OPRAH
AND THE GOSPEL OF ME
By
Paul Proctor
April
9, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
There
are a couple of You Tube video clips making their rounds on the Internet
that have aroused a lot of attention lately. I know this because they
keep showing up in my email inbox from readers of this column.
I’ve
seen two versions – both of which reveal celebrity talk show host,
Oprah Winfrey, denying the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the only way
to God – going so far as to tell members of her studio audience:
“There
couldn’t possibly be just one way.”
The
clip I’d like to focus on, Oprah
Denies Christ – obviously taken from an earlier episode
of Oprah, shows her challenging a couple of audience members’
faith in Christ – recalling author Daniel
Quinn and apparently a character from one of his books – more
specifically, a gorilla, as saying:
In
light of the now sacred theory of evolution and all of the people throughout
history she could quote to make her case, I find it curious that she
chose to cite a simian, as if to suggest primates have a better understanding
of humanity than do homo sapiens.
I
did, however, find it encouraging that two members of Oprah’s
audience spoke up and took exception to her heretical views. It requires
no small degree of faith and courage to stand up to someone so powerful
and popular, while they are surrounded by adoring fans, and tell them
they’re wrong.
What
surprised me initially was that Harpo Productions had not edited them
out of the prerecorded telecast. But then, the two ladies really only
expressed an opinion, didn’t they? – A common mistake among
Christians today that is not always viewed as objectionable by the secular
media – especially where the consensus process is at work and
the herd mentality rules.
However,
had one of those women actually quoted Jesus Christ as having said,
“I am they way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me,” they could have then asked Oprah,
who claims to believe in Jesus, if He was lying. Unfortunately, it appeared
to have been left as a mere exchange of opinions where absolute truth
dissipated into the murky realm of feminized chitchat. In that type
of superficial atmosphere, whomever receives the most applause, wins.
That’s
consensus.
This
is what happens when we endeavor to share feelings, speculation and
personal experiences instead of God’s Word. In doing so, we unwittingly
reduce it to just another human opinion – which plays right into
the trained facilitator’s trap.
This
is how biblically illiterate Christians today are gradually and carefully
being led astray from true faith in Christ – even in their own
churches – through their feelings and opinions – their egos
and experiences – by pragmatism and consensus – always seeking
Results & Relationships – a self-damning
religion that has no absolute truth – no accountability and no
authority figure to answer to for our actions.
What
is the New Age all about?
It
is the Gospel of Me – the divinity of self.
It
is about setting aside the Word of God for everyone’s “felt
needs” – the very thing the church growth movement and its
leaders have been teaching Christians to entice the lost to church with
for years.
Claiming
they were schooling us on how to evangelize more effectively –
they were, in reality, teaching us to set aside the Whole Counsel of
God, in all its offence, and instead lure “seekers” to the
great consensus we call church for processing – to share our feelings,
emotions, appetites, experiences and imaginations with one another rather
than God’s Word – all with a “love” that is
ignorant of and apathetic toward sin and obedience – requiring
nothing of participants but participation.
It’s
like leading an alcoholic down the aisle on Sunday morning with a bottle
of Jack Daniels and calling it repentance and faith.
If
you break it all down, the New Age is, at its core, just spiritual narcissism
– cloaked in charity, compassion and unity.
Remember
this next time you see celebrities, authors, books, movies and commercials
promoting The New Earth – The Secret –
The Shift and The Moses Code.
Do
you see a pattern here?
It’s
about the acquisition of special powers, hidden secrets, divine knowledge,
a deeper understanding and saving the world from intolerance with good
deeds, good friends and good intentions. How is this different from
Harry Potter?
Training,
you see, begins as a child.
So,
where does it all lead?
It
leads to the same place Lucifer was headed when he said, in all his
pride: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God” – that wicked one who seduced
Eve into taking of the forbidden fruit by telling her: “your
eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods.”
After
all – the New Age is about discovering the divine within oneself,
is it not?
In
a nutshell, the New Age and its New Spirituality promises to help you
find God in everyone and everything, including yourself, with or without
Jesus Christ.
But
unfortunately for the millions of misguided viewers and listeners tuning
into Oprah for spiritual guidance, that’s not what the Bible teaches:
“Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” –
Acts 4:12
