Got Oprah?

I’ve received many emails today from Christians who are up in arms about Oprah’s New Age XM Radio program. People are worried that Oprah will lead people astray.

I am very offended when Jesus is blasphemed by anyone! But my question is this: what kind of teaching were we expecting from Oprah? The mere fact that we would expect anything other than this anti-Gospel message from Oprah shows how much we, as a church, have been hoodwinked by her.

Now that Oprah has become so bold in her proclamations of New Age faith, people are worried she will influence many others to become New Age. I see it this way: an unsaved person may be converted to New Age through Oprah, but are they any further away from God’s salvation than they were before?

God will one day separate the sheep from the goats, and the goats are equally damned no matter which pen they are found in. They are all being led astray by the empty philosophies of this world, and they need to hear the good news of Christ, regardless of which lies they’ve bought into. God can save the New Age convert, just as He can save the Atheist, and neither one of them is any more—nor less—damned than the other. Who will preach the cross of Christ to them? Did any of us think for one moment that it would be Oprah?

Others are worried that even Christians will be led astray by Oprah’s bold message. I disagree. I prefer it when Oprah says the most ridiculous things, so that people can begin to see her for what she really is. We should be glad when the wolf takes off the sheep’s clothing. At least now everyone can see that it’s a wolf.

Should we pray for Oprah’s salvation? Most definitely. But we should also ask ourselves: is Oprah really leading the country astray? Or is she merely the voice which reveals where we already are? Let us pray for our nation, too.

Up until now, Oprah has not tried to attack the church in a frontal assault. Instead, she chips away at our Orthodoxy, attempting to cause death by a thousand paper cuts. Can she prevail? Of course not.

*“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.”

*A mighty Fortress is our God, by Martin Luther, 1529