The stage lights of Oprah Winfreyy’s show always had something special about them. Warm, inviting, like stepping into a safe space where everything could be shared. But Jonathan Roomie sat in the guest chair feeling something wasn’t right. Not with the lights, but with the entire system behind them.

Oprah smiled at him. The smile that built an empire. The smile millions of people trusted. Jonathan, she said, voice smooth as silk. You’ve brought Jesus to millions through the chosen. But today, I want to talk about something else, about the power of personal faith, about finding the divine within yourself. Jonathan looked straight into her eyes.

Oprah, before we talk about that, I want to ask you something. Do you believe in objective truth or do you think each person can create their own truth? The room suddenly became silent, not comfortable silence. The tense kind that happens when someone just said something not in the script. Opera’s smile didn’t change, but her eyes did.

Something flashed through them. Weariness perhaps, or recognition that this interview wasn’t going to unfold as she’d planned. But to understand why Jonathan asked this question, why he sat here with a purpose completely different from what Oprah expected, we have to go back three months, back to the night he received an email that would change how he saw one of the most influential women in the world.

Jonathan was at home reading the Bible as he did every night. The phone chimed. Email from an address he’d never seen. Subject line from someone who trusted Oprah more than God. He opened it. Mr. Romy, my name is Rachel.

I don’t know if I should write this, but after watching The Chosen, after seeing you portray Jesus with such authenticity, I felt I had to speak. I’ve been lost for 15 years. Not because I walked away from God, but because I thought I was walking toward him. Through the teachings of Oprah Winfrey, Jonathan kept reading. Rachel told her story. She was a sincere Christian, grew up in church, believed in Jesus.

But then she started watching the Oprah Winfrey show, Super Soul Sunday, reading the books Oprah recommended. At first, it seemed harmless. Oprah talked about love, about compassion, about spiritual power, but gradually the message changed. Or perhaps Rachel was just beginning to hear clearly what had always been there.

The divine within you. You are God in your own universe. There’s no one truth that fits everyone. Jesus is one of many paths. Rachel started believing these things. started thinking her faith was too narrow, too exclusive, that she needed to expand to embrace greater truth.

She left her church, said organized religion, limited spirituality. She began practicing meditation from various traditions, read books about the law of attraction, believed she could manifest her own reality through positive thinking. I thought I was evolving. Rachel wrote, “But I was actually disintegrating. My marriage fell apart because I believed if it wasn’t serving my journey. I should release it.

I became distant from my children because they didn’t resonate with my frequency. I lost my job because I believed the universe would provide without my effort.” The end of the email made Jonathan stop. I attempted suicide twice. Not because I was depressed, but because I believed death was just an energy transition.

That if this life didn’t make me happy, I could choose another one. That’s what the spiritual books Oprah endorsed taught me. Not directly, but through their logic. Rachel concluded, “I’m finding my way back to the real Jesus. Not Jesus, who was a great teacher among many, but Jesus as Lord, as truth, as the only way, but there are millions of others out there lost like I was. And they trust Oprah because they think she’s leading them to God.

Someone needs to speak the truth, and I think that someone is you. Jonathan read that email five times. Then he began researching. He rewatched Super Soul Sunday episodes. Read the books Oprah Promoted, A New Earth by Echart Tulli, The Secret by Ronda Burn, many others, all praised by Oprah as life-changing works.

And he saw a pattern, subtle, wrapped in positive language and affirmation. But fundamentally it was new age religion, pantheism, the belief that all is one, that you are God, that there’s no objective truth, that every path leads to the same place. It sounded beautiful, sounded tolerant, sounded loving. But as Jonathan dug deeper, he saw the consequences.

People who had lost families because they believed relationships were temporary and less important than personal journey. People who had refused medical treatment because they believed in energy healing. People who had fallen into debt because they believed the law of attraction would bring money. And people like Rachel.

People who had considered suicide because they no longer believed in the inherent value of life. Jonathan found an online forum. People calling themselves Oprah survivors. People who had once followed her devotedly believed her teachings and paid the price. Hundreds of stories, maybe thousands. People sharing how they’d been led astray, how they’d found their way back or were still trying to find it. One person wrote, “Oprah taught me I was my own god.

” sounded empowering until I realized it meant I was absolutely responsible for everything bad that happened to me, including being abused. I blamed myself for years because I manifested my own pain. Another I spent 10 years searching for my own truth. The result was I had nothing.

Nothing to hold on to, no foundation, just endlessly shifting sand. Jonathan realized something. Oprah Winfrey wasn’t malicious. She wasn’t trying to hurt people, but she was teaching things contrary to Orthodox Christianity. And because she did it with a warm smile and loving language, millions didn’t realize they were being led away from Jesus, not toward him.

And nobody was speaking up because Oprah was too powerful, too beloved. Anyone challenging her would be called intolerant, narrow-minded, judgmental. But Jonathan thought about Rachel, about her suicide attempts, about the millions of others who might be walking the same path, and he made his decision.

Two weeks later, his phone rang. a producer from OWN network. Oprah Winfrey wanted to invite him on super soul Sunday to talk about the chosen about faith about spirituality. Jonathan listened to the invitation. Then he said, “I’ll come, but I have one request. I want at least 15 minutes to discuss the difference between Christianity and new age spirituality.” uncut, unedited.

There was a long pause. I’ll have to ask Oprah, but that topic might be sensitive. Exactly. That’s why it needs to be said. And now he was here sitting across from Oprah Winfrey, his question still hanging in the air. Do you believe in objective truth? Oprah tilted her head. Jonathan, I believe in many truths. I believe each person must find their own path.

But do some paths lead to the destination and some don’t? And with that question, everything began to change? Oprah leaned back in her chair. The audience was completely still. This wasn’t the usual flow of Super Soul Sunday. This was something else. Jonathan, I think all paths that come from love lead to the same place.

Whether you call it God, the universe, higher consciousness, or source energy, we’re all seeking connection with something greater than ourselves. Jonathan nodded slowly. I understand why that sounds appealing. It’s inclusive. It avoids conflict.

