Christianity (The Deceit) by Claude Roberts - HTML preview

Christianity

(The Deceit)

Chapter 1

Society is made up of people like yourself, including everyone else in it, all with a relatively common perspective. So then, the question here becomes, what is your belief? We all have one. Most know of God, some have idols, others see the world for what it is, then there are those with a universal view, and followers under “inner me” perspectives, New Age mentalities, or more, emerging thoughts. Today our societal woes continue to shape traditional and cultural ideals into a worldly and non-biblical nation.

Unfortunately, more of those things are continually being stripped away by the many ordinances, resolutions, and laws forced upon us with no alternative recourse, not to mention worldly influences from all spectrums of media. Consequently, countless religious leaders, at least for those who view them as such, are contributing to outlawing true Christianity, at least in the biblical nature of God’s word and provisions. Moreover, any conceivable thought, or action of instilling the values we were established on? Over shadowed by a Post Modern nation, where everything is relative and all viewpoints are valid.

"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe." Before I go any further, this is not a personal attack on anyone's religious belief or followed leader. This is merely a factual insight to the many false misguided religions, misleading teachings and beliefs that continue to lead so many on the wrong path. More importantly, a trail of deceit into a loose religious faith, moreover, a commonality called Christianity. People of this generation have conformed to stylish intelligent words of fallacy and worldly views of a falling society, if it sounds good, then it must be true.

For this purpose, the “psychological seduction” of Christianity is leading this world into a trail of sorrow, family destruction, world separation, and indoctrinated heretical doctrines.

A New Movement for Social Acceptance

ACCORDINGLY, OUR CENTRAL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT have removed the vital rock in which we once stood on and replaced it with foreign cultural deficiencies. No wonder we’re lost and confused about who we are as a nation, people, and most importantly, core beliefs. It seems the only time America comes together is during times of grief, disaster or loss. History from mid-first century AD has brought us into conflict between all that is “true” and what’s not. Sources of those beliefs have been stripped away and replaced with triumphant adherents, at least in the eyes of followers and biased media conglomerates.

Christianity was once occupied with true orthodox interpretation of salvation and faith. However, contrarian opinions have defined new ways in presenting contradicting doctrines. Incidentally, influential figures play a confounding role of sharing prevalent false doctrines. If you were asked to name your most influential person and spiritual advisor, who would that person be? Billy Graham, Robert Schuller, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen Maybe Mehmet Oz? This may surprise you, but neither is as successful as and more influential than Oprah Winfrey! Her programs then drew audiences as high as 12.4 million daily. Why am I including Oprah? Not only because of her promotion during the final program in contribution to her social charge and what appeared to be a new found idiocracy that apparently seduced millions of viewers who not only believed, but more than likely conformed to her beliefs. As a guide for you the reader in understanding many dangers of these foreign reliance, this opening chapter introduces those abstractions because ‘how artful homily can sway a desiring heart away from that which is right’. 

"People often ask me, 'what is the secret of success of the show? How have we lasted 25 years? I non-jokingly say, my team and Jesus, because nothing but the hand of God has made this possible for me." (http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Oprah-Winfrey-Show-Finale 1/1). "I'm talking about the same one you're talking about. I'm talking about Alpha and Omega, the Omniscient, the Omnipresent, the Ultimate Consciousness, the Source, the Force, the All of everything there is, the One and Only G-O-D"

 (http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/05/oprahs-last-show-a-recap-in-quotes/239483/).

Aside from how great her speech sounded, if you’re not clear as to exactly who this "One and Only G-O-D" is, let me clue you in. Many commentaries expressed their confusion about this deity Oprah paid homage to on that final day of broadcast. What should be clarified, is the "Jesus" and "God" she described? Is undoubtedly not biblical according to scripture, but it may be clear for some, especially those who share her views. True Christians on the other hand might feel otherwise. No matter how you phrase him or what he is called, (some say “if He is who He says He is”) Only God of the bible is omniscient, no other so called gods concocted by humans can adjure to His sanctity. Oprah's widespread influence on spirituality is attributed to what is known as the “New Age Movement” (of which she chiefly promoted, by featuring self-called gurus like Shirley McLane, Marilyn Ferguson, to include Marianne Williamson). Specifically, Winfrey featured the highly supported psychotherapy as a solution for all of life’s problems, through self-help theology and practices, all of these, Oprah dished up to her audience daily, and based on what I’ve seen, the courses were superb.

America has accepted her spiritual teachings, however, crediting her ability to make even Hindu/Buddhist concepts fit within Christianity should not, and cannot be complemented or taken seriously. This has been the course of human curiosity and acceptance. Bearing these mixes of deceitful religions, she has fed to viewers for years, for the most part, professed Christians have been largely ignorant of these teachings. Widely, women were led as recruited cultist design. As a result, the goal has effectively disabled her viewer’s ability to decipher non- realism from realistic revelation. Therefore, the door to the body and authority of spiritual truth has been closed allowing mixtures of thoughts, opinions, speculations, guesses, or whatever a person "feels" regarding the nature of God to be doubted. Oprah's own "Christianity" was made evident by her as she denied God on national television making clear a new made up Christianity of Mind Sciences, New Thought, Religious and Christian Science. What you may not know is all these are an incorporation of teachings and ideas of Eastern mystical religions, nothing new.

