The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The New Age Church: A Course in Miracles

Eckhart Tolle

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Eckhart Tolle — One of Oprah’s favorite guests is Eckhart Tolle, a German-born Canadian resident who is a recognized leader in the New Age Movement.

His book, The Power of Now, became an instant bestseller when Oprah enthusiastically endorsed it. In it, he denies the existence of a personal God, denies personal responsibility for sin, denies the existence of an eternal soul, and denies the need for the redeeming death and resurrection of Jesus.20

He has basically given Hinduism a Western packaging through his view of God as an impersonal life force living in all things. He argues that there can, therefore, be no separation from God because our real self is a part of God. Salvation consists of becoming aware of our real self that has been masked by our ego. He caps off his theology in the traditional Eastern way by arguing that the ultimate destiny of each human is to return our life energy back into the impersonal life force.21

How anyone could endorse such a book and still call themself a Christian is beyond my comprehension. Yet that is what Oprah is doing.

She became so enthralled with Tolle that in 2008 she announced that the two of them were going to launch a ten week Internet study of his newest book, A New Earth. According to Oprah, half a million people from all over the world signed up to participate in the first segment of the online course. They listened to her and Tolle talk for an hour and a half about the first chapter of his book.22

Marianne Williamson — Oprah’s favorite New Age teacher is Marianne Williamson. Her first book was titled A Return to Love.23 It was an endorsement and explanation of a book called A Course in Miracles that has become the Bible of the New Age Movement.24

Williamson and Schucman

A Course in Miracles was written by a Columbia University professor of medical psychology named Helen Schucman (1909-1981). She claimed it was dictated to her over a seven year period by an “inner voice” that identified itself as Jesus. This was, of course, a false Jesus because the true Jesus does not channel revelation. Also, this so-called Jesus proceeded to deny all the fundamentals of the Gospel. Here are some quotes from the book:25

“There is no separation of God and His creation.” (Text, page 147)

“God is All in all in a very literal sense. All being is in Him Who is all Being. You are therefore in Him since your being is His.” (Text, page 119)

“The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.” (Text, page 147)

“Is he [Jesus] the Christ. O yes, along with you.” (Manual, page 87)

“A slain Christ has no meaning.” (Text, page 425)

“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross.'” (Text, page 52)

“There is no sin; it has no consequence.” (Workbook, page 183)

“The Atonement is the final lesson he [Man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation.” (Text, page 237)

A Course in Miracles was published in 1975. During the 1980s it gradually gained a grassroots following within the New Age Movement and became a cult classic. It did not become known to the general public until 1992 when Marianne Williamson published her book, A Return to Love. The subtitle of the book was: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles.” Basically, her book told how A Course in Miracles transformed her life.

Even with the publication of Williamson’s book, A Course in Miracles would have remained under the radar if it hadn’t been for Oprah Winfrey. Oprah praised the book on her program and handed out 1,000 copies of it to her audience. The book immediately shot to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and stayed there for months. In the book Williamson makes the following bizarre observations:26

“We are holy beings, individual cells in the body of Christ.” (page 32)

“Jesus and other enlightened masters are our evolutionary elder brothers.” (page 42)

“‘There is only one begotton Son’ doesn’t mean that someone else was it, and we’re not. It means we’re all it. There’s only one of us here.” (pages 30-31)

“You and I have the Christ-mind in us as much as Jesus does.” (page 42)

Oprah’s promotion of this “theological crack” did not stop with the book endorsement. In 2007 she announced that beginning in January 2008, she was going to start broadcasting Williamson’s 365 lessons on A Course in Miracles over her XM Satellite Radio program called “Oprah and Friends.”27

Conclusion

I think the facts are clear. They speak for themselves. I will therefore end as I began by asserting that Oprah is not only the best known and most popular woman in the world — she is also the most dangerous, for she is endangering the souls of millions by deceiving them with Satanic New Age theology.

You need to warn your friends about the theological poison that she is peddling. And you need to put her on your prayer list, praying that her eyes will be opened to the truth that Jesus, and Jesus alone is the only hope for the world.

“…the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…” — 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Notes

20) Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, (Novato, CA: New World Library, 1999).

21) John Jalsevac, “The World’s ‘Most Dangerous’ Spiritual Guru: Oprah Begins 10-Week Online New Age Class,” www.lifesitenews.com.

