Reasons Why Oprah’s God Is Not My God
Posted: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
If one is to take Christianity seriously, they must feel obligated to defend God's truth whenever it is challenged, by anyone. Even if they may be poorly qualified to do that and even if they may lose friends. They may enrage some and may give the impression that they think they are always right. I'm quite sure that I am not always right. But one thing I do is check the Bible if someone tells me I am wrong. My faith is dependent upon the fact that the Holy Bible is inerrant, infallible, and it's truths are absolute. And there is no question whatsoever that it commands (demands) that God's children teach others whenever they are wrong and defend His truths. If you do not believe such, this article will probably be meaningless to you. But I ask you a questionif you do not accept the teachings of the Bible as infallible truths, then why are you religious at all? There is no other religion other than that taught in the Holy Bible that has anything to offer you. Peace of mind? I could have that without Confucious, without Buddha, or any other religious leader.
We cannot, in one article, present a convincing argument concerning the proofs for Biblical accuracy and then discuss all the other differences. It will have to suffice for us to say the Bible is infallible, God, including the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, are infallible, and if you do not believe it, that is an entirely different subject and we'll be glad to consider it at another time. But our article is to try and show some of the deadly errors now being taught by Oprah Winfrey in her new found religion. It is particularly critical because of her fame and the great audience she has. I am told that she has an audience (daily) for her TV show of about 10 million, mostly women, and about 2 million readers of her magazine. That is more ears than any gospel preacher has ever had for an audience as far as I know. I fear that many of them will be duped by her teachings but I also feel that many will drop her and her popularity will wane. But let's investigate as best we can, those things she is teaching. I have read and studied a number of her advocates writings as well as those who are opposed and yet, I suspect there are many things involved which I know nothing of. So if I should misrepresent anything she is teaching, it will certainly be unintentional.
It is reported that an associate professor of Medical Physchology at Columbia University in 1965, Helen Schucman, a Jewish atheist, claimed to have started receiving messages from Jesus Christ. This went on for 10 years and she was instructed in the beginning to take notes. They compiled a three volume set containing 500,000 words. She collaborated with a colleague, Dr. William Thetford who helped her get the materials published. This consisted of a 622 page textbook, a 478 page workbook and an 88 page Teacher's Manual. The course contained 365 lessons, one for each day of the year and it was called A Course In Miracles. It was first published in September 1975. Schucman, the author, died in 1981 and Thetford died in 1988.
In the beginning of the work, it is straightforward in saying that it is written to challenge the word of God as written by the inspired apostles of Jesus Christ.
The primary reason for the Course is the "Correcting of the errors of Christianity.... To foster spiritual development through the study and practice of A Course In Miracles, a set of three books channeled by Jesus. ...to teach the Course's reinterpretation of traditional Christian principles such as sin, suffering, forgiveness, Atonement, and the meaning of the Crucifixion..." (Foundation for A Course In Miracles, "Forgiveness," p.3- 4).
There is no more reason to accept these writings as being from Jesus, than there is to accept what I am writing today, or what Joseph Smith professed to read while putting his face into a hat which gave him power to read the plates of Nephi. The difference in accepting what some human says as opposed to accepting what the Holy Scriptures say is because God's word was established and confirmed through miraculous means. Twelve of the 14 apostles of Jesus died a martyr's death for their persistence in preaching the doctrine of Jesus. They were empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach the complete doctrine of Jesus in perefect truth and were able to confirm it with miracles. They were able to speak in languages which they had not been taught whenever and wherever they encountered those of another dialect.
I read one article entitled Oprah: The New Pope of The New Age, by Dr. Jeff VanGoethem which perhaps sums up her current teachings as well as I can determine. Here is 2 paragraph quotes from it to give us something to work on.
I don't know everything about eastern religion, but I do teach a university class on the subject, so I know some things. I know for example that the eastern religions teach that the Self is God and God is the Self. The way to find ultimate spirituality is to look within and find the true spirit within. Salvation is found through personal tranquility and a well-tended inner soul, so it is crucial to cultivate meditation and inner searching. The sin or evil within us is usually treated as an illusion that just needs to be avoided. If we just ignore the negative, then it won't exist anymore! There is no personal God to whom we are accountable. There is no day of reckoning. There is no judgment. Sin is what damages self and others, but there is no fear that our sins will be held against us. There is no need for Christ, certainly, except as a good teacher who offered some uplifting ideas on spirituality when He was on the earth. That is the eastern mindset.
