Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey (originally Orpah after the biblical character) was born in Kosciusko , Mississippi , to a Baptist family. Her parents were unmarried teenagers. Her mother, Vernita Lee, was a housemaid, and her father, Vernon Winfrey, was a coal miner and later worked as a barber before becoming a city councilman. Oprah’s father was in the armed forces when she was born. After her birth, Oprah’s mother traveled north and Oprah spent her first six years living in rural poverty with her grandmother, Hattie Mae. Oprah’s grandmother taught her to read before the age of three and took her to the local church where she was nicknamed, “The Preacher,” for her ability to recite Bible verses.
At age six, Oprah moved to an inner city ghetto in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , with her mother, who was less supportive and encouraging than her grandmother. Oprah has stated that she was molested by her cousin, an uncle and a family friend starting when she was nine years old.
Like many teenagers at the end of the 1960s, Oprah rebelled, ran away from home and ran to the streets. When she was 14 she became pregnant, but the baby died shortly after birth. Also at that age her frustrated mother sent her to live with her father in Nashville , Tennessee . Vernon was strict, but encouraging, and made her education a priority. Winfrey became an honors student, was voted Most Popular Girl, joined her high school speech team, and placed second in the nation in dramatic interpretation. She won an oratory contest, which secured her a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, a historically black institution, where she studied communication. At age 18, Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.
Her broadcasting career began in Nashville while she was still in high school on WVOL radio. At the age of 19 she became the youngest person and the first African American woman to anchor the news at Nashville ’s WTVF-TV. Her success has continued through the years to present day, where for nearly 25 years she has hosted her own nationally-syndicated talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Despite the fact that Oprah was introduced to the God of the Bible at a young age in the company of her grandmother, by attending the local church, it would seem apparent from even a cursory recounting of parts of her childhood and young adult life that she never came to know the Lord personally. In recent years this has become increasingly apparent, as Oprah has not only personally turned to New Age philosophies, but has become very influential in the lives of tens of millions who look to her as the source of spiritual inspiration.
Somewhere during her career Oprah read a book entitled, Discover the Power Within You by Unity minister Eric Butterworth. In line with the Unity teaching, the book expounded on the divinity of many 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. One such author – now a close friend – is Marianne Williamson, who is today considered a premier New Age leader. Williamson is presently teaching through A Course in Miracles on Oprah’s new XM Satellite radio program. By the end of the year, "Oprah & Friends" listeners will have completed all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles workbook. Those who finish the course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset -- a New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is "in" everyone and everything. A Course in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe about God and life. The course workbook bluntly states: "This is a course in mind training" and is dedicated to "thought reversal."
Not only is Oprah Winfrey in need of having the blindness removed from her own mind – until she has that life-changing experience she is systematically leading millions down the broad road to destruction. Pray as you’ve never prayed before that God will reach down into the life of this woman for whom Jesus died – that she would see the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ and be saved for eternity.
--Heidi