Although they appear to bear religious names, all are opposed to Christianity as defined biblically. In defining Oprah’s belief “a packaged theosophy of hidden knowledge or wisdom that offers the individual enlightenment and New Age Philosophy”. Oprah's background however is Baptist which she later gave up somewhere between stardom and self-realization theories.

Quite disturbing though, was Winfrey’s claim that her “eyes were opened to the fact that "God" was bigger than the doctrines she had been taught,” and was excited when she discovered views that taught her there were many ways to God besides through Jesus. Oprah continued by saying “the Cross, to her, was not a matter of Jesus' reconciliation of man to God through His payment for the sins of the world, but rather a preeminent lesson in overcoming the obstacles in one's life.” “I recall that transition period in my life when I began my search for more than Bible doctrines.”  What a shocking surprise to millions of viewers who in one way or the other, adapted to worldly views of a seemingly spiritual teaching that sounds acceptable which has been put up for sale, passed escrow, and sold to the highest bidders.

Simply put, promoting the deification of self, and salvation through good works. Most interestingly, are her inviting theories and humanistic philosophies (Humanism), fashioned and extend beyond rationale. Oprah Winfrey continued, "What if “there are many paths to what you call God? Her path might be something else, and when she gets there she might call it the Light, but her loving and her kindness and her generosity, if it brings her to the same place it brings you, it doesn't matter whether she calls it God or not." Those are Winfrey’s words as she considered her Christian view against a non-Christian woman’s path to God. Sorry Oprah, thanks to yours and countless others marketing plan, Christianity has been turned into a marketable commodity and the ad strategy is “ideological thinking/works salvation.” Be that as it may, “All roads do not lead to the same place.” Jesus Himself said “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6 (NET).

So as to sway “the following” with her empirical drive, she took it a step further. On October 18th, 2015 seven billion people, searching for connection, redemption and meaning. Oprah Winfrey presented a seven-night event she called, "Belief," the media dubbed it a “groundbreaking television event exploring humankind's ongoing search to connect with something greater than ourselves”. In Effect, journeyed to the far reaches of the world, “places cameras have rarely been”, the television event took millions of viewers on a ride and searched origins of diverse faiths, to the heart of what they felt really matters. “From the epic to the intimate, webbed throughout each hour are stories of people on spiritual journeys, taking them to sacred spaces.” Uniquely riddled, how can anyone not be enticed?

In light of the thousands of people Oprah Winfrey aided over the years, what she has attained and things accomplished, there’s nothing but admiration in my heart. In the long run, it won’t count for anything without the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and putting nothing else above Him. Every one of us are given an unimaginable gift, the opportunity to spend eternal life with God. That’s mind blowing to say the least! Moreover, that isn’t something man re-imagined or invented either. In fact, from the book of Genesis through Revelation, scripture explains how you can make this a reality. Meanwhile, Oprah notes, the purpose of religious faith is generally tethered to the big and imponderable questions. Sure sounds like Winfrey don’t it? She then asks, “Why are we here? What does this all mean? Is there a divine order to the mystery of our lives? So finally she admits there’s some Godlike nature about us that’s mysterious? To explain, her quest for meaning, those questions were ventured through a variety of ways. After making a pilgrimage to Mecca where a skateboard whiz converted to Islam, down to south pacific islanders who, shoulder death-defying leaps of faith postulate it will lend to the bounty of their harvest, the television event was bent on exploring how ordinary people find meaning.

Stories even included an Evangelical believer who searched for spiritual strength when her faith was tested. Sadly, and unfortunately, she was raped. There were segments however, that did acknowledge the violence publicized in the news daily being perpetrated in the name of religion. But mostly “Belief” tackled the topic of religion in a more elevating fashion, sort of ‘Refashioned exciting TV. As the show continued, “Winfrey’s narration noted “Life is a “journey” we are not meant to take alone. In like manner, devoting some portions of the event to how love figures into various religions. Hence, other topics like death and dealing with tragedy followed, but there we are repetitious prompting formulated around targeted themes. To that end, clearly Oprah Winfrey leveraged her wealth and platform to disseminate her personal crusade. So that her social charge of “do good works” and self-empowerment phenomenon reaches an untapped world, the program’s forthrightness to other religions may not have appeared to be such a huge deal. But “Belief” lacks credible support and dubious. However well intentioned, the program was fitting to a brand Oprah owns known as OWN.  

Read more at: http://www.oprah.com/belief/Oprah-Winfrey-Presents-Belief

Notwithstanding, In God’s revelation of Himself through His son Jesus Christ, we have come to know His attributes. Without it, we would be left to speculate, guess if you will about an infinite God.

