Mega-church of Oprah?

[Sheenar]

http://www.carringtonsteele.citymax.com/page/page/5663569.htm

This lady wrote a book called "Don't Drink the Kool-Aid" and I'm not quite sure what to think.

This book is meant to enlighten and educate the masses regarding the attempt by one entity of our society to blatantly introduce concepts that are harmful to the very fabric of the American family.

The influence of the most powerful woman in the world, Oprah Winfrey, coupled with her "spiritual" evolution and the persistent determination of her mission, makes reading this book a necessity.

It pulls together the pieces of a puzzle that when placed in order tell it's own story and should propel concerned citizens to mobilize into action

I agree that the things Oprah promotes on her show are often un-Biblical, but I just don't know what to think at this point about the things she's saying (C.Steele is the author) in the book.
Can't really describe this. Go to the site, watch the video, read the excerpts from the book. Let me know what you guys think.

Let's have some discussion --civil discussion. I think the author brings up some good topics for conversation and deliberation.

[Radical Dreamer]

I actually posted some thoughts on her beliefs in my LJ a few days ago. I'll paste them here:

Anyways, as for my own thoughts, I have quite a few. XD First of all, I can't stand the post-modern relativist beliefs, so everything she said about "that works 'for you'" automatically grinds on my nerves. However, I do think it's extraordinarily contradictory (as all relativist beliefs are) that she says "as long as you get to the same outcome, it doesn't matter what you call 'god,'" and later says she agrees with the statement that, unless "your god" is a feeling and is no longer a "belief," then it's not truly "god." I thought it didn't matter if it was right "for me"? 8P

Not to mention, God is very much NOT a feeling. Feelings come and go; God is constant. I think that's why there's a problem with many Christians when they start to feel distant from God (not that it's never possible to be distant from God, I'm just using this as an example)--some people can get so hooked up on the "feelings" that they get, that when those feelings subside, they think their faith is gone, when, in reality, it's not about your feelings, but about your belief. The verse is "whosoever believes in Him shall not perish," not "whosoever feels really close and fuzzy with Him shall not perish." So yeah, problem number one. XD

Other issues I had with her belief system was that "there is no such thing as sin," "I am part of God's mind, and am therefore holy," "we must stop the 'pathetic' idea of clinging to the old rugged cross," etc. The things listed about the crucifix being an archetypal image symbolizing "every man and woman" is WAY off base, not to mention "overcoming the cross." All of the stuff said about that completely goes against what any Christian believes about being humbled before God as sinners and saved by His grace.

I also laugh (sort of XD) at her ideas about God as a jealous God. For her to think that God is actually jealous of her? Pardon the internet jargon in a serious paragraph, but LOLWUT. She's totally missed the point that God is not jealous OF us, but FOR us, as a husband would be jealous if his wife were seeing another man. God wants us to keep Himself first in our lives, and she totally misses the point there. She's completely missing Jesus' sacrifice, and is only paying attention to one thing she heard wrong on a Sunday morning (which she obviously never bothered to ask about or research).

Without watching the video again, I think that's everything, though I've probably forgotten some things. I've never been a fan of Oprah, and I always knew that she had very relativist beliefs, but to actually hear her say them sort of sent me off on a tangent. XD


I may have more to say as this thread continues, but please, everyone, keep it civil, and don't let it get political.

[minakichan]

Wow, I never knew Oprah was evil... I never watched her, but I had a good impression of her for the whole Africa school thing (even if it DOES seem kind of ineffective). I guessed that she wasn't exactly happy good ol' Christian values when someone told me that she recently had a real-life mpreg on her show (which is also why I'll be hiding under the bed from screaming yaoi fangirls for a few months). Hrm.

[Nate]

Okay, here we go. Watching the video.

Oooh, eerie music and weird pictures. People walking off of a cliff! Nice propaganda techniques. Very nice.

...they spelled her name "Orpah." lol wut?

"I believe we are all sons of God, and it is our destiny to be as Jesus."

Well okay, I agree with the FIRST part of that quote, I mean, God is our Father, right? Not so sure about the second part. Our goal IS to be like Jesus, though obviously it's not exactly our destiny (unless you're talking about one day being free of sin, in which case we would be, but we will never be like God in other aspects). If this woman is as bad as this video says she is, I'm sure they could have come up with a better quote than this.

transcribed by a Jewish atheist

...unless she means Jewish RACE, this statement is ridiculously stupid.

What have we, as Christians, been told about future prophecy concerning an international peace organization?

I don't know, what?

A New Earth WILL be the biggest selling book of all time.

Nothing will ever outsell the Bible. Sorry, you lose.

Now she's endorsed candidate Barack Obama.

Obama's popularity was around LONG before Oprah endorsed him, she had nothing to do with it. It's not even sure that he'll win the candidacy given that at this point the Democratic candidate will be chosen by the superdelegates, who are not subject to the will of the people...so any accusation that Oprah's endorsement will now cause people to put him in office, well, it's too late because the primaries are basically over.

