God bless Richard Abanes for taking Tolle to task. In March, Oprah held an online class that included 500,000 people based on Eckhart Tolle's best seller "A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose". Hardly harmless, his book reached #1 on Amazon, was the fastest selling pick on Barnes and Noble and set a "record shipment in a 4-week span." All proof that what Oprah endorses, sells. That is why this new age theory of his has been embraced. In all fairness, his new earth is the same one other new age thinkers have been talking about since the mid 1800's. The only difference is the colorful wording Tolle uses.
Tolle says truth is described as a concept you hear about and get a good feeling about-therefore it's true. However, isn't truth about facts-not feelings? Each persons life experience is different, creating feelings or a lack of them. To base truth on feelings is short of superficial psycho-babble.
A major disclaimer Oprah states in the book in regards to Tolle's theories is that they do not negate other religions and his theories are not a religion in itself. Oh really? What about the following quotes from Tolle?
"All religions are equally true depending on how you use them....if you believe only your religion is the truth, you are using it in the service of ego."
"Buddha and Jesus had much less information than a person has today because humans didn't know that much at the time, but it didn't matter."
"You can substitute "Christ" for presence, if that is more meaningful to you. Christ is your God-essence or the self."
"Sin means to miss the mark. Sin means to miss the point of human existence."
So much, Oprah, for Tolle's theories not being about religion. I pray Abane's book reaches as many as Oprah's on-line course. It is a vital light dispelling the shadows of misconception Tolle used to darken "the way, the truth and the light." Abane's "A new Earth an Old Deception" should be mandatory reading in churches across America. Each of Tolle's theories are presented to which Abane answers those presumptions with the truth from the Bible. It's only when we gird ourselves in truth that we can dispel the myths, theories and outright lies. Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun, and in Hebrews it is written that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Be mindful of those that wish to say otherwise.
**All quotes taken from the book.
Bethany House Publishers
released June 2008
190 Pages
