Now compare these statements to the words of Buddha:

This whole world of delusion is nothing but a shadow caused by the mind…. There is no world … outside the mind … To Buddha every definitive thing is illusion…. Things have no reality in themselves but are like heat haze. (The Teaching of the Buddha, pp. 86, 100, 104, 108)

Buddhism, in particular teaches that no supreme and personal God exists but that the universe is animated by an impersonal life force, which connects all things and that one can, through spiritual enlightenment, rise above the “illusion of reality” and enter nirvana—a condition in which one is absorbed into the greater essence or whole.

In New Age, like the ancient Eastern religions, the goal is that you, through instruction, either from spiritual masters or even spiritual entities must achieve “enlightenment” (i.e. understanding that all is one) and thus rise above the human condition by means of an altered consciousness (mediation, mantras, trances, etc.) to actually see that distinction itself is an illusion and if all is one and God is part of the all then you are in effect God. By understanding this principle you will become part of the divine and thus gain unlimited power.

These are the very same principles put forth in both A Course in Miracles and Tolle’s book, A New Earth. The most troubling aspect is that A Course in Miracles employs many references to “God,” the “Holy Spirit,” and even the “Son of God.” In addition, there are statements such as “surrender all outcomes to God” and “allow the Holy Spirit to do what He does best….” Of course the instruction goes on to emphasize “the power of your own thinking” which enables you to create the outcome that “serve[s] your own best interests” in your hands, which according to the course is “your only goal in any situation.” The “god” presented here is a monistic, impersonal god who “is everywhere and is in everything” including inanimate objects. According to the course, “God is not outside of you but rather in your mind.” The blending of Christian terminology with New Age paganism endorsed by Oprah will likely deceive many less mature Christians.

I can appreciate the success of Oprah Winfrey; she seems like a kind and sincere woman. Her achievements are indeed impressive given what she has overcome and I believe she truly wants to help people and make the world a better place. However, these materials are nothing but spiritualized self-help and repackaged paganism that serve to deceive and divert people from the One True God and the salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ.

© 2008 by S. Michael Craven

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S. Michael Craven is the founder and President of the Center for Christ & Culture. The Center for Christ & Culture is dedicated to renewal within the Church and works to equip Christians with an intelligent and thoroughly Christian approach to matters of culture in order to recapture and demonstrate the relevance of Christianity to all of life. For more information on the Center for Christ & Culture, additional resources and other works by S. Michael Craven visit: www.battlefortruth.org

Michael lives in the Dallas area with his wife Carol and their three children.