Besides, there are millions of people (myself included) who support Obama without watching any of Oprah's show or reading any of these books that this woman is talking about, so what about us? It's absurd to say that anyone who supports Obama is somehow a member of an "Oprah cult."

"The pieces are coming together."

OH WONDERFUL. Someone saying that we're living in the end times. We all know how much I LOVE those people. Because nobody has ever made a false prediction about when the end of the world is amirite?

Spread the word, and know the facts.

And to quote Jay Sherman,

"BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK!"

This woman is just as bad as Oprah in a way. Instilling fear in people, falsely claiming to be a prophet (in my book, if you say when the world will end, you're a false prophet, and she's claiming just that), and then saying "GIVE ME MONEY AND I'LL MAKE IT BETTER."

And that's not even getting into the political side of things, which I will refrain from talking about.

This video should be ignored, and in three months nobody will even remember it, and that's how it should be.

[Sheenar]

OH WONDERFUL. Someone saying that we're living in the end times. We all know how much I LOVE those people. Because nobody has ever made a false prediction about when the end of the world is amirite?

It amazes me how many people have been called "the Antichrist" over the years --just about every time someone gains popularity/a high place of authority,they are called that. It's true that we are living in the "end times" --we don't know how long it'll be until Jesus comes back --it may not even be in our lifetime. No one can predict when that will happen --only God knows.

Why are we so focused on things like this? Oprah is not the enemy. We should be expending our efforts in sharing the Gospel because time is short and we don't know when Jesus will return.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I think Oprah secretly is a crack-addict and enjoys sitting in a Hookah lounge with her puppies.

[Cognitive Gear]

Oprah's worldview is so irrational I don't even know where to begin. I don't think I could tear it to pieces without stepping into "Theology" territory, so I'll leave it at that, as much as it bothers me to do so. XD

Also, the linked video is not the "Megachurch of Oprah" video. It's an advertisement for a book which seems to be based on some of the same techniques it critiques.

The Megachurch of Oprah video, for reference: Link

[TheMelodyMaker]

[quote="2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NAS)"]For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine]

Quoted for truth.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Never cared much for Oprah anyways.

[Technomancer]

Okay, here we go. Watching the video.

I'm amazed you had the patience for it.

[Angel Tifa]

Somehow it just doesn't surprise me that Oprah said things like this. I also noticed that she says thinks that do sound blasphemous (I think that's the right word). I noticed my mom likes her a lot and it's very typical too because my mom has also because spiritually lost since she lost the Christian beliefs . She's also become quite the relativist herself.

[Kkun]

I think Oprah secretly is a crack-addict and enjoys sitting in a Hookah lounge with her puppies.

Hey, a good Hookah bar is a great place for a poetry reading. I mean, really.

I'm with Nate on this one. It's kind of funny, actually. Oprah may be annoying (let's look at her Book Club, if you want reasons) and she was the host for Tom Cruise's first (?) public display of insanity, but I'm not so convinced that she will be instrumental in the utter destruction of the family unit. I think she's just more afternoon TV fluff for soccer moms.

[uc pseudonym]

Not to seem trivial, but I think the only good thing to come out of that video was "I'm a magical witch, and I can feel it in my bones." Then again I didn't watch much past that, so I could be wrong. Oprah aside, this kind of fear-mongering rarely helps anything.

[rocklobster]

Hey, a good Hookah bar is a great place for a poetry reading. I mean, really.

I'm with Nate on this one. It's kind of funny, actually. Oprah may be annoying (let's look at her Book Club, if you want reasons) and she was the host for Tom Cruise's first (?) public display of insanity, but I'm not so convinced that she will be instrumental in the utter destruction of the family unit. I think she's just more afternoon TV fluff for soccer moms.

Tom Cruise's first display of public insanity was when he declared his Scientology to the world. Sorry, but a "religion" thought up by a kooky sci-fi writer isn't a religion.

[bakura_fan]

...they spelled her name "Orpah." lol wut?

yes. Her parents had said "orpah" but the nurse wrote it down as "Oprah" on the birth certificate and so that's been her name ever since. Havn't checked it out lately, but my mom told me that way back when I was a kid and she watched her (stopped when I was 12 I think).

Edit: Did a search. taken from an online interview (I guess). Guess my mom was slightly off, but close enough.
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/win0int-1
"
I understand that it's kind of a fluke that your series is not called "The Orpah Winfrey Show." Maybe you could just tell us the story of your name.

Oprah Winfrey: I was born, as I said, in rural Mississippi in 1954. I was born at home. There were not a lot of educated people around and my name had been chosen from the Bible. My Aunt Ida had chosen the name, but nobody really knew how to spell it, so it went down as "Orpah" on my birth certificate, but people didn't know how to pronounce it, so they put the "P" before the "R" in every place else other than the birth certificate. On the birth certificate it is Orpah, but then it got translated to Oprah, so here we are. But that's great because Oprah spells Harpo backwards. I don't know what Orpah spells.
""

[LadyRushia]

On the one hand, it's scary that her influence plus her views are drawing in so many people, but on the other hand it isn't right to make her out to be the Anti-Christ or whatever else people are saying to her. She needs Jesus just as much as we do.