But what if it’s not true? What if there actually is one reality? One truth about who God is and how we reach him. But who gets to decide what that truth is? Oprah’s voice remained calm. But there was an edge now. Throughout history, people claiming to have the only truth have caused wars, oppression, persecution. You’re right. People have done terrible things claiming exclusive truth.

But that doesn’t make all truth claims equally valid. If I tell you this building has a foundation and someone else says buildings float on thoughts. We can test which is true. Reality doesn’t change based on what we prefer to believe. A woman in the audience raised her hand. Oprah gestured to her. I’ve been following your teachings for 20 years.

Oprah, they’ve helped me so much. Why does it matter if we call it different things? Why can’t we all just respect each other’s paths? Jonathan turned to face her. Can I ask you something? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the only way to God as he claimed or do you believe he was one teacher among many? The woman hesitated.

I think he was a beautiful soul who showed us how to live. But so were Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna. They all taught love, but they taught contradictory things about the nature of God, the nature of humanity, and how we’re reconciled to the divine. Jesus said, “He is the way, the truth, and the life, not a way.

The way, if that’s true, it matters enormously. If it’s false, then he was either deluded or a liar.” Oprah interjected. Or perhaps he was speaking metaphorically. Perhaps he meant the Christ consciousness within all of us. Jonathan pulled a small book from his jacket, his worn Bible. May I read what he actually said? Of course. Be open to a marked page.

Jesus told his disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” Later he said, “I and the father are one.” The religious leaders of his time understood exactly what he was claiming. That’s why they wanted him dead. He wasn’t claiming to show people how to find God within themselves. He was claiming to be God.

But Jonathan, that’s one interpretation. There are scholars who see it differently. There are scholars who will interpret anything any way that suits their preferences. But if we’re going to claim to follow Jesus, shouldn’t we at least be honest about what he actually taught? He didn’t teach that all paths lead to God.

He taught the opposite. He said, “The path to destruction is wide and many find it, but the path to life is narrow and few find it.” The producer in the booth was making frantic gestures. This wasn’t going according to plan. But Oprah held up a hand. Keep rolling. So you’re saying everyone who doesn’t believe exactly as you do is going to hell.

Her voice remained measured. But the challenge was clear. I’m saying what Jesus said that he is the door. That salvation comes through him alone. Not through my goodness. Not through your goodness. Not through positive thinking or manifesting or finding the divine within ourselves.

Through him, a man in the audience stood up. This is the kind of narrow-minded thinking that divides the world. We need more unity, not more exclusivity. Jonathan looked at him. I understand the desire for unity, but unity built on a lie isn’t real unity. If a doctor tells you that you have cancer, you don’t go to nine other doctors hoping one will tell you you’re fine.

You face the reality of your condition so you can get proper treatment. Jesus diagnosed humanity’s condition. Sin, separation from God, and he provided the treatment himself. Oprah stood up. She paced slightly. A gesture her audience knew meant she was thinking deeply. Jonathan, I’ve had many spiritual teachers on this show. Echart Tolley, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson.

They’ve helped millions of people find peace, purpose. Meaning, are you saying they’re all wrong? I’m saying they’re teaching a different gospel. And the Apostle Paul was very clear about what to do with a different gospel. He said, “Even if an angel from heaven preaches a gospel different from the one Christ taught, don’t accept it.

But their teachings have transformed lives. I’ve seen it personally.” Jonathan leaned forward. “Oprah, can I share something with you?” “A letter I received three months ago.” She nodded. He pulled out his phone, opened the email from Rachel. This is from a woman who watched your show religiously, who read every book you recommended, who believed when you said, “We’re all divine.

” When you endorsed teachings about manifesting reality, when you suggested all spiritual paths are equally valid, he began reading excerpts, Rachel’s story, the dissolved marriage, the alienated children, the two suicide attempts. The studio went completely silent. She’s not alone, Jonathan continued. I found an entire community of people, hundreds, maybe thousands, who followed the spiritual teachings promoted on this show and lost everything.

Their families, their mental health, their grip on reality itself. Oprah’s face had changed. The composure was cracking. That’s tragic, but you can’t blame spiritual teaching for someone’s mental health crisis. When the teaching tells you that you create your own reality, that you’re God, that there’s no objective truth outside yourself.

What happens when reality doesn’t match your thoughts? When you can’t manifest healing, when relationships fail despite positive thinking, either you’re not spiritual enough or you’re being punished for bad karma or nothing means anything. All roads lead to despair. He stood now matching Oprah’s position. The gospel of Jesus doesn’t promise that life will be easy if you think the right thoughts.

It promises that God is real, that he loves you, that he sent his son to die for your sins, and that through faith in him, you have eternal life. That’s not manifesting. That’s rescue by someone outside yourself because you can’t save yourself. A producer rushed onto the set. Oprah, we need to break, but Oprah waved him off. No, we’re going to finish this conversation. She turned back to Jonathan.

You’ve made your point. You think I’m leading people astray. That my spiritual openness is actually spiritual deception. But let me ask you something. If your Jesus is so loving, why would he send good people to hell? just because they believe differently. Why would a loving God be so exclusive? Jonathan’s answer was quiet but firm.

He’s not sending anyone to hell. We’re already separated from God because of sin. Jesus is offering the way back. The only way back, not because God is exclusive, but because the problem is that serious. If there were any other way, Jesus wouldn’t have had to die. The cross isn’t God being mean. It’s God doing whatever it takes to save us.

Oprah sat back down for the first time in the interview. She looked uncertain. I need to think about this. That’s all I’m asking. Not that you agree with me right now, but that you consider whether what you’ve been teaching align with what Jesus actually said. Because millions of people trust you.

And if you’re pointing them away from him, even unintentionally, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The cameras kept rolling as Oprah sat in silence, processing words she’d probably never heard spoken to her so directly. The commercial break that finally came felt like a release valve on a pressure cooker. Staff rushed around. Producers huddled. Oprah walked off set without a word.