22) Bob DeWaay, “Oprah Winfrey Promotes Pantheist Eckhart Tolle,” http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue114.htm.

23) Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love, (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1992).

24) Dr. Helen Schucman, A Course in Miracles: Combined Edition (Temecula, CA: The Foundation for Inner Peace, 2007).

25) For an extensive list of quotes from A Course in Miracles, see the book by Warren B. Smith, False Christ Coming: Does Anybody Care? (Magalia, CA: Mountain Stream Press, 2002), pages 21-22.

26) Warren B. Smith, False Christ Coming, pages 23-24.

27) Marsha West, “Oprah Shifts to the Dark Side,” www.newswithviews.com/West/marsha67.htm, page 2.

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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

5 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I agree with your assessment, but I would also like to say that the church of environmentalism is not a too distant second.

  • I have to add a touch of seriousness with humor…I recently did a study on the book of revelation with my ladies bible study. As we talked about the various satanic roles in the end time, we joked under our breath that Oprah was the antichrist. We all laughed and told jokes about Her "the secret" followers, and wondered what her mark of the beast would be! But your article opened my eyes to the seriousness of our little joke. While she may not be THE Revelation antichrist, she is indeed very influential, so therefore very dangerous to non-believers. Thanks for writing this eyeopening piece!

  • As I read your articles and seen the truth in them , I felt anger.
    I'm angry because of how these people (Oprah & her mentors,fellow new-agers) are being so widely recieved and embraced even in the face of such blatant denial of the true gospel of Jesus! In fact, I wasn't aware myself that her involvement in this devilish deception called 'new age' went back so far..I used to watch her show back years ago.
    I wouldn't be so upset if it weren't for the fact that she has reached such a high level of celebrity that her influence seems to be beyond rational explanation now; she even endorsed Obama, although in light of everything, that doesn't surprise me at all.

    Peace In Jesus
    Lisa

  • It is amazing how much energy goes into anger and judgement of others in the name of Christianity. I grew up in a church that always described Christ a loving teacher and very non judgemental. The CIM is a book that teaches letting go of fear and embracing love for others. That we are all brothers not dependent on race, sex, religion, or beliefs. That truly does not sound like a book written by the devil.

  • I agree with Colorado!! How can one claim "Peace in Christ" and be conflicted!? Peace leaves no room for conflict or it is no longer peace!!
    Yet Christian "theology" does not accept peace as a possible reality in the world, nor does it really teach personal responsibility for ones thoughts. Instead, it lays everything on Christ at the cross saying that sin is forgiven BECAUSE Christ was "murdered" (because of his radical UNtheological teachings) for our salvation. So we need only believe that Jesus took the "hit" for all sin to be saved! Which is also to believe that salvation comes as an act of martyrdom and sacrifice!
    "But we are saved BY GRACE"! Which is the same as saying by love are we saved!

    If you really think through what most so called "Christians" believe, then a "Loving God" said: Hey Son: go to planet earth and tell them about peace and love, then show them how they can have eternal life by suffering, sacrificing and being willing to die a horrible death in my name!
    What trash! Jesus teaches resurrection and eternal life! Not martyrdom, pain and suffering!
    I'm simply asking you to consider what part of you is saved from suffering or conflict when you say "that simple prayer"? Where has the Peace of Christ entered you?? (or me for that matter!)
    Look….I don't care what dogma, religion or theology you choose to follow! That's your choice and your business. But If any of us choose to follow The Prince of Peace…then we HAVE to stop arguing about our own silly notions and let peace be King!!
    The ONLY way I know to do that is by paying attention to the conflict present inside ourselves and "choose again" as A Course in Miracles would say.
    It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that this world has no concept of True Peace. But it knows and teaches conflict much too well! Hence "Be in the world but not of it".
    The Bible states that the Kingdom of Heaven Is within you and to seek it there with all your heart. Yet most believe you go to heaven only when you die! Even though Jesus PROVED that there is no death by showing us his resurrection!
    I'll end by saying what I hear "Christians" say all too often: "GET INTO GOD'S WORD!"
    But God's only "word" is L O V E!!
    "Nothing real can be threatened." (Love cannot be threatened but it CAN seem to be absent!!) "Nothing unreal exists." (Only love is real, all else is but an illusion projected by a sick mind) "Herein Lies The Peace Of God!"
    May you find peace by replacing love where conflict appears! Amen!
    For more discussion please visit http://spiritualdiscussions.com/

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