Who wants some Oprah-Ohs?

This past Sunday, we discussed Oprah Winfrey and her incredible influence over the spiritual lives of many Americans.

The concern about Oprah is that, despite her biblical namesake and baptist upbringing, she has embraced eastern philosophy and pantheism in her later life. Although she rarely espouses these philosophies herself, she frequently endorses and publicizes those who do. Those she endorses often enjoy tremendous success:

The consequence of her unique perch is that she commands tens of millions of dollars of consumer spending. When she endorses a product, women take out their credit cards and buy it. When she endorses an artist, that artist has instant fans. When she takes a stand on some moral or political issue, she converts hordes of followers. To put it simply, when Oprah passes judgment, that judgment is received as true.

In my view, the most dangerous thing about Oprah's spiritual "self-help" kick is that neither she, nor her guests (like Eckhart Tolle), are forthcoming about the underlying theology of their ideas. In this respect, they are wolves that do not come dressed as wolves. As Ravi Zacharias might describe it, they are "foreign birds with a local walk."

Bear in mind, I am not trying to attack Oprah as a person or deny that she has done many wonderful things for people in need. However, I do believe she is being cavalier with the well-being of her loyal viewers. From the way that she jumps back and forth between philosophies and theologies, I suspect that she is hungry for truth and seeking answers (perhaps she and Angelina Jole should get together and go bowling sometime) but she is dragging her viewers along as she samples faiths from around the world. Dangerous, to say the least...

Oprah needs our prayers--just as anyone with her level of influence needs our prayers. Let's pray that she finds what she truly is seeking. Only the Lord can fill the God-shaped hole in her heart...

If you want to read more about the Oprah phenomenon, check out Christianity Today and Stand To Reason.



Casting Crowns: "What if His people prayed ... What if the family turned to Jesus, and quit asking Oprah what to do?"