Disappearing into her private dressing room, Jonathan sat alone in the guest chair. Knowing what he’d just done, he’d challenged the most trusted woman in media on her own platform. About the core of what she’d built her second career on spiritual seeking, universal truth, personal divinity. A production assistant approached nervously. Mr.

Roomie Oprah would like to see you in her dressing room. Jonathan followed her through corridors lined with photos. Oprah with presidents with celebrities with spiritual leaders from every tradition. Maya Angelou Deepak Chopra the Daly Lama a visual history of the empire she’d built on being open to all paths. The assistant knocked. Come in. Oprah’s voice called.

She sat on a couch, makeup being touched up, but her eyes were focused on a laptop. When Jonathan entered, she dismissed everyone. The room emptied until it was just the two of them. “Sit,” she said. “Not unkind, but not warm either.” Jonathan sat across from her. That email you read from Rachel, is it real? Yes. Do you have more? Hundreds.

Oprah closed the laptop, looked at him directly. I need to tell you something, something I’ve never said publicly. When I first started exploring spirituality beyond traditional Christianity, it felt like freedom. like I was finally allowed to ask questions, to seek, to not be confined by dogma. She paused.

My grandmother raised me Pentecostal fire and brimstone, a God who was always angry, always judging. I couldn’t reconcile that with a loving God. So, I went looking elsewhere and I found teachers who told me God was love, that we’re all connected. That judgment was a human construct and that felt better.

Jonathan said it felt like coming home, like finding what I’d been searching for my whole life. Her voice carried emotion now, and I wanted to share that freedom with others. Every book I recommended, every teacher I platformed, it came from a genuine desire to help people find peace. I believe that.

But you’re telling me I’ve been leading them away from truth, that my good intentions have caused harm. Jonathan chose his words carefully. I think you rejected a false version of God, the angry, distant judge. But in running from that, you ran past the real Jesus, the one who is both loving and truth. Who offers grace but also requires surrender.

who saves but also claims lordship. Oprah stood walked to the window. After we finish this interview, my world is going to explode. You know that, right? Christian groups will use this as ammunition. New age communities will feel attacked. My audience will split. Some will defend me. Others will question everything I’ve taught. I know. She turned back to him.

So, why did you do this? Why come on my show just to tear down what I’ve built? Because Rachel tried to kill herself. Because there are thousands like her who think they’re gods and can’t understand why their reality is falling apart. Because Jesus said, “If you love me, you’ll obey my commands.

” And one of those commands is to speak truth even when it’s costly. And what about love? What about compassion? What about meeting people where they are? Jesus met people where they were. But he didn’t leave them there. He called them to repentance, to change, to follow him, not to find him within themselves, but to surrender to him as Lord outside themselves.

Oprah sat back down, suddenly looking tired. I have a confession. Three years ago, I had a conversation with a theologian off camera. He said similar things to what you’re saying. That I was promoting synratism. That I was picking and choosing from different religions to create something comfortable but not true.

What did you do? I thanked him for his perspective and never invited him back. I told myself he was narrow-minded, stuck in old paradigms. But sometimes late at night, I wonder if he was right. If all my seeking has been running. If all my openness has been avoidance. Jonathan leaned forward. Oprah, it’s not too late. You can tell the truth.

You have the platform. You have the audience. You could help millions find the real Jesus instead of a version that fits comfortably into new age thinking. She laughed bitter. Do you know what that would cost me? The book deals, the partnerships, the entire spiritual brand I’ve built.

Echart Tole alone has sold millions through my endorsement. Deepo Chopra, Mariana Williamson, they’re my friends, my colleagues. But are they leading people to Jesus or away from him? Silence filled the room. heavy, uncomfortable, the kind of silence where truth hangs, waiting to be acknowledged or rejected. Finally, Oprah spoke. When we go back out there, I’m going to finish this interview.

I’m going to ask you hard questions, push back, defend what I’ve taught because I have to. Because my team, my network, my empire, they need me to. I understand. But after it airs, I’m going to do something I haven’t done in years. I’m going to read the Gospels, not looking for wisdom literature, not looking for metaphor, just reading what Jesus actually said.

And I’m going to sit with the question you asked about objective truth about whether all paths really do lead to the same place. That’s all I’m asking. She stood. Let’s finish this. They walked back to the set together. The audience had been briefed during the break. Stay respectful. This is an important conversation. The cameras would roll continuously now. No more commercial breaks. No more escape routes. Oprah settled into her chair.

Her composure had returned. The vulnerability from the dressing room was hidden again behind the professional warmth. We’re back, she said to the camera, and I want to continue this conversation because I think it’s important. Jonathan, you’ve made very serious claims that the spiritual teaching I’ve promoted is leading people astray.

That’s a heavy accusation. It’s not an accusation. It’s an observation based on comparing what you teach with what Jesus taught. They don’t align. Give me a specific example. Jonathan pulled out his phone again. You enthusiastically promoted A New Earth by Echart Tole even did a webcast series on it.

In that book, Tole writes that the whole gospel of Jesus can be summed up as the realization that you are the Christ, that you and the father are one, just as Jesus was. Yes. And that’s beautiful, empowering, but it’s not what Jesus taught. When Jesus said, “I and the father are one,” he was claiming unique divine identity. That’s why the Pharisees picked up stones to kill him for blasphemy.

They understood he wasn’t saying everyone is one with God. He was saying he specifically was God in human flesh. Oprah shook her head. You’re interpreting it literally. Echart interprets it as Jesus pointing to the Christ consciousness available to all of us. But that interpretation requires ignoring everything else Jesus said. His claims to be the only mediator between God and man.

His statement that no one comes to the Father except through him. His command to believe in him specifically for salvation. You can’t cherrypick one statement and build a whole theology that contradicts his other teachings. A woman in the audience stood. Jonathan recognized the look on her face. She’d been on a journey similar to Rachel’s. I need to say something, the woman said.

voice shaking. I’ve been a devoted follower of this show for 15 years. I left Christianity because Oprah taught me it was too limiting. I explored Buddhism, Hinduism, new age practices. I thought I was enlightening, but 3 months ago, my daughter was in a car accident.

