Countering the "Church of Oprah"

There's an increasing amount of news about the "Church of Oprah" -- the popular talk-show host has been pushing a spiritual perspective for years now, but it seems to be snowballing into a much larger part of her message.

Here's the deal: it's not new stuff, just new presentation.

The "Church of Oprah" pushes "New Age" ideas about the "law of attraction," the concept that the Universe is set up to give you what you want. You just need to "attract" it to yourself with the right kind of intentions. (This idea was pushed hard recently in the movie, The Secret.) There is no sin, only bad intentionality. And there is no personal God, just a vast, amorphous consciousness.

Sometimes this message is wrapped up in a guise that this is what Jesus taught, really, his true message. I have to believe this is a marketing effort to wrap tripe in a velvet box by association with a famous religious person, while hoping their audience never actually reads the New Testament.

It's important that you and your family are prepared to speak to these teachings. Here's a good starting point for your education.