Consequently, this is often the basis of countless religions existing today. Unfortunately, the deities, self-prosperity beliefs, word faith movements, self-realization, reincarnation, Buddha concepts, universalism, Atheists and more are products of a fallen human race. The creator of all things has declared Himself in precise detail. Mankind on the other hand, decided to mire in mythology, society is sold on this. As a result, professed biblical Christians including baby one’s and pastors are being bamboozled, falling into a web of delusion. Many are being hurled, muddled if you will in their thoughts about God by counterfeit-biblical sources, specifically best-selling Christian books, current Christian television programming, in similar fashion, Oprah and her conjured up beliefs. In order that this world continue into this spiraling descent, God’s holy character is vilified down to appealing ideas that usually pleases lusts of the flesh but are not scripturally sound.

Even more, contributions of misleading superficial relationships with false imaginable deities, Self-realization theories stemming from inner me perspectives, which turn into being lovers of ourselves. John, the beloved Apostle, in his epistle explains that believers love God because he first loved us. (1 John: 4:19). Have we then turned away from what we came to understand, believed? The simple gospel, that God became a Man in order to reconcile us to himself through His life, death and resurrection? He provided the gift of salvation for all mankind by paying the infinite penalty for all our sins. The end result, the Lord Jesus Christ saving us. As a reminder, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:12-13).

Misguided Leadership

Perfect example of Winfrey’s ambiguous guidance leads us to Evangelical leader Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest California. Pastor Rick Warren’s Church averages a weekly attendance of approximately 20,000 people. Mr. Warren becomes a brief focus point of this first chapter to Christianity because more than any other Evangelical (Emerging) pastor, his marketing campaign for popularity and notoriety has him on just about every major media network and forum. In addition, his most publicized book called "The Purpose Driven Life - What on earth am I here for? A book published back in 1997 and re-released for a younger generation has attracted millions.

Let us talk about that later, what I'd like to focus your attention on is his interview on national television aired Christmas morning December 25, 2012 on CBS This Morning where host Norah O'Donnell asked Popular pastor Rick Warren about his support of and defining marriage between a man and woman. She started her interview by quoting the second greatest commandment - "love thy neighbor as thyself" - then asked Warren "Why do you oppose same-sex marriage?" Warren responded by saying "We're in a democracy, where nobody wins all the time - okay. For instance, I happen to believe life begins at conception. But that's not the law. We have a wide spectrum in America, and we have to work for the common good, and that means, sometimes, what I mean being 'co-belligerent'.

For instance, “I don't agree with everything that the National Organization of Women supports. But when they are opposing pornography, that objectifies a woman's body, I'm a co-belligerent with them. So, I don't happen to agree with everything that my gay friends believe, but when they want to end AIDS, I'm a co-belligerent with them." I've wondered how many times Mr. Warren rehearsed that answer! Let me ask, how many people do you suppose know what "co-belligerent means? Well, Co-belligerence, strictly speaking, is waging a war in cooperation with another against a common enemy without a formal alliance. The term co-belligerence indicates remoteness and differences between the co-belligerent parties although jointly pursuing a common objective. In Christianity, it refers to an alliance between denominations, which are normally opposed on doctrinal grounds, for a common social goal. (Theopedia: An Encyclopedia of Christianity).

Most interestingly, Pastor Rick has flip-flopped so many times on where he really stands on this issue. See his reverse by visiting the link provided.

(http://christiannews.net/2012/12/04/rick-warrens-regret-over-making-video-supporting-biblical-marriage-questioned-by-family-group),

In spite of his views, problems arise with Rick Warren’s remarks and stance. Evangelicals or in this case emerging church leaders like himself are spending too much of their time in attempts to reform this current culture, thereby being distracted from the mission and responsibility to the church; different from what Scripture tells us “watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them” (Acts 20:28-30 (NET). In regards to co-belligerence, it’s used to describe Evangelicals who are aligned with Catholics opposing abortion: called "moral evil." Unfortunately, we cannot be moral to each other because apart from God there is no such thing, we are all sinners and are naturally selfish evil humans.

With this intention, daily in our thoughts, actions and selectiveness, we sin. So basically what leaders such as Rick Warren millions look up to is saying, Women are guilty of committing the sixth commandment. But who are we to cast judgment? Romans 14:1-13 teaches us "As for the one, who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstain pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. So then, who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in their own mind." Now, I agree it is wrong, but how can any group or society have any cultural impact apart from Jesus Christ? Christians and church leaders alike need to focus on preaching the true word of the gospel, not practicing cultural reform.

In view of the fact that changing our laws will not change this sinful immoral culture, only a personal relationship with Christ will do that. Co-anchor Charlie Rose asked Rick Warren "you have to be tolerant of other people's views. And so, if they differ with you with respect to Christianity or with respect to some of the things you say, you are tolerant and accepting that they came to their beliefs in a genuine way, and have to be respected for that." Church pastor Warren responded by saying that "the left has changed the meaning of the word "tolerance" to further their agenda." He went on to state that the problem is 'tolerant' has changed its meaning, the word used to mean I may disagree with you completely, but I'm going to treat you with r