And when I tried to manifest her healing, when I tried to tap into the divine within me, I felt nothing, just emptiness. A friend from my old church came and prayed with me, prayed to Jesus. And I felt something I hadn’t felt in 15 years. Presence, not from within me, but from beyond me, someone real, someone who cared. Tears ran down her face. My daughter recovered and I started reading the Bible again. Really reading it.

And I realized I’d been worshiping myself for 15 years, calling it spirituality, but it was just sophisticated narcissism. The audience erupted, half in agreement, half in protest. Oprah raised her hand for silence, but the divide was clear now.

The comfortable unity of all paths was fracturing under the weight of one simple question. Does truth exist outside our preferences? The chaos in the studio forced Oprah to call for order multiple times. People were standing, shouting across rows, some trying to leave while others blocked the aisles wanting to be heard. This wasn’t the peaceful contemplative atmosphere Super Soul Sunday was known for. This was raw conflict.

A man near the front finally got Oprah’s attention. Distinguished looking, probably in his 60s. I’m a pastor, have been for 30 years. And I want to thank Jonathan for saying what church leaders have been afraid to say for decades. Oprah turned to him, which is that your platform has done more to undermine biblical Christianity than perhaps any other voice in modern media.

Not through hostility, through redefinition. You take Christian language, strip it of its meaning, and fill it with new age content. Then people think they’re still being Christian when they’ve actually adopted a completely different religion. That’s not fair, Oprah protested. I’ve had many Christian leaders on this show, pastors, theologians.

They didn’t object to what I was teaching because you invited the ones who already agreed with you. Jonathan said quietly. The ones who’d already merged Christianity with new age thought. You didn’t invite theologians who would challenge the idea that all paths lead to God. Who would say that Jesus meant what he said about being the only way? A woman in the back stood up.

She looked angry. This is exactly why I left Christianity. This exclusivity, this arrogance, who are you to say billions of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists are all wrong, that only your narrow interpretation is correct. Jonathan turned to face her. I’m not saying I’m right. I’m saying Jesus made specific claims.

Either he was telling the truth or he wasn’t. If he was, then it doesn’t matter how many people believe differently. Truth isn’t determined by majority vote. But it’s so intolerant. Is it intolerant for a doctor to tell you that only one treatment will cure your disease? Or is it loving? Is it arrogant for a pilot to insist there’s only one way to land the plane safely? Or is it responsible Jesus isn’t being narrow? He’s being truthful about the human condition and the only remedy, Oprah interjected, trying to regain control. But Jonathan, different religions have brought comfort

to billions, have inspired art, music, philosophy. Are you saying none of that has value? I’m saying comfort isn’t the same as truth. A false religion can provide temporary peace, can inspire beautiful things, but if it doesn’t lead to the real God, if it doesn’t address the real problem of sin and separation, then it’s ultimately a dead end.

And that matters because we’re not just talking about this life. We’re talking about eternity. There it is. Someone called out hell, fire, and brimstone. That’s what this is really about. Jonathan shook his head. Hell is about justice, about God giving people what they ultimately choose.

If you spend your whole life saying you don’t want God, you don’t want his authority. You want to be your own God. Then hell is God honoring that choice. It’s separation from him, which is what people have been choosing all along. A young woman, probably in her 20s, raised her hand tentatively. Oprah nodded to her. “I’m confused,” she said.

“I grew up watching this show with my mom. She taught me that God is love, that all we need is to love ourselves and others. That seemed so pure, so simple. Are you saying that’s wrong?” Jonathan’s voice softened. God is love. That’s absolutely true. But God’s love isn’t the same as accepting everything.

When you love someone, you tell them the truth even when it’s hard. A parent who lets their child run into traffic isn’t loving. They’re negligent. God’s love is expressed in telling us the truth about our condition and providing the way out through Jesus. But why Jesus specifically? Why not just be a good person? Because good isn’t good enough.

The standard isn’t other people. It’s God’s holiness. And none of us meet that standard. We all fall short. That’s why we need a savior. Someone who lived the perfect life we couldn’t live and died the death we deserved. Jesus doesn’t just show us how to be good. He becomes our goodness, our righteousness. That’s grace. Oprah stood up pacing.

Now I need to push back on something. You’re painting a picture of humanity as fundamentally broken. As incapable of goodness without divine intervention. That’s such a negative view of human nature. It’s a realistic view. Look at history. Look at what humans do when there’s no accountability. We don’t need to teach children to be selfish, to lie, to hurt others.

That comes naturally. What takes effort is goodness, sacrifice, love, because we’re working against our fallen nature. But there’s so much good in the world, so much kindness, and it’s all a reflection of the image of God we’re made in. Even broken mirrors reflect some light. But that doesn’t mean we’re not broken. Doesn’t mean we don’t need restoration.

A man who’d been quiet the whole time stood. He was crying. I need to say something. My name is Marcus. I’ve been living the life Oprah teaches. Found the divine within myself. Manifested my reality. Believed I was creating my own truth. And two months ago, my wife left me, took the kids, said I’d become so self-absorbed, so convinced of my own divinity, that I’d stopped being human, stopped being a husband and father, just became this spiritual narcissist.

He wiped his eyes. I thought I was enlightened. Turned out I was just alone. And it wasn’t until I hit bottom that a friend told me about Jesus. not Jesus the spiritual teacher, Jesus the savior. And for the first time in years, I felt like I could breathe, like I didn’t have to be God anymore, like I could just be loved. The studio went quiet.

