"Oprah and Friends to Teach Course on New Age Christ," The Berean Call,
Nov. 19, 2007).
Rhonda Byrne's The Secret was featured on two episodes of Oprah's show
on February 8 and 16, 2007. Byrne says, "You are God in a physical body"
(p. 164). Both shows featured glowing testimonies by people who had
found some kind of success through practicing The Secret. The second
show began with this powerful recommendation of The Secret:
"On February 8, 2007, millions tuned in to The Oprah Winfrey Show to
learn the mystery of The Secret. Since the show aired, our message
boards have been buzzing with people who want to know more. The Secret
is defined as the law of attraction, which states that like attracts
like. The concept says that the energy you put into the world--both good
and bad--is exactly what comes back to you. This means you create the
circumstances of your life with the choices you make every day. To help
answer your burning questions, two teachers of The Secret, James Arthur
Ray and the Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith, are back."
Winfrey has promoted two of Eckhart Tolle's books. She said his 1999
book The Power of Now was one of her favorite books. She chose A New
Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose as a January 2008 selection for
Oprah's Book Club and followed this up with a 10-week web seminar
featuring a live discussion of the book by her and Tolle. She called
this, "a classroom larger than anyone could imagine," and a half million
people logged on to the first segment, resulting in 242 Gbps of
information moving through the Internet. It was described as one of the
largest single events in Internet history. On January 30, 2008, Winfrey
said, "Being able to share this material with you is a gift and a part
of the fulfillment of my life's purpose. It was an awakening for me that
I want for you, too."
The students are encouraged to get the companion workbook and answer the
question. But the good news is that "there are no right answers"
(http://www.oprah.com/obc_classic/webcast/workbook/anewearth_workbook_main.jsp)!
In the book The New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (2006),
Tolle says that salvation is "a radical transformation of human
consciousness" (p. 13) and the rebirth is "reincarnation" (p. 252). He
also says: "God, the scripture is saying, is formless consciousness and
the essence of who you are" (p. 219). In The Power of Now, Tolle says,
"Christ is your God-essence or Self" (p. 104).
Speaking of Tolle's books, Winfrey told her audience:
"Jesus 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. ... I don't believe that Jesus came to start
Christianity. What Jesus said is much deeper than what you, how the
church interprets it. There's a depth to it. And it reflects your own
depth when you read it. So there's no conflict between this teaching,
which is purely spiritual, and any religion. ... THE OLD WAY IS THE
HIERARCHY HAS THE AUTHORITY. CHURCH AUTHORITIES TELL YOU HOW TO WORSHIP
IN CHURCH AND HOW TO BEHAVE OUTSIDE OF CHURCH. THE NEW SPIRITUALITY IS
THAT YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST AUTHORITY AS YOU WORK TO KNOW AND LOVE
YOURSELF, you discover how to live a more spiritual life."
That is Oprah's message to her generation, and it is receiving a
resounding Amen.
By the way Oprah claims that she is not New Age!
"On one recent show a Christian in the audience challenged Oprah about
being a 'New Ager.' Oprah responded, 'I am not new age anything and I
resent being called that. I am just trying to open a door so that people
can see themselves more clearly and perhaps be the light to get them to
God, whatever they may call that. I don't see spirits in the trees and I
don't sit in the room with crystals'" ("The Gospel according to Oprah,"
Vantage Point, July 1998).
This exchange reminds us that only a few of the New Agers call
themselves New Age. They use many other terms, but New Age is New Age
regardless of the name!
In the new book The New Age Tower of Babel, the chapter "What Is the New
Age" gives its foundational principles so the reader can learn to
identify it regardless of how it tries to hide.