Also, this could be an opportunity to spread the gospel to more people.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Tom Cruise's first display of public insanity was when he declared his Scientology to the world. Sorry, but a "religion" thought up by a kooky sci-fi writer isn't a religion.

As if anyone cares... right? XD

[Etoh*the*Greato]

On the one hand, it's scary that her influence plus her views are drawing in so many people, but on the other hand it isn't right to make her out to be the Anti-Christ or whatever else people are saying to her. She needs Jesus just as much as we do.

Also, this could be an opportunity to spread the gospel to more people.

Aye. It's good to know what "A New World" teaches, because dialogue between you and those people buying it is a great opportunity... Considering how many people come to my register with a stack of books that include Christian devotionals and Eckhart Tolle... Yeah.

[Danderson]

It does seem kind've creepy.....Personally if she is the anit-Christ it's "too early" to really truly know and even if she is the "anti-Christ" there really isn't anything we can do stop History....

Let's wait and see......

[Shao Feng-Li]

...

I'm pretty darn sure she isn't the Anti- Christ.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

She's not the first to teach this stuff, she won't be the last.

[uc pseudonym]

It does seem kind've creepy.....Personally if she is the anit-Christ it's "too early" to really truly know and even if she is the "anti-Christ" there really isn't anything we can do stop History....

Let's wait and see......

...

I'm pretty darn sure she isn't the Anti- Christ.

Regardless, this tangent would become theological quickly and should be dropped.

[Nate]

(Stuff about Orpah)

Ah, okay. I didn't know that about her name. I stand corrected then. Still, the video does lie about that too, saying that Orpah means "turning back," when every site I see says that Orpah means "back of the neck" (or "fawn").

Besides, even if her name DID have some sort of ominous meaning, so what? It's not like our name defines who or what we are. My name means "gift from God" but I'm not any sort of gift. Well, not any sort of decent gift at least. So we can see that a person's name reveals NOTHING about them.

[bakura_fan]

Ah, okay. I didn't know that about her name. I stand corrected then. Still, the video does lie about that too, saying that Orpah means "turning back," when every site I see says that Orpah means "back of the neck" (or "fawn").

Besides, even if her name DID have some sort of ominous meaning, so what? It's not like our name defines who or what we are. My name means "gift from God" but I'm not any sort of gift. Well, not any sort of decent gift at least. So we can see that a person's name reveals NOTHING about them.

I actually know very little about who opera is. All I know is that little tidbit about her name. Never followed up on anything she was doing, so the vid really didn't make much sense to me. Not too sure if that's a good thing or not (about knowing so little about her).

Also, My name means gift of God too.

[Fish and Chips]

Also, My name means gift of God too.

Somebody in the Etymology Department's skimming off the top. I will have to get to the bottom of this.

[bakura_fan]

Somebody in the Etymology Department's skimming off the top. I will have to get to the bottom of this.

*confused*

[uc pseudonym]

*confused*

A definition of the term may help:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/etymology

[~darkelfgirl~]

Can I be blunt? Don't take my remark as an attack.

I'm not a fan of Oprah, not at all. But personally, it's getting to the point where I'm annoyed at people who complain about her constantly. Yes, the things she says and does makes me wonder and roll my eyes sometimes, but this is getting to such a ridiculous height.

[Sparrowhawk]

I think she would not be attacked so much if she did not proclaim how great her views are. I don't waste my time attacking her - she only states what are common thoughts in our society, but she has become the focus of all the criticisms of these thoughts because she, of all the people who think like this, is making a pretty nice livin' (understatement of the year) just simply promoting them and she leads others to be the same way - she is the relativist evangelist *nervous laughter because it's scary how true that is despite being said as a joke*

[~darkelfgirl~]

I think she would not be attacked so much if she did not proclaim how great her views are. I don't waste my time attacking her - she only states what are common thoughts in our society, but she has become the focus of all the criticisms of these thoughts because she, of all the people who think like this, is making a pretty nice livin' (understatement of the year) just simply promoting them and she leads others to be the same way - she is the relativist evangelist *nervous laughter because it's scary how true that is despite being said as a joke*

Enough to call her the Antichrist? *laughs ridiculously*. Some people have way too much time on their hands.
I mean, she got her issues (maybe an understatement), but guys, but you look just as silly as her if you name her that.
It seems as if a blabbing rich anyone with a big crazy fanbase is deemed the Antichrist, hehe.
I hope my mom doesn't read this thread. She's an Oprah fan.

Here's my take on 'prophets'. Spend more time trying to spread the Word of God than 'witch-hunting'. As you can see, witch-hunting is shooing people away.