Even Oprah seemed moved, but she composed herself. That’s a powerful testimony, Marcus. But that’s your experience, your truth. Others have found genuine peace and transformation through the teachings I’ve shared. Have they? Jonathan asked. Or have they found temporary comfort that collapses when real suffering comes? When you can’t manifest health? When you can’t think away pain? When the universe doesn’t provide? What’s left? If your foundation is your own divinity? What happens when you fail? when you discover you’re not God after all. He

stood now facing the camera directly. Oprah has built an empire on telling people what they want to hear, that they’re enough, that they’re divine, that they just need to look within. But Jesus told people what they needed to hear, that they’re lost, that they’re broken, but that he came to seek and save them. One message makes you feel good temporarily. The other actually saves you. Oprah’s face hardened.

You’re accusing me of deception, of building an empire on lies. I’m saying you’ve built an empire on half-truths. You’ve taken the comfort of the gospel, the love of God, the promise of transformation, and separated them from the cost, from repentance, from the lordship of Christ.

You’ve made Christianity palatable by making it something other than Christianity. And you think you can come on my show in my studio and tear down everything I’ve spent decades building. I think someone had to speak the truth. Even if it costs me everything. Even if you use your platform to destroy my reputation, because there are millions of people who trust you, who believe you’re leading them to God when you’re actually leading them to a mirror.

The two stood facing each other. The most trusted woman in media and an actor who’d risked everything to speak truth. The cameras captured every second. And millions watching at home were being forced to choose, comfort or truth. The divine within or the Savior without, all paths or one way. The question hung in the air like a sword waiting to fall. Oprah made a decision in that moment.

She could end the interview, cut to commercial, have security escort Jonathan out, protect the empire, or she could let this play out. Let the confrontation reach its natural conclusion. She chose the latter. Let’s hear from more of the audience. She said, her voice controlled but strained. Because this affects all of you.

Everything we’ve discussed on this show for years is being challenged right now. A woman in professional attire stood. I’m a therapist and I have to say I’ve seen both sides of this. I’ve had clients damaged by rigid legalistic Christianity, shamed for being human, told they’re never good enough. Those people found healing through the kind of inclusive spirituality Oprah teaches.

And I’ve also had clients, she continued, who fell apart because they believed they were their own gods, who couldn’t handle the weight of that responsibility, who discovered that self- worship is just another form of isolation. The question isn’t which approach feels better, it’s which approach is true. Jonathan nodded.

That’s exactly right. False Christianity. Christianity. That’s all law and no grace. That’s damaging. But the answer isn’t to abandon Christianity for something else. It’s to find real Christianity. Jesus plus nothing. Grace that transforms. An older man stood. Bible in hand. I’ve been sitting here getting angrier and angrier. Not at Jonathan, at myself.

Because I’m a deacon in my church. And I’ve watched members of our congregation drift away. They say the church is too judgmental, too narrow. And I’ve watched them drift right to Oprah’s teachings. And I said nothing because I didn’t want to seem intolerant. Didn’t want to be divisive. His voice broke, but my silence let them walk away from truth.

Let them believe a lie wrapped in love language. And I have to repent of that, of valuing my reputation over their souls. More people stood. The testimonies came in waves. Some defending Oprah, more admitting they’d been led astray. The carefully constructed unity of the audience was shattering in real time.

Oprah sat back down, and for the first time, she looked not like a host in control, but like a woman watching her legacy crack. Jonathan, she said quietly. What do you want from this? What’s your endgame? To destroy my credibility, to turn people against me. I want people to know the real Jesus, not the version that fits comfortably into new age thought.

Not the cosmic Christ consciousness, the historical Jesus who walked on earth, performed miracles, died on a cross, and rose from the dead. who said things that are either true or insane. There’s no middle ground. And if I disagree, if I maintain that there are many paths to God, then you’re free to do that.

But you should stop claiming to be pointing people to Jesus because the Jesus of the Bible and the Jesus of New Age spirituality are two different beings. One is God who became man to save us. The other is an enlightened human showing us how to save ourselves. They’re not the same. A producer approached, whispered something to Oprah.

She nodded, then looked at the camera. We’re going to end the broadcast here, but this conversation isn’t over. I need time to process what’s been said. To think, to pray, maybe. She glanced at Jonathan. You’ve given me a lot to consider. The camera light went off. The audience began filing out. Many in heated discussions.

Some approached Jonathan, thanking him. Others glared with open hostility. Security hovered nearby, unsure whether to protect him or remove him. Oprah remained seated as the studio emptied. Jonathan started to leave, but she called out, “Wait.” He turned back. She was alone on her set now. the lights dimming.

She looked smaller somehow, more human. My grandmother used to pray for me every night. Even after I became famous, even after I started exploring other spiritual paths, she’d call me and say, “Baby, I’m praying you come back to Jesus.” I thought she was narrow-minded, stuck in old ways, but maybe she didn’t finish the sentence.

It’s never too late. Jonathan said, “That’s the beauty of grace. It doesn’t matter how far you’ve wandered. The father is always watching for the prodigal to come home. But the cost, everything I’ve built, the books, the partnerships, the entire spiritual brand. People trust me because I validate their choices.

If I suddenly say there’s only one way, I lose that trust. I lose everything. You lose an empire built on sand. But you gain truth. You gain Jesus. Isn’t that worth more? Oprah left. But it was hollow. Easy for you to say. You’re an actor. You can walk away from this. I’m Oprah. This is who I am. This is what I’ve built my entire second act on.

Then maybe it’s time for a third act. One built on truth instead of popularity. She stood suddenly business-like again. The vulnerability disappeared behind the professional mask. I need you to leave. My team will be in crisis mode. They’ll want to know how to handle this, how to spin it, and I need to think without you here. Jonathan walked toward the exit. At the door, he turned back one more time.

Oprah, millions of people love you. Trust you. Would listen if you told them the truth. That’s a gift. Don’t waste it protecting an empire that can’t save anyone. He left her alone on that famous stage, surrounded by everything she’d built. Facing the question that wouldn’t go away.

Is it true? Outside, Jonathan’s phone was exploding. Text messages, calls, emails. His manager, what did you do? His publicist. We need damage control now. Friends, are you okay? But one email caught his attention from Rachel, the woman whose suicide attempts had started this whole thing. I watched it live. I’m crying.

