A New Earth: The New Age Church Of Oprah Winfrey That Denies Jesus Christ

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catharina said:
Sort of not surprised (although saddened) to hear that Oprah has turned this corner. I quit watching her show when she began promoting Marianne W. That was way too far out for me.
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“If only he had joined a mainstream religion like Oprahism or Voodoo.” -Professor Farnsworth, Futurama

Prophetic words or what?
 
I was always unsettled by her religious/spiritual/self-righteous overtones; by her blind flock following her; by some of the books that she has endorsed. In a recent conversation with my sister, who holds very different beliefs than I do, my concern over Oprah’s “teachings.” I am going to forward her the orriginal post.
 
Nordar said:
Oy Vey:eek:
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And to give context to the Williamson book, it’s based on reflections on A Course in Miracles which you may recall if you’re familiar with these teachings was automatically written by “God”. Also very similar to Coversations with God which is intended to be a literal conversation penned by God through automatic writing.

Very scary. This is not stuff to be messed with or taken lightly. These books teach there is no hell or sin, only fear, and that we all are lights of God, regardless of whether or not we have been regenerated through baptism.
 
All of these people; Marianne W., Gangaji, Eckhart Tolle are selling quick easy fixes for those who are suffering. Not one of these frauds say anything like this in their so called teachings.
Therefore train & discipline yourself
as a horse-trainer trains a thoroughbred.
Dhp180
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If you did a word search on all of the lectures and publications by these three individulas, I doubt that the word discipline shows up once. A worthwhile life takes discipline, effort and reflection.
 
Would I be correct in saying that Tolle maintains that there is no personal God, that when we die, we become part of the “oversoul” (the atman of the Baghavad Gita, I think) and, therefore, lose our individuality?

If this is what he espouses, this does contradict the whole spirit of Christianity. We are made in the image and likeness of our Lord to, ultimately, spend eternity deeply in love with Him and in worship of Him. That implies a relationship, which develops in our lifetimes, is refined by purgation after death, and is fulfilled in His Presence. It sounds as though Tolle is focusing on the experience of the present moment – which is a good thing – but at the exclusion of God from the present moment; i.e., without the personal relationship of Creator and created.

Am I “getting” what he is talking about? Thanks for your help and God bless.

Dan
 
living_water said:
And to give context to the Williamson book, it’s based on reflections on A Course in Miracles which you may recall if you’re familiar with these teachings was automatically written by “God”. Also very similar to Coversations with God which is intended to be a literal conversation penned by God through automatic writing.

Very scary. This is not stuff to be messed with or taken lightly. These books teach there is no hell or sin, only fear, and that we all are lights of God, regardless of whether or not we have been regenerated through baptism.
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Yep I read Conversations with God, pretty scary stuff:(
 
danonwaveland said:
Would I be correct in saying that Tolle maintains that there is no personal God, that when we die, we become part of the “oversoul” (the atman of the Baghavad Gita, I think) and, therefore, lose our individuality?

If this is what he espouses, this does contradict the whole spirit of Christianity. We are made in the image and likeness of our Lord to, ultimately, spend eternity deeply in love with Him and in worship of Him. That implies a relationship, which develops in our lifetimes, is refined by purgation after death, and is fulfilled in His Presence. It sounds as though Tolle is focusing on the experience of the present moment – which is a good thing – but at the exclusion of God from the present moment; i.e., without the personal relationship of Creator and created.

Am I “getting” what he is talking about? Thanks for your help and God bless.

Dan
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Yep and Yep that about covers it.
 
Schultzz said:
Please believe that I would not recommend this series of lectures on the “now” if it were in the slightest way against Jesus or the Catholic Church. I am well educated but very much dedicated to my faith. I belong to an Order of the Church and have been professed for many years. I rigorously defend our Pope and love the saints and the Blessed Mother.

