I may be one of the few women in this country who is a unOprahite. I don’t watch her show, I don’t buy a book because she has told me to, I don’t vote a certain way because she promotes someone or something, and I don’t purchase her magazine.While she is one of the more important cogs in our popular culture Oprah is heading down the wrong path of discovering the meaning of life. While many choose to follow along behind her, I’d rather go another way.
While I choose to not hang on every word Oprah says, and I choose not to run out and purchase every product she promotes, I am not calling for Oprah to be taken off the air or run out of town on a rail because I find some of her views off the mark and contrary to Scripture.
At this point a large question mark may be forming in your mind.
Well, that Social Studies teacher in me…..that lover of the Constitution in me prevents that. Ms. Winfrey has a right to promote anything and say anything she wishes. I have the right to change the channel when she comes on, and I do.
Recently a fellow Georgia blogger that I have met through my site Georgia on My Mind, where I have an extensive list of Georgia bloggers, emailed to me some information regarding Carrington Steele.
Carrington Steele is a former magazine editor turned author. She has written Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid: Oprah, Obama and The Occult (see the press release from Earned Media). The Occult is discussed through Oprah’s love affair with Eckart Tolle’s book A New Earth. Millions have logged onto Oprah’s weekly class regarding Tolle’s book.
Tolle’s official website tells me he believes that the New Testament contains deep spiritual truth as well as distortions. Those distortions are due to a misunderstanding of Jesus’ teaching or because people had an agenda (wanting to fit Jesus into their preconceived notions, wanting to make converts, etc.)
Soon after I heard that Oprah would be presenting her webinar regarding Tolle’s book I picked it up during a weekly trip to my local bookstore and read the first chapter. It didn’t take me long to see that it was not a book for me. I put it back on the shelf for someone else to thumb through.
Hmmmmmm….Mr. Tolle criticizes the Bible due to what he calls distortions at the hands of those with an agenda. I’d have to say Mr. Tolle has an agenda as well, but that's just my opinion.
Sadly it didn’t take long for Carrington Steele (not her real name I gather) to admit that much of her work in her Kool-Aid book was taken from other sources, and those sources were not given appropriate credit. It would seem that a magazine editor would understand this very simple practice of credit where credit is due. You can review some of the information concerning this here (scroll down a bit), here, and here. You can listen to an interview between Carrington Steele and Brannon Howse at Christian Worldview Network here.
As a Christian and as someone who believes in the inspiration of Scripture I would hope that I remain watchful regarding the bombardment of information that is available to consumers today. While Oprah’s view of salvation is non-Scriptural (see video below) it seems we have to be wary of those who want to get the word out regarding non-Scriptural views as well.
The best resource you have is your own inner walk with God and your own search for information....not following popular culture blindly.
