Thursday, April 10, 2008

Oprah's new religion

Wow, I am posting two days in a row! But, I just couldn't help but comment on Oprah's show yesterday and her new "religion" she is promoting. I actually didn't watch much of the show. I had it on but Max woke up from his nap and we were playing and getting the house tidied up so I really just saw what it was about. However, I have read quite a bit on what Oprah is teaching and my heart is just totally broken!
I have always enjoyed Oprah. Her show has always been fun and informative and her love for people and generous giving is truly inspiring. But, I worry about what she is teaching. The world is full of false teachers, but Oprah is just so influential. The average person seems to just believe whatever she says and now they are getting their faith from her too. Plus, with lots of other celebrities jumping on this bandwagon I can't help but worry. People are being told half truths and the word of God is being twisted around. I believe half truths and partial lies are way more dangerous than total lies. People hear something familiar that maybe they heard in church growing up or something that they heard Jesus say and think, "oh, this is what they were talking about!" and are led totally astray.
Anyway, I saw this article and thought it was really interesting! It is by Chuck Norris about Oprah's new faith... check out the entire article at: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ChuckNorris/2008/03/04/oprahs_new_easter?page=2
One of the quotes I found interesting from the article was, "Like most self-help spiritual texts of this type, it is a blend of half-truths and half-fabrications. One easily could save the purchase price of 'A New Earth' -- and subsequently avoid its misleading remarks -- by reading the Bible, which gives a much more thorough and accurate picture of life's purpose and the methods for overcoming its obstacles.... The reason Tolle's psychology and spirituality is marketed so easily is that it is an eclectic mix of conventional and unconventional wisdom, and Western and Eastern beliefs, presented in a tolerant, non-threatening and nonsectarian way. In other words, it's Religion Light, in which one can be spiritual with little down and no credit."
Anyway, if you all have any thoughts on this I would love to know what you think. For now, I think there is going to be no Oprah show on in our house. Not that I am boycotting her or anything, but I don't want my children growing up seeing Oprah as a familiar face that Mom agrees with. Children pick up so much and I try to be very careful about what is on TV in our home. In closing I guess we all just need to remember what is in God's word in Galatians 1:6-10, 6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

From spending several years in Jeremiah Wright's anti-American racist church, listening to sermons like "God Damn America", and giving life time achievement awards to the likes of Louis Farrakhan ... to her newest nut job beliefs ... who could possibly take Oprah seriously? This woman's ego is soooo big, being a billionaire celebrity isn't enough, she has to start her own religion ... not to mention all the additional money she is going to make selling all those book, tapes, CD's, etc. to her poor followers. I think it's time for America to deny Oprah access to our television sets.