Although Oprah occasionally calls herself a Christian, and was, I think, raised in the church, her current religion is decidedly eastern. She has real life testimonies on her show of how people use a strong inner SELF to defeat their problems. She has invited guests who have given guidance on everything from meditation to magic stones. She has a segment on the show called "Remembering your spirit -- honoring who you really are" offering practical advice on how to progress on the spiritual (new age) pathway. On this segment you will not hear "Trust in the Lord, lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct your paths" (Proverbs. 3:5-6). But you might hear, "always follow the ways of your heart, don't listen to what your head tells you." Ah, the divine SELF.
The details of this religion, or any other similar religions are unimportant. When you determine that you are God and there is no higher, that Jesus was just a man, a good man and an excellent teacher, you have totally eradicated the teachings of the Bible, so you may as well consider it a book of lies and nonsense. And if those doctrines be true, that is exactly what it is.
Did our inner selves create this universe? The Big Bang certainly did not and proof can easily be shown for that. Did our inner selves create life? Did our inner selves create DNA? Our finest scientific minds can't do it or explain it so I am sure my inner self cannot. I began this article with a statement assuming the inerrancy of the Holy Scripture. So let us see some of those which condems this entirely humanistic idea.
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John 1:7-11 KJV)
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV)
"He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:9-10 KJV)
Oprah was raised in the Baptist church and she certainly did not learn her present doctrine from them. And even though she completely ignores the teachings of the Bible, she stresses her way of obtaining forgiveness. Why? Forgiveness of whom and what does she expect to gain from it? If she puts God and His son Jesus aside, what reward has she for this? Read this quote from ("The Church of Oprah Winfrey--A New American Religion"www.AlbertMohler.com)
Oprah offers forgiveness without atonement. Confession of inadequacy is presented as a sufficient remedy for sin and wrongdoing. God is effectively out of the picture as lawgiver or judge, and there is no room for the cross of Christ as atonement for sin .
She also said (and I heard this on a video) that what started her thinking was at a service of her church when praises were being sung and the mood was great and the preacher was preaching strongly and loudly and everything was happiness until he said "and our God is a Jealous God". And she began to think that this was not the God she wanted to hear, her God was loving and compassionate, etc.
Does it make any sense to you that Jesus would spend 2 years with His apostles teaching them and advising them, then send the Holy Spirit upon them after his ascension to bring to their remembrance all that He had taught them (John 14:26), and would guide them into all truth. (John 16:13)? Have them live for him, begin and build His church for Him and then renounce their teachings by "inaudibly" speaking to an atheist Jew and telling her to write for ten years? Re-read the scriptures above from 2 John 1:7-11 and Galatians 1:8-9.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect . (Matthew 24:24)
Before you accept the "gospel according to Oprah", please study your Bible to see if what she says is so. And if nothing more, at least go to this video site and listen. Click Here The eternal destiny of your soul could depend upon it. The destiny of your soul does depend upon your obedience of the Holy Scriptures. One cannot obey God, if they don't know what He says!
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Your article is contrary to SearchWarp's Submission Guideline 1. H. VI. The Qu'ran and the Bhagavad Gita both precede the New Testament by several thousand years. "When I read the Bhagavad Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous." Albert Einstein. "They’ve never actually tried to explore how religion should connect us, they’re into how religion divides us. ... They haven’t really explored ... how my faith connects me to you." Keith EllisonKeith, I appreciate your reading and comments but you are wrong in most counts. First, the article is not in violation of Searchwarps rules. Oprah has every right to believe what she wants. But so do I and when Christianity is attacked as she is doing, I have the right and the obligation to refute it. I realize that the Bhagavad Gita was written long before the New Testament but means nothing. It deifies Krishna with no evidence of his deity and is only a song. It certainly was not written before the Old Testament. And you are "several thousand years" off concerning the Qu'ran, which was recited by Muhammad during his life time, he died in 633.A.D. The earliest documents of his, that are known were written 150 years later.
Its Vince not Keith. Keith Ellison is a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 5th district. God created man in his image and this is explored in some detail in the Bhagavad Gita.Sorry Vince, I thought the quotation was more from Einstein and that you signed off as Keith Ellison. It so happens that I knew Keith Ellison is a member of congress, although that is not to say I know each and every one. And you don't have to tell me what the Bhagavad Gita says. I own a copy and have read it quite a lot over the past 50 years. Any information contained in any book concerning the creation, if accurate, was taken from the Old Testament account. Any that is different from that in the old Testament is gibberish. Simple enough.
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