Do not go to Utube. The video has been edited to show a jaundiced view of the series. Go to the “New Earth” Site from a search engine. Log in and listen to what Eckhard Tolle says. There are 7 chapters. I don’t agree with Oprah and her views on religion, yet if I had my own tv show and over a billion dollars I could do what I wanted to. I believe that she is searching for a better understanding of her faith, but I certainly do not follow her path.
Instead I feel that this Tolle fellow is Christian and maybe Catholic. I don’t think it matters. He has not said anything that goes against our faith. Yet he has a message that is worthwhile.
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First of all I am not a church person in any sense. But I was once probably the biggest New Ager ever and even attended seminars. Tolle has a Christian background, he even said that he got the title to his book from the Book of Revelations. But his beliefs are an eclectic mixture of Eastern philosophy/spiritualism, Christianity, and the new age. His is a Lite/Light religion.

I am studying the book myself. I can see where there is the potential for spiritual; danger. Isn’t there a Christian term called discernment? Tolle mixes so many beliefs that it is “user friendly”. There are truths there as well as un-truths. I also believe and agree that Ego must die and that we are on the brink of a HUGE paradigm shift. The danger IMO lies in the solution. Jesus has been reduced to a spiritual teacher, not a savior. The savior can be found in “self” I have heard some compare it to a Luciferian doctrine. We can be Gods, the “I am”. I am not so sure I would take it that far but I do see their point. But then again even Alice Baily talked of the Ascended Masters. I think it is an old message just reworked in a nice new shiny package. Tolle’s eclectic mixture could be seen as candy coated poison. Many New Agers are honest seekers. This could mislead them.

Tolle does address sin, except he has replaced sin with the word dysfunction. We are all in our current state dysfunctional and need to become aware of that. That the word sin in the original Greek means merely to “Miss the Point”. That what we need to do is to be awakened and find our salvation, which is the light within. I believe humanity needs to be awakened as well but our salvation cannot be found inside ourselves.

Tolle believes that the New Earth is the manifestation of the New heaven caused by our inner transformation. Many of his beliefs he uses scripture to back up,. “the Kingdom of heaven is within” That is what has so many Christians upset. They believe he is stealing from God’s message and making it into something else.

He also believes that when we die that we either go to heaven or are reborn to learn/experience this again. I was baptized but not raised in the Church, But I am pretty sure Christians do not believe in re-incarnation.

I think Tolle is a kind and sincere man, but this may lead many down the wrong path. I enjoy studying other beliefs and I think there are beautiful words of wisdom in many. But are they corrupted when truths and untruths are mixed together? I mean if you mix industrial waste with a pure stream water you end up with a polluted mess.
 
Auriel said:
I think Tolle is a kind and sincere man, but this may lead many down the wrong path. I enjoy studying other beliefs and I think there are beautiful words of wisdom in many. But are they corrupted when truths and untruths are mixed together? I mean if you mix industrial waste with a pure stream water you end up with a polluted mess.
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This is a wonderful summation! Thanks 🙂
 
Okay folks. Believe what you will. You are certainly entitled to your opinion and I will consider your viewpoints because I am confident they were made in sincerety. Obviously, you have not gleaned the value of this program as I have. This program has strengthened my faith in the Catholic Church and I feel it will continue to make me a better Christian. If Eckhard Tolle presented his book on EWTN would your response be any different? Ben Stein was recently on EWTN promoting his movie “Expelled” with Raymond Arroyo as host. Eckhard Tolle was raised a Catholic but then turned away from it. He said in Chapter 7 that as a result of finding this new spirituality, he has returned to his faith. (You can check it out if you like) When it comes to refuting Oprah’s viewpoint, just because a person is tacit does not automatically indicte him. He is a guest on her show. How he or Oprah or anyone else interprets his book is irrelevant to me. I am not looking for a new religion, or a compromise to Catholicism. I am not “New Age” and have no interest in that. Permit me if you will to say that I have a document from the late Pope John Paul II thanking me personally for my help for a cause which he supported. It came with his photo which he signed and dated. (I suppose you will read something into that). I am a devout Catholic and receive the sacraments on a regular basis. I belong to a canonically approved order of the church. I am still a sinner like we all are, yet I am working to be better. I feel the Tolle program has helped me do this thus far. If it turns out to be something other than what I thought it to be, I will be the first one to come back here and start a thread containing my “mea culpa” with my apology to all of you. I am sure you meant well, but you have not offered one single convincing proof to back up your claims. Everything you offer is based on heresay. Thanks for the concern for the welfare of my soul, but I believe it is unwarranted. I am quite sure that Tolle did not “invent” these ideas. Like anyone else who wrote a book, he is a compiler of information learned through life experiences. He never gave claim that he created this process. He merely discovered it for himself. Yet he took the energy and time to put together a plan to help people. The positive responses from all over the world indicate that he has been successful in that attempt. I really think you have missed a gem here because of your bias and generalization. Your attempts at steering me away from this treatise are misguided because had you listened to the series on the internet you would have never offered the ridiculous claims which you have made. You have taken a simple program which teaches and leads us to the path to self-honesty, helps us to deal with “past pain issues”, rebukes messages from the “dark side”, and helps us to grow closer to offering our very best to God in this life and the next. Jesus says to judge something by its fruits. I have found no rotten fruit in this program. I suspect that evil is at work here to steer you away from something which could help you to become more holy. But you will not see it in that light. So be it. God bless all who read this.
 