You said everything I needed someone to say, everything I couldn’t articulate. Thank you for risking everything. You just saved lives, including mine all over again. Jonathan sat in his car in the parking lot, hands shaking from adrenaline, and finally let himself feel the weight of what had just happened.

He’d confronted one of the most powerful women in media on her own show about the core of what she’d built her empire on. The fallout would be massive. Oprah’s team would mobilize. Her defenders would attack. The new age community would paint him as intolerant. Some Christians would distance themselves, uncomfortable with the confrontation.

But somewhere, people like Rachel were hearing truth they’d never heard before, were questioning beliefs they’d accepted without examination, were being pointed back to the real Jesus. His phone rang. Unknown number. He almost didn’t answer, but something made him pick up. Jonathan Roomie, a man’s voice. Older, tired. Yes. My name is Robert. I’m Oprah’s head of content.

I’ve worked with her for 15 years. I’m calling to tell you that what you did today, it needed to happen. And I’m resigning effective immediately because I can’t keep packaging new age spirituality as Christianity. I can’t keep helping people feel good about rejecting Jesus while thinking they’re following him. Jonathan didn’t know what to say. There are others like me.

Robert continued on her staff in her organization who’ve known for years something was wrong but stayed quiet because the money was good. The prestige was intoxicating and speaking up meant career suicide. You just showed us it’s possible necessary. So, thank you. The call ended. Jonathan sat in the silence of his car watching the sun set over the studio lot.

and realized the earthquake he triggered was just beginning. Within two hours, the interview had been clipped, uploaded, and shared across every social media platform. The algorithm gods loved controversy, and this was pure gold. Trending worldwide, millions of views. Come on, section exploding.

Jonathan drove home through Los Angeles traffic, his phone continuing its relentless buzzing. He finally turned it off completely. The silence in the car felt sacred after the chaos of the day. But at home, the world was waiting. His laptop, his tablet, every screen a window into the reaction. Twitter was predictably divided. Hashtags emerged immediately.

Dave Oprah, thank you. Jonathan, new age deception, intolerant Christianity. The discourse was brutal, tribal, with no middle ground permitted. Christian leaders were split. Some praised Jonathan’s courage. Others criticized his approach. Could have been more gentle. Should have shown more grace. Made us look judgmental. The usual chorus of those who preferred silence to confrontation.

But the new age community was unified in their fury. Deepo Chopra released a statement calling Jonathan’s words spiritual violence. Maryanne Williamson tweeted about religious fundamentalism disguised as love. Echarti remained silent, but his followers filled the void with accusations of narrow-mindedness and hate.

Jonathan’s agent called repeatedly. He finally answered on the seventh attempt. Do you understand what you’ve done? Every major talk show is now afraid to book you. The Chosen’s distributors are getting calls demanding your removal. There are petitions, thousands of signatures. You’re being called intolerant, hateful, a fundamentalist extremist.

I know you know that’s all you have to say. Your career could be over. everything you’ve built. I didn’t build anything. God did. If it’s supposed to continue, it will. If not, then I was faithful to what mattered more. His agent side. You’re insane, but I respect it. Suicidal, but respectable. After the call ended, Jonathan opened his email. Thousands of messages.

He started reading. Some were hateful, calling him every name imaginable, threatening violence, promising to destroy him. He deleted those without finishing them. But others, so many others, stories like Rachel’s, people who had been lost in new age spirituality and were finding their way back to Jesus.

People who had been waiting for someone to say what Jonathan said. people who felt permission now to question what Oprah had taught them. One email from a woman named Jennifer. I’ve been teaching yoga and meditation for 10 years, mixing Christianity with Eastern practices, telling people all paths lead to God. Today, I watched your interview and felt the Holy Spirit convict me. I’ve been leading people astray.

I’m cancelling my classes and spending time in repentance. Thank you for your courage. Another from a pastor. I’ve lost half my congregation to Oprah’s teachings over the past decade. They say church is too narrow, too judgmental. I’ve been afraid to confront it directly. Afraid of seeming intolerant. You just showed me that love sometimes requires confrontation.

That truth isn’t hate. I am using your interview in our Bible study this week. Jonathan read for hours. The stories blurred together, different details, but the same core theme. People had been searching for God and found a mirror instead. Had been promised divinity and discovered emptiness.

Had been told all paths lead to the same place and ended up lost. Near midnight, his doorbell rang. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Looked through the peepphole and saw a woman he didn’t recognize. late30s professional attire, nervous expression. He opened the door cautiously. Mr. Roomie, I’m sorry to show up like this. My name is Sarah Mitchell. I’m a producer for 60 Minutes. We’d like to do a follow-up piece on what happened today.

Give you a chance to expand on what you said. Let Oprah respond if she wants. do a real investigation into the impact of new age spirituality on American Christianity. Jonathan hesitated. Why? Because this story is bigger than one interview. It’s about what happens when celebrity replaces theology. When feeling good becomes more important than being true.

And because my sister almost died following teachings from one of the books Oprah promoted. I have personal reasons for wanting the truth told. I’ll think about it. We’d need an answer soon. The story is hot now. In a week, the news cycle will move on. After she left, Jonathan sat with the offer, more exposure, more controversy, more opportunity to speak truth, but also more backlash, more hatred, more risk. He opened his Bible.

Read from the Gospels. Jesus constantly in conflict with religious leaders, with his own disciples, with people who wanted a different Messiah, a comfortable one, a political one, an accommodating one. But Jesus never accommodated lies, never chose peace over truth, never valued his reputation over his mission.

Around 5:00 a.m., Jonathan’s phone lit up with a news alert. He’d left it on silent, but the screen glowed in the dark. Breaking Oprah Winfrey cancels next three Super Soul Sunday episodes. Network citing need for reflection and recalibration. Another alert followed. O Network stock drops 8% in after hours trading following controversial interview.

