Oprah's New Earth

RELIGION IN THE NEWS

Now Religion in the News. A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media. This week’s item is from Oprah.com, January 30, 2008, with a headline: Oprah chooses A New Earth as her new book club selection. The following are excerpts: “Being able to share this material with you is a gift, and part of the fulfillment of my life’s purpose.” Oprah Winfrey said on Wednesday January 30, 2008, as she revealed the 61^st Ophra’s book club selection; A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. She added, “It was an awakening for me that I want for you, too.” For the first time ever readers around the world will be able to participate in a free, live interactive classroom discussion led by Winfrey and Tolle. Each weekly class, (ten altogether), will correspond to a chapter from A New Earth, with the discussion focusing on the chapter’s themes. Published in 2005, A New Earth encourages a collective sense of commitment to changing the way we live, for people who want to make a difference. With the knowledge that we live in a time desperate for global change, the book by renown spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle answers the question, “What can one person do to enact that change?”With clarity and in practical terms he gently leads readers to a new level of consciousness, awakening them to their lives’ purposes, and invited them to envision a new earth where peace and fellowship are the norm.

Tom:

Dave, here we have Oprah Winfrey involved in the promotion of a book when she, you know, she called it “an awakening for me that I want for you, too” and the people responded, the book sold about three and a half million copies right away. It’s right at the top of the list in places like Wal-mart, Target, and so on. So, it’s amazing the influence that this woman has. Now, what about Eckhart Tolle? Well, he’s a German, a philosopher, but really he’s a New Ager. His philosophy is uh Hinduism, a little Buddhism, and positive mental attitude kinds of stuff. But I want to go through and have you respond to some of the things that are being said about this book. Again, it calls him a renown spiritual teacher, and he answers questions that, supposedly he is gently leading readers to a new level of consciousness. Let’s start with that, Dave. Is that possible?

Dave:

Tom, we’ve heard this sort of thing in the New Age movement, and we heard it from the druggies. This was a consciousness revolution.

Tom:

Right.

Dave:

Altered states of consciousness, higher states of consciousness. How do you define that? I can tell you that no psychologist, no scientist, no neurologist can define states of consciousness. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean anything, Tom. What it means is, Oh, we have a clear perception of something, we’re more concerned about the earth, or whatever. It’s not a level of consciousness. But anyway, if they want to call it that. But that’s really a spurious description. A level of consciousness? That cannot be defined by any neurologist or psychologist.

Tom:

Well, Dave, we’ve heard this from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, from Muktananda, Rajneesh, from all of these, of course these would be Hindu gurus. Now we have a German who is into their philosophies but he’s sort of massaging it around so that it’s more acceptable, more attractive to the Western mentality.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

But a new consciousness is—Oh wait a minute, boy, my level of consciousness now is not working, Dave, so now I’m going to get uh, more informed, and I’m going to be better enabled to perform and do the things that I need to do at this new level of consciousness. Well, we’ve heard that over and over and over again, yet it didn’t work for any of these gurus!

Dave:

Well, the drug movement was a consciousness revolution. They talked about higher states, or they talked about altered states of consciousness, ASC. But we’ve discussed that before; scientifically altered state, under drugs or meditation, that loosens the normal connection between you and your brain, allows another spirit to interpose itself. Tick off the neurons in the brain, create a universe of illusion, that where the psychedelic adventures come from, and so forth. So, it’s a delusion. Now if you’re talking—

Tom:

How did it work out, Dave, for these guys, Timothy Leary, and so on? What did it prove, what value was in it?

Dave:

Well, it destroyed their lives, if you want to say that.

Tom:

Well, it did, absolutely. Now, look what he’s offering here. He’s going to awaken us to life’s purpose, this is going to give us a vision, envision a new earth where peace and fellowship are the norm. This is pie in the sky through grand delusion, I think.

Dave:

Tom, we’re talking about life’s purpose! That’s a rational concept. It’s not a state of consciousness, whatever that may mean. This is something that I’ve got to understand, I’ve got to think about it. But consciousness, a state of consciousness? No.

Tom:

Well Dave, let’s pull it back to what Eckhart Tolle is about. He is a Buddhist, a Hindu, he doesn’t believe in a Creator God, so how can you have purpose,how can you have peace and fellowship when you don’t have a Creator God who created man in His own image, that we would have purpose and meaning, and those things. He’s throwing them out.

Dave:

Yeah, Tom, I’m sorry but this is just the same old thing recycled. I wonder why, why is Oprah jumping on this? She just had The Secret! I mean, that would give you anything you wanted, you could be whatever you wanted to be. How could this be any better? Why has this become such a revelation for her?

Tom:

Yeah, well—

Dave:

‘Cause we go from one thing to another.

Tom:

And we know this is all part of the same package.

Dave:

Right.