Schultzz,

Thank you for your wonderful reply. I am happy that you are able to incorporate the best of Ekhart Tolle into your life. I hope that you will be able to move further in your spiritual journey by going to the sources that Eckhart Tolle used in his compellation.

Although he is most likely a superior compiler of others thoughts, he is not a break through thinker. You have found value in Tolle and that is great. But, don’t stop at this basic level. Keep moving.

Metta
notself
 
Schultzz,

No one is trying to steer you away from anything, we are just disagreeing with you in regards to Tolle. that is certainly our right to do so, why are you so defensive? No one is attacking YOU!, we who do not agree with Tolle are biased, but your not?
What evil? There are many wonderfull writings by Saints, books written by Catholic Authors, Pope Benedicts Encyclicals, I for one do not need to read or listen to Tolle who has nothing to do with Catholicism or anything I believe. You can defend him all you want that is fine, I for one am not interestered in anything he has to say. By the way I have heard him and read some things he has written my view of him is THEE exact opposite of yours. Evil nope, The Holy Spirit guides me in other areas and that is AOK with me.
 
CreosMary said:
The world has turned “celebrities” in demi-gods, and many of them believe that they are so in pride the devil will use them, we are stupid if we listen to them.
What credentials do a movie actor/ess or pop singer have to pronounce “educated” comment on anything except acting or singing?
Oprah is famous because we have made her this way, switch off the TV the next time she is on…
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I agree with you on this. I never really understood this idolization of celebrities anyway.
They’re just normal people like you and me who have this job, save that they get lauded publicly (and get those groupies) because of their work. Yet the media distorts their image by presenting them as these group of elites on a pedestal, which is sad really. 😦
 
Schultzz said:
I will consider your viewpoints because I am confident they were made in sincerety.

…

I suspect that evil is at work here to steer you away from something which could help you to become more holy. But you will not see it in that light. So be it. God bless all who read this.
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You view drifted as you composed your post.

First you say that will consider the points of posters who are not willing to become students of Eckhard Tolle because you think they were made in sincerity.

Then you conclude that you hold the suspicion that a force of evil is at work here steering those who rehect Toile “away from something which could help” them “become more holy.”

This leap from reason to spiritual condemnation of those who would (and will) reject the notion of Tolle as a worthy ‘spiritual leader’ is a leap that speaks to the very essence of his words influencing you to go way beyond simple reason into an area that sounds terribly dangerous. I’ll remind you that devout Catholics (as you describe yourself to be) do not make random claims of suspecting the ‘devil is at work’ simply because other Catholics refuse to subscribe to the notions presented by any “teacher” who is well outside the Church proper, who in fact has left the Church as Toile has done.

So sorry that Toile got a hold on you.
 
