Leading Dot Com Evangelist Challenges Oprah to Public Debate on New Age Teachings - Should She Accept Bill Keller's Challenge?

At first glance both Terry Keenan and millions of viewers may just think to dismiss Keller’s remarks as the ravings of a fundamentalist preacher with an axe to grind. But even Keenan gave him an attentive ear and in only a few moments it became apparent that Keller had something important to say.

Even as countless addresses and articles are emerging that refute and warn about Oprah’s new interest in New Age teachings Keller comes to the front with his usual overt and vociferous response. He makes waves but he also makes sense if you hear him out.

The interview with Keenan who is an Oprah devotee herself preceded Keller’s challenge to Oprah and started with Keenan asking why if Oprah is giving all the money from her premiere of “The Big Give” to charity why is Keller raising questions.

Keller like millions of conservative Christians is aware that giving away money isn’t so bad but getting the glory easily goes to the head of the giver and is not in keeping with Christ commands. Jesus said when you give alms (money to the poor) that you should not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. (Mt. 6:3) If that is hard to understand he also said when you gave to others that you shouldn’t blow a trumpet before hand to alert onlookers of your wonderful intentions. (Mt. 6:2) In the ancient world it was called getting the glory; today it is called a publicity grab.

Giving the money to charity doesn’t keep Oprah from getting the glory in fact it only increases the chances of that happening. In show biz and pop culture that is what it is all about but when it has to do with people’s futures or eternal destiny that is where Keller and others are drawing the line.

Keller said Oprah’s programs had evolved over the years; way past the entertainment area and now she is becoming the “Queen of the New Age gurus.” With her new ten week courses in New Age, much of it based on the teachings of New Age guru Eckhart Tolle that started on January first on XM Satellite stations it is hard to refute what Bill Keller is saying.

Sometimes Keller is given the brush by media because he is a “the cup is half full” kind of man and that is most apparent when he says thing like “Oprah is leading millions down the road to hell with her New Age teachings.” Perhaps if he said her teachings are not leading people to heaven they would be less apt to blast him for what seems like implacability. Keller looks ahead to a future judgment and envisions people standing at judgment crying out to the preachers, evangelist and the everyday Christian and asking “why didn’t you warn us about this?” To him and others who share his concerns giving strong warnings now; is as positive as it gets!

On a You Tube offering entitled “God is Jealous of Oprah? New Age Blasphemy” posted by MalaniKai, Oprah tells of some early experiences in her Baptist church and she describes what first gave her the idea to “take God out of the box.” Should we thank her for her concern and the subsequent rescue from total obscurity that Oprah has offered God or is there enough discernment left in America to recognize presumption when we see it?

On the You Tube clip she said she was listening to a sermon when she was in her twenties and when the preacher said “God is a jealous God” she couldn’t believe that God could be jealous of her. That is when she decided to get God out of the box. So what’s wrong with that?

ADVERTISEMENT:

Let’s not tell Oprah that God is not jealous of her but of mans penchant for idolatry. Putting other gods before him makes him jealous because he hates to lose us to gods that don’t exist. His loving nature is to redeem us all but being unwilling to force our hearts into submission he leaves the decision to us. But he is not jealous of gods who might outshine him or get more people’s attention, he is jealous because there are no other Gods. God has no co-gods to give him a hand and even though Satan is called the “ruler of the Cosmos” or the “god of this world” he is not co-creator, or co-redeemer but is still the “arch deceiver” who has the job of making mankind go in all directions instead of straight to God.

God isn’t the slightest bit jealous of Oprah. He is jealous for us and the loss he suffers because we think polytheism or pantheism is a legitimate notion. God says it like this “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill and make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” (De 32:39)

Not understanding the truest meaning of God’s jealousy is one of the first errors that Oprah made many years ago. Such conclusions were no doubt among the reasons that she has veered so far from her upbringing at this point in time. It may not be the worst of it because to go aside to spurious and dangerous beliefs is bad enough but to invite millions to go there with you is the reason people like Bill Keller and others have challenged her.

In his challenge to Oprah Keller introduces himself as the leader of the world’s largest live interactive Christian website with over 2.4 million subscribers. Keller explains that his site deals with all the issues of life and all the events taking place around the world and deals with them from a biblical world view. He remains cordial and constrained throughout the challenge to Oprah and his concern is genuine.

Keller starts with “I’m coming to you today, to challenge you to a public debate” He calls for her to choose the forum whether it is her TV Show, her radio broadcast or some other neutral place. Keller says he is “appalled” that Oprah is leading millions of people away to her New Age teachings which he says is leading them away from Christ. Keller warns Oprah that the Bible says the only way we can be redeemed is through faith in Jesus Christ.

In a declaration that sounds like a line from Bill Cosby’s comedy skit about how he (Cosby) brought his kids into this world and he can take them out if necessary, Keller exclaims that “God has brought Oprah up and he can take her down just as well.”

Oprah has ignited the concerns of many Bible believers and with the church’s apostasy fully underway throughout the world it adds to the alarm. In a recent Barna Report it was reported that a growing number of Christians are taking to their own versions of scripture and general behavior rather than adhering to the Bible exclusively.

Besides the clear warning of a last day’s apostasy the Apostle Paul admonished the latter day’s church that many would choose to abandon “sound doctrine.” Paul added that people would seek out many teachers who would strip out the gospel and replace it with stuff they liked to hear or did not hold them accountable.

This is what Bill Keller and some others are willing to challenge Oprah on. If it is not just about publicity or personal glory and if Oprah does care about the American public how should she respond to Keller’s request to defend her New Age teachings? For millions of us throughout this country and the world we think she should accept the challenge. We would like to hear what she has to say!

How about it Oprah?

Martin Bertello is a freelance writer covering religious news, Christianity, politics, current events, movie reviews and much more. He is a regular contributor to http://www.americanprophet.org and for http://www.usareligiousnews.com

Email this page to a friend Display printer-friendly version Rate this item / View member comments Report irrelevant / inappropriate content Return to the Alumbo! home page