Then another major sponsors pulling ads from Super Soul Sunday pending review of content. The empire was shaking. Not destroyed, but destabilized. And in that instability, cracks were forming. Places where truth could slip through. Jonathan’s phone rang. 3M.

He almost ignored it, but the caller ID showed a name that made him answer. Hello, Jonathan. This is Gail King, Oprah’s best friend. I’m calling because she’s in my living room right now. She’s been here since the taping ended, crying, praying, reading the Bible for the first time in years. Really reading it, not looking for inspiration quotes. Reading it like it might actually be true. Jonathan sat up. Is she okay? She’s devastated.

Everything she’s built is crumbling, but she’s also, and I can’t believe I’m saying this. She’s also considering that you might be right. that she’s been teaching something that contradicts what Jesus actually said. She won’t admit it publicly yet. Maybe never, but privately she’s questioning everything.

Why are you telling me this? Because she wanted me to. She’s not ready to call you herself. Too proud, too hurt. But she wanted you to know that you reached her. that the question you asked about objective truth, it’s haunting her. She can’t stop thinking about it. Tell her I’m praying for her. That this isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about finding what’s real. I will.

And Jonathan, thank you. As her friend, watching her build this spiritual empire always made me uncomfortable. But she’s Oprah. You don’t question Oprah. until today. Someone finally did. The call ended. Jonathan sat in the darkness of his bedroom. Feeling the weight of what was unfolding.

This wasn’t just about one interview. It was about millions of people being forced to choose. Between the God they wanted and the God who is, between the Jesus who affirms and the Jesus who transforms, between comfortable lies and costly truth. His phone buzzed one more time. A text from an unknown number. Just four words.

This is Rachel. Keep going. Morning brought no relief. The story had metastasized overnight. Every news outlet, every talk show, everyone had an opinion about what happened between Jonathan Roomie and Oprah Winfrey. Jonathan finally turned his phone back on. The volume of messages had tripled, but one caught his attention immediately.

From Dallas Jenkins, the creator of The Chosen. Call me now. Jonathan dialed. Dallas answered on the first ring. Are you okay? Define. Okay. The studio got 3,000 calls yesterday. Half demanding we fire you. Half praising what you did. The board is meeting today to discuss whether your involvement in the chosen has become a liability. Jonathan felt the ground shift beneath him.

I understand if you need to let me go. Let you go? Are you insane? I’m calling to tell you we’re doubling down. We’re releasing a statement supporting what you said. Not because it’s popular. Because it’s true. Jesus wasn’t popular either. Why should we expect to be? The relief was physical. Thank you. Don’t thank me yet.

This is going to get worse before it gets better. We’re about to become the most controversial show in Christian media. Some networks might drop us. Some churches might stop promoting us, but we’ll reach the people who need to hear that Jesus isn’t just another spiritual option. He’s the only way. And we’re okay with that cost.

After the call, Jonathan checked the news. The story had taken on a life of its own. Churches across the country were dividing over it. Some pastors used Sunday sermons to defend Oprah, others to expose what Jonathan had exposed. A mega church in California issued a statement, “We stand with Oprah Winfrey in promoting spiritual inclusion and reject narrow interpretations of faith that exclude seekers from different traditions.

” A network of reformed churches countered. We thank Jonathan Roomie for courageously defending the exclusivity of Christ and exposing the danger of synratistic spirituality. The battle lines were being drawn not just between Christianity and new age thought, but within Christianity itself, between those who believed truth was narrow and those who believed love required theological flexibility.

Rachel contacted him again. I’m getting messages from all over the country. People who saw themselves in my story, who’ve been trapped in new age thinking and didn’t know how to get out. Can I share their contact information with you? They want to talk, want guidance. Jonathan spent the next 3 days on the phone and video calls.

Speaking with person after person who had followed Oprah’s spiritual path and found themselves lost, their stories were remarkably similar. Started with wanting to be more open-minded. Ended with having no foundation at all. A man named David. I spent 10 years believing I was God. Sounds empowering until you realize you’re responsible for everything bad that happens. I blamed myself for my daughter’s cancer.

Thought I’d manifested it through negative energy. I was in hell. A woman named Lisa. I left my church because Oprah taught me it was too exclusive. spent 15 years exploring every spiritual tradition except Christianity. And I kept feeling more empty, more lost, like I was grasping at smoke. The testimonies poured in and slowly something began to take shape.

Not a movement exactly, more like a awakening. People were comparing what they’d been taught with what Jesus actually said. And the disconnect was impossible to ignore. Christian bookstores reported a surge in Bible sales. Not devotionals, not inspiration books, just Bibles. People wanted to read the actual words of Jesus.

Wanted to see for themselves whether the red letters aligned with what they’d been told about him. Seminary professors noticed an uptick in enrollment inquiries. People wanting to study theology seriously, wanting to know what Christianity actually taught before it was filtered through pop culture and celebrity endorsement. But the backlash intensified, too. Jonathan received death threats.

His home address was posted online. Security had to be hired. His family was warned to be careful. Oprah remained silent publicly, but sources close to her told reporters she was in deep spiritual reflection. Her book club, which had promoted dozens of new age titles, was suspended indefinitely.

Super Soul Sunday’s future was uncertain. A week after the interview, Jonathan received an unexpected visitor, a FedEx delivery, large envelope. Inside was a handwritten letter on Oprah’s personal stationary. Jonathan, I’ve spent seven days reading the Gospels. All four of them, cover to cover, not looking for inspiration quotes, not reading selectively, just reading what Jesus actually said.

And you were right. What he taught is not what I’ve been teaching. I’ve been promoting a version of Jesus that fits comfortably with other spiritual traditions. But the real Jesus doesn’t fit comfortably anywhere. He demands everything, claims everything, allows no rivals. I don’t know what to do with this yet.

My entire brand is built on inclusivity, on validating different paths, on empowering people to find truth within themselves. To suddenly say there’s only one truth, only one way, only one Jesus. It contradicts everything I’ve built. But I can’t ignore what I’ve read. Can’t unsee what you showed me. Can’t keep teaching something I’m no longer sure is true.