Catharina

Thank you for your post. You need not worry about my spiritual welfare. I have the gift of Spiritual Discernment, which is a gift from the Holy Spirit. I could offer you stories from my experiences which could very well frighten you if you knew how much evil was at work in this world. I know you see evidence of it in the news, but that is not the half of it. So, my claim to see the work of the dark side is not new to me but in fact built on continual prayer and recitation of the Holy Rosary which is “the weapon” against these evil forces. I would like to ask you a question. What do you think spirituality is? Most people do not have a clue. I have been working at improving my spirituality for over 18 years on a daily basis. You think Tolle has a hold of me. You couldn’t be futher from the truth. If you followed the “Power of Now” you would have a better idea of what I speak, but you sit back and make hasty judgements about something which you know very little of. So let me say that is fine. Perehaps you are not ready for this type of program. Could be you will never be. It doesn’t really matter. You spell Tolle “Toile” as if his name was “toilet”. If it was a mistake you made it twice. That may be your opinion, and once again I say, fine. I plan to move on with my spiritual growth. We are not all on the same path but hopefully we will all meet at the same place. From the posts I have read from you on this site, I can see nothing that you have which I would want. That is not a slam but is my opinion. That is just where you are right now. Your sentiments are yours and although I respect your right to post them, I do not see much value in them. God bless all who read this.
 
danonwaveland said:
Would I be correct in saying that Tolle maintains that there is no personal God, that when we die, we become part of the “oversoul” (the atman of the Baghavad Gita, I think) and, therefore, lose our individuality?

If this is what he espouses, this does contradict the whole spirit of Christianity. That implies a relationship, which develops in our lifetimes, is refined by purgation after death, and is fulfilled in His Presence. It sounds as though Tolle is focusing on the experience of the present moment – which is a good thing – but at the exclusion of God from the present moment; i.e., without the personal relationship of Creator and created.

Am I “getting” what he is talking about? Thanks for your help and God bless.

Dan
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Hi Dan,
Thanks for your post. Unless I have interpreted incorrectly, Tolle is a devout Christian. It is obvious to me that he loves the teachings and scripture of Jesus. He often quotes scripture.

“We are made in the image and likeness of our Lord to, ultimately, spend eternity deeply in love with Him and in worship of Him.”

Definitely yes.
And I believe that these are the feelings of Tolle also. It is impossible in my opinion to leave God out of the “present moment”, for that is where He is to be found. He certainly is NOT in your regrets of yesterday, and NOT in your worries of tomorrow. Why not listen to the series on the internet and see what it can do for you instead of guessing and listening to the diatribe of those on this thread who “wag their heads”? (“Poor Schultzz, he is lost for sure now.”) Not so.
 
Schultzz,

As I said in response to your previous post, Post # 88,

**"Your view drifted as you composed your post.

First you say that will consider the points of posters who are not willing to become students of Eckhard Tolle because you think they were made in sincerity.

Then you conclude that you hold the suspicion that a force of evil is at work here steering those who reject Toile “away from something which could help” them “become more holy.” "**

Now I’m repeating it since you didn’t respond to a word of my post. So be it and NOT my problem. Perhaps you can move on from your hang-up with proper spelling and learn to respond to substance. Perhaps not.

Either way, our refuge is in the Lord Who made heaven and earth.
 
“We are to live Our lives according to Our Faith, preparing ourselves for eternal happiness living with God in Heaven. “We are in this world, not of this world” Tolle’s teachings are about living in the now, not looking towards Our eternal happiness. That is contradictory to Catholic teaching, there is so much Literature, books, Catholic theologians out there to strenghthen our faith I truly fail to see why one would need to read Tolle to attain that…”

Thank you for your opinion. Unfortunately you have taken one word out of context and applied your own bias to it without doing the research to back it up. That is NOT what credibility is based upon.
 
"Now I’m repeating it since you didn’t respond to a word of my post. So be it and NOT my problem. Perhaps you can move on from your hang-up with proper spelling and learn to respond to substance. Perhaps not. "

I certainly DID address your post. If you cannot understand it, that’s your problem. You have shown very little substance in your posts. I am not perfect with my spelling either. I make mistakes. But I try not to. Time to move on.
 
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