Is Oprah a Christian? That is a question that has become an incredibly hot topic over the past few years as Oprah Winfrey has transformed herself from being just a talk show host to being one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders. According to Forbes, Oprah Winfrey is worth well over a billion dollars, but these days she seems much more interested in spiritual matters than in building her empire. In fact, Oprah Winfrey has become such a spiritual icon in America that USAToday has called her "a spiritual leader for the new millennium, a moral voice of authority for the nation." Millions of Americans deeply respect what Oprah has to say, and it would be hard to overstate the influence she is having not only in the United States but also all around the globe. She has become a spiritual powerhouse, and she is changing hearts and minds every single day.
In an unscientific poll conducted on Beliefnet.com, 33 percent of the 6,600 respondents said that Oprah has had "a more profound impact" on their spiritual lives than their pastors or priests.
Just think about that for a moment. That is absolutely stunning.
Oprah's massive television audience of ten million viewers each day and her magazine readership of over 2.7 million each month gives Oprah a tremendous platform from which to influence American culture.
Without a doubt, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most highly respected and listened to celebrities in the world.
But is Oprah a Christian?
That is a very good question. The truth is that it is not for any of us to judge where anyone else is headed for eternity. Rather, the question we will ask today is whether or not what Oprah is publicly teaching is Christian or not.
Oprah is confusing a lot of people because she openly claims to be a Christian. That is how she identifies herself. But what she believes about God, faith, "salvation", heaven, hell and a whole host of other things directly contradicts the Bible.
According to renowned Christian apologist Josh McDowell, millions of Christians are being fooled by Oprah Winfrey because she uses Christian terminology and Christian traditions as a way to lure people into beliefs that are not Christian at all. A recent article in The Christian Post quoted what McDowell said at a recent conference about the different between the Christian God and the religion that Oprah is pushing.....
“The Christian God is a personal creator God which all truth resides, who is totally outside of ourselves and outside of our universe,” explained the best-selling author of More Than a Carpenter. “When Oprah and others refer to God, it is an impersonal force. And I think one way that comes out is that they will say, ‘Look within you and find yourself from within. Find that God-consciousness. That is God.’”
So if what Oprah Winfrey is pushing is not Christianity, then exactly what is it?
Take a few moments and imagine a religion where Jesus did not come to die on the cross, where there is no heaven, no hell, no sin, no salvation, no doctrine, where all spiritual paths in the world are equally valid and where "god" is in you and in everything else you see.
That is the religion of Oprah Winfrey.
It is also the New Age "one world religion" that many other spiritual gurus throughout the world have been trying to bring to fruition.
In fact, this religious movement is summed up very well by the lyrics of "Imagine" by the Beatles (who also were highly influenced by New Age religion).....
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
The truth is that there is a huge movement towards a one world religion where all spiritual paths are equally valid (except if you believe in Jesus Christ of course), and Oprah is right in the forefront of that movement.
So what, exactly, is Oprah teaching about "spirituality"?
Well, during one shocking national broadcast, Oprah Winfrey stated that Jesus did not come to the earth to die on the cross for our sins. You can see this stunning moment for yourself in the video posted below....
When I first saw this video I could hardly believe it. Instead of coming to die on the cross, Oprah told millions of her viewers that the real purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to teach all of us "Christ consciousness".
Oprah also told viewers recently: "I don't believe that Jesus came to start Christianity."
Oprah is also insisting that there could not possibly be "one way" to God, and that all "religions" are basically different paths to the same God. If you don't believe that Oprah would say this, just check out the video posted below....
So who does Oprah believe that God is?
Well, Oprah has been quoted as once stating the following....
"I believe in the FORCE-I call it God."
Jesus also has clearly renounced the divinity of Jesus Christ. To Oprah, the truth is that all of us are God....
"One of the most important books I've read is Eric Buttterworth's Discover the Power Within You. In it he said 'Jesus did not come to teach us how divine He was but to teach that divinity was within us.'"
For years, Oprah has promoted the teachings of New Age activists such as Shirley MacLaine. It turns out that Oprah believes that what Shirley MacLaine teaches is what the Bible has been trying to tell us all along. Just check out the following quote from Oprah....
"As I read more of Shirley MacLaine, crystals, and The Aquarian
Oprah has even conducted special online "studies" for her followers with her new spiritual "superstar", Eckhart Tolle.
During one of those sessions, Tolle told one caller, who confessed that she still feels guilty when she decides not to go to church on Sunday, that she must understand that "the voice" which encourages her to go to church is just social conditioning.
The following are just a couple of the incredibly disturbing things that Eckhart Tolle has written in his books:
"All religions are equally false and equally true, depending on how you use them."
"Man made God in his own image."
Oprah has also been promoting the teaching of New Age guru Marianne Williamson, and in fact she has given Williamson a radio show on the Oprah radio network to promote such beliefs as....
"There is no sin."
A "slain Christ has no meaning."
"Do not make the pathetic error of clinging to the old rugged cross."
"The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
These are the things that Oprah REALLY believes and has been promoting over television, radio, the Internet and in her magazine.
In Matthew 24:10-11, Jesus said:
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Oprah Winfrey is literally deceiving millions upon millions of people.
Have you been deceived by her?
Oprah claims that there are multiple ways to get to heaven.
If there was another way to heaven, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
If there were many other ways for our sins to be paid for, then why didn't Jesus just come down to earth, point out some of the various ways to get saved, and then go back into heaven?
Why did Jesus have to actually die on the cross?
The truth is that there was no other way for our sins to be paid for, and that the only way to God is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
-John 3:36
Will you choose to believe Oprah or will you choose to believe the Word of God?
The "church of Oprah" is very appealing for millions of Americans because in her "faith", there is no sin, no need for salvation, no heaven, no hell and everyone is "god".
But it is all a big lie.
The truth is that we cannot just make up whatever we want about God and about religion.
The truth is that God loves all of us very much, but the world rejected God and embraced evil instead. All of us have violated God's laws and all of us are sinners.
But God loved us all so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
If you will repent of your sins and receive Jesus into your life by faith, your sins will be forgiven and you will be given eternal life.