UPDATE on Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson
and A Course in Miracles*
according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
(Ephesians 2:2)
“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus,
whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
which ye have not received, or another gospel,
which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
(2 Corinthians 11:4)
On New Year’s Day, New Age leader Marianne Williamson got the new year off to a rousing start on Oprah & Friends XM Radio as she began to systematically teach the New Age principles of A Course in Miracles. While most of the Christian world was relaxing, Williamson was hard at work teaching A Course in Miracles on her radio show. Her program, which now airs each weekday for an hour, is completely devoted to teaching A Course in Miracles. Both Oprah Winfrey and Marianne Williamson have openly stated that they believe the principles of A Course in Miracles can change the world.(1)
As previously posted on this site, A Course in Miracles is reputedly “new revelation” from “Jesus,” channeled through a university professor in New York City by the name of Helen Schucman. A Course in Miracles is actually the Bible turned upside-down, as it teaches that “a slain Christ has no meaning” and that “the journey to the cross should be the last useless journey.” Its teachings state that “there is no sin” and that “the recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”
Kicking off the new year in high gear, Williamson cleverly avoided any direct reference to biblical Christianity when she stated that over the coming months on her program she would be methodically “dismantling a thought system based on fear.” She emphasized that the dismantled thought system would be replaced by “a thought system based on love” – a thought system that would be inspired by the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles.
In introducing A Course in Miracles to her Oprah & Friends listeners, Williamson was careful not to alienate anyone as she skillfully avoided discussing the origin of A Course in Miracles: how it was dictated to Helen Schucman from an “inner voice” claiming to be “Jesus.” Nor did Williamson describe how the ambivalent Schucman never fully believed in the teachings she channeled. Schucman confessed, “I resented the material I was taking down, and was strongly impelled to attack it and prove it wrong” and “I do not understand the events that led up to the writing. I do not understand the process and I certainly don’t understand the authorship.(2)
Most faith-contending Christians are familiar with Jesus’ warnings in the Bible that describe how a powerful end-times deception will arise from false prophets and false christs that come in Jesus’ name and shall deceive many:
and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:11)
Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:4-5)
Unfortunately, Marianne Williamson and Oprah Winfrey are either unaware of, or choose to disregard, Jesus’ warnings in the Bible. They also overlook other scriptures like 2 Corinthians 11:4 that warn about spiritual imposters who call themselves “Jesus,” yet teach “another gospel” and have “another spirit.” Williamson and Winfrey apparently do not know or take seriously the 1 Timothy 4:1 warning that in the last days “seducing spirits” will introduce false doctrines – like A Course in Miracles – that are described as “doctrines of devils.”
When Marianne Williamson stated on her New Year’s Day program that the chief purpose of A Course in Miracles “is the dismantling of a thought system based on fear,” she was clearly referring to dismantling the traditional teachings of biblical Christianity. According to A Course in Miracles and the New Age/New Spirituality, the Bible is a fear-based thought system because it preaches an “angry” and “wrathful God.” Also, in the upside-down worldview of the New Age, it is “fearful” and “unloving” to deny the divinity of humanity and to not see everyone as “God” and “Christ.”
But, while the Bible states that we are to always love and forgive others, it also states that God is God and we are not Him or a part of Him. The recognition of God is not the recognition of yourself. Contrary to the teachings of the New Age and A Course in Miracles – and even some Christian leaders – God is not “in” everything.
Besides authoring books and hosting a radio program for Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson also co-founded the Global Renaissance Alliance with Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch – a man who claims he has had direct communications from “God.” Their former organization of New Age leaders is now called the Peace Alliance. Walsch indirectly stated that the only thing hindering the “paradigm shift” to their New Age worldview and the attainment of world peace are those people still subscribing to a fear-based worldview. Walsch’s “God” states that this fear-based thought system is humanity’s “greatest enemy.” Cleverly avoiding the use of anything directly denoting Christian believers, Walsch’s “God” defines “fear” as the thought system of those who collectively oppose his New Age concepts:
But the paradigm shift will take great wisdom, great courage, and massive determination. For Fear will strike at the heart of these concepts and call them false. Fear will eat at the core of these magnificent truths and make them appear hollow. Fear will distort, disdain, destroy. And so Fear will be your greatest enemy.(3)
As Marianne Williamson uses A Course in Miracles to teach her Oprah & Friends listeners how to systematically dismantle the supposedly fear-based worldview of biblical Christianity in 2008, the big question is this: will Christian leaders contend for their faith as passionately as Marianne Williamson, Oprah Winfrey, and other New Age leaders are contending for their New Age beliefs? With Marianne Williamson and Oprah & Friends widely trumpeting the teachings of A Course in Miracles, the New Age has laid down its gauntlet for the new year. Isn’t it about time for Christian leaders to move out of their denial concerning the New Age? Isn’t it about time for Christian leaders to start contending for the faith?
In the meantime, put on the whole armour of God and stand fast in the truth as you defend your faith in what promises to be a challenging new year.
The Truth:
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)
*Today’s post is authored by Warren Smith. For more information on the topics covered in today’s post, see Warren Smith’s book Deceived on Purpose, especially chapter 8, which explains the errors of the New Age doctrine that God is “in” everything. For a better understanding of the dangers of the teachings of A Course in Miracles, read about Warren Smith’s experiences while studying the Course in his personal testimony The Light that was Dark. For background information on Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson, A Course in Miracles, their New Age friends and global PEACE agendas, be sure to read Reinventing Jesus Christ which is posted online.
Endnotes:
1. The Oprah Winfrey Show, February 4, 1992, “My Life is Driving Me Crazy”; and Marianne Williamson, The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life, page 5.
2. Robert Skutch, Journey Without Distance: The Story Behind “A Course in Miracles” (Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 1984), pp. 134-135.
3. Neale Donald Walsch, Conversations with God: Book 2, page 242.