I always believed she was just another purveyor of the tripe that passes for daytime TV... when she first started, she would have the same sort of guests as all the other hosts: the transvestite freak show mud wrestler who explained how he/she turned out the way he/she did because his/her momma spanked him/her...
But I have to admit... her show has changed a great deal since the early days... and she seems to have graduated to telling more 'real' and compelling stories as her popularity has grown. And I gotta admit, this very very wealthy woman is incredibly philanthropic.... she gives away more stuff and money in a week than most people can imagine earning in a lifetime! She has improved the lives of literally hundreds (if not thousands) of families across the world...
However... there is still a sort of frightening side to this wealthiest of wealthy women... she is incredibly powerful! And any whim or idea she cares to pose will be 'swallowed whole' by the vast majority of her vast audience....
At present, she is on a quest to spread her own 'oprahligion'.... she is hosting weekly webcasts touting the principles espoused by her latest 'book club' selection... Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" is the follow up to his "the power of now", and "challenges us to dare to live in the present moment and thereby to transform our consciousness and live in the 'joy of Being.'" (Incidentally, this book has sold 3.5 million copies since Oprah announced it as one of her 'book club selections... 7 weeks ago!!!)
I am not finished with the book, so I will reserve my summary and review (as if anyone cares) until I am finished...
At first blush, however, it seems to involve a lot of 'new age' thinking... Tolle quotes the Bible (and other 'religious' texts) to make the point that people should let go of their ego and 'live at peace and harmony' with one another... all good things, to be sure...
It would seem, however, that the book is conveying that there are many 'paths' to this 'salvation'... I don't read any mention of Jesus as Savior or Lord or that He died for us to make this 'peace' possible... Jesus is treated as just another good prophet or preacher... and that's troublesome.
A couple scriptures come to mind:
"Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved"
- Luke, speaking about Jesus
and
I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me"
-Jesus, speaking about himself
All I'm saying is this: all the ideas in this book (and Oprah's resultant prattling on about them) seem to be very very good... and many of them come directly from the Bible (even crediting the Bible as the source)...
That (coupled with Oprah's incredible sway with the American public) makes this, on balance, a very positive effort, I think...
It's just that millions of people who will participate in this movement REALLY REALLY need to know that all this BEGINS with a relationship with the One who originally taught this, then died on the cross for them...
More later as I progress through the book...
God Bless!
2 comments:
Tim, I'm also reading this book. It was more curiosity than anything because I watch Oprah a lot and she is always showing clips of people telling how the book changed their lives. So I'm thinking........ I could use a life changeing moment or two... but I gotta tell you I don't understand this new age stuff anymore now than I did back in the 70's. I read a lot but this is the first book I've read that I had to stop and wonder what I had just read. I get the ego thing, that it gets in the way of more important things, but some of the other stuff he writes is too deep for my pea brain........I'm still reading though so my Ah Ha moment may be just around the corner....I'll be waiting to see what you think after you finish the book.
I'm glad I at least know one other person reading it besides me! Thanks, Wanda
http://rapturealert.com/2008/040108churchoprah.asp
Just got this link oddly enough
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