OPRAH AND THE GOSPEL OF ME
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:
“…One of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way to live and that we don’t accept that there are diverse ways of being in the world – that there are millions of ways to be a human being…and many ways…many paths to what you call God – and her path might be something else – and when she gets there she might call it the light. But her loving and her kindness and her generosity – brings her…if it brings her to the same point that it brings you, it doesn’t matter whether she called it God along the way or not.”
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
© 2008 Paul Proctor - All Rights Reserve
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:
“…One of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way to live and that we don’t accept that there are diverse ways of being in the world – that there are millions of ways to be a human being…and many ways…many paths to what you call God – and her path might be something else – and when she gets there she might call it the light. But her loving and her kindness and her generosity – brings her…if it brings her to the same point that it brings you, it doesn’t matter whether she called it God along the way or not.”
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
© 2008 Paul Proctor - All Rights Reserve
posted by shummer60 at Wednesday, April 09, 2008
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