Ray Yungen
Without question, the most influential practical mystic today is talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Her predominantly female audience, numbering in the tens of millions, looks to her as the source of spiritual inspiration?even more so than church, in many cases.
I realize speaking critically of someone as warm and caring as Oprah might stir angry emotions in many of her viewers. Nonetheless, please keep in mind that with Oprah, as with the others I have written about, her obvious good qualities are not the issue here. While I might admireOprah as a person, I am gravely concerned about what she promotes.
Somewhere during her career, Oprah read a book titled Discover The Power Within You by Unity minister Eric Butterworth. In line with Unity teaching, the book expounded on the Divinity of Man as perceived through mystical practice. Oprah embraced these views so earnestly that she advocated:
This book changed my perspective on life and religion. Eric Butterworth teaches that God isn’t “up there.” He exists inside each one of us, and it’s up to us to seek the divine within.
Her talk show has launched many New Age authors into national super-stardom – authors such as Marianne Williamson, Sarah Ban Breathnach, Iyanla Vanzant, and Cheryl Richardson. Read more …
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