I’m not ready to make any public statements. May never be. The cost is too high. But I wanted you to know that you reached me. That your courage made me question. That the question about objective truth is one I can’t escape now. Pray for me if you pray. I think I need it, Oprah. Jonathan read the letter three times.

Then he knelt beside his couch and prayed for the woman who had built an empire on new age spirituality and was now facing the possibility that it was all built on sand. The 60 Minutes piece aired 2 weeks after the initial interview. Sarah Mitchell had done thorough work, interviewed dozens of people damaged by new age teachings, spoke with theologians about the differences between Christianity and spiritual synratism, showed the real world consequences of believing you’re your own god.

The segment ended with Jonathan’s words from the Oprah interview. Comfort isn’t the same as truth. And we’re not just talking about this life. We’re talking about eternity. 60 million people watched. The conversation exploded again. But this time, something different happened. Major Christian leaders who had been silent before began speaking up. Not with condemnation, but with clarity.

Explaining why the gospel of Jesus and the gospel of self-empowerment were fundamentally incompatible. Churches that had been hemorrhaging members to Oprah’s teachings began offering classes, not on how to be more judgmental, on what Christianity actually taught, on why Jesus claimed exclusivity, on the difference between tolerance and truth.

And people came in numbers nobody expected. Hungry for something solid. Tired of shifting spiritual sand. Ready to hear that? Maybe. just maybe there was objective truth outside themselves. A God who was real. A savior who could actually save. Jonathan returned to filming the chosen. But everything felt different now.

Every scene where Jesus confronted religious leaders, every moment where he claimed divine authority, every teaching that excluded other paths, it all resonated with new weight. Because Jonathan had lived it, had stood before a modern religious authority and said what Jesus said, that he is the way, not a way, the way. And just like in the Gospels, some believed, some rejected, some were still deciding, but nobody could claim they hadn’t been told.

6 months after the interview, Oprah Winfrey did something she’d never done in her four decades of broadcasting. She called a press conference with no agenda announced. No talking points leaked, just an invitation to media from around the world to gather at her studio in Chicago. Jonathan watched the live stream from his home. He hadn’t spoken to Oprah since receiving her letter.

Hadn’t known if she would go public with her wrestling. Hadn’t known if the cost would prove too high. She walked onto a simple stage, no audience, no production value, just her, a chair and cameras. I’ve spent six months in the most intense spiritual struggle of my life. she began. Her voice was different, stripped of performance, just human.

And I need to tell you what I’ve discovered. Not because I have all the answers, but because I owe you honesty. She held up a Bible. Warn marked. I’ve been reading this. really reading it for the first time since I was a child and I’ve discovered that the Jesus in these pages is not the Jesus I’ve been teaching about.

The Jesus I promoted was inclusive, affirming one path among many. The Jesus in scripture is exclusive, demanding, and claims to be the only path. The press room was silent. This wasn’t what anyone expected. Six months ago, Jonathan Roomie came on my show and asked me if I believed in objective truth.

I gave him an answer about many truths, different paths, but his question wouldn’t leave me alone. Because if there’s no objective truth, then nothing means anything. Every atrocity can be justified. Every lie can be called someone’s truth. That’s not freedom. That’s chaos. She set the Bible on her lap. I’ve promoted books and teachers that contradicted what Jesus actually taught. I did it with good intentions.

I wanted to help people, but I helped them find comfort, not truth. I validated their choices instead of pointing them to the choice that matters. Jesus. Tears ran down her face. I’m not shutting down my network. I’m not cancelling Super Soul Sunday, but I’m changing it. Fundamentally, we will no longer promote the idea that all paths lead to God.

We will no longer suggest that you are divine. We will point people to Jesus Christ as he actually is, not as we wish he were. The questions from reporters came immediately. Are you saying you’re now a born-again Christian? What about your partnerships with new age teachers? What will this do to your brand? Oprah raised her hand. I’m saying I’m learning what it means to follow Jesus.

Not Jesus the wisdom teacher, Jesus the Lord. And yes, this will cost me. Partnerships will end. Some friends will feel betrayed. My empire will shrink. But I’d rather have truth and lose everything than have everything built on lies. She looked directly into the camera. To everyone who trusted me, who followed the spiritual path I promoted, I’m sorry.

I led you away from Jesus while thinking I was leading you to God, and I was wrong. If you’ve been damaged by what I taught, please forgive me, and please don’t let my failure keep you from the real Jesus.” The press conference ended. Within minutes, the internet erupted again. But this time, the reaction was different. Not just debate, but shock, awe, respect even from those who disagreed.

Jonathan’s phone rang. Dallas Jenkins, are you watching this? Yeah. Do you understand what she just did? She sacrificed her empire for truth. this is going to change everything. He was right. Within days, other celebrity spiritual teachers began releasing statements.

Some defending New Age thought more aggressively, others admitting they’d been uncomfortable with certain teachings, but afraid to speak up. Maryanne Williamson wrote a thoughtful essay about the difference between spirituality and Christianity, acknowledging they weren’t the same thing and shouldn’t be presented as such. Deepo Chopra remained defiant but noticeably less prominent. His book sales dropped.

Speaking engagements were cancelled. But the real change happened in living rooms across America. Families having conversations about faith they’d never had before. People picking up Bibles and reading them without the filter of pop spirituality. Churches experiencing an influx of seekers who wanted to know what Christianity actually taught. Rachel contacted Jonathan one final time.

I’m leading a support group now for people recovering from new age spirituality. We have 200 members in our city alone and chapters are forming across the country. This movement you started, it’s saving lives, including mine every single day. Jonathan met with Oprah 3 months after her press conference.

At her request, they sat in a small office. Not the grand settings of her empire. I’ve lost most of my new age partnerships. She said, “Book deals canled. Speaking events dropped. My network’s revenue is down 40%. My team says I committed professional suicide. Do you regret it?” She smiled. Really smiled. Not the performance smile. Not for a second.

I sleep better now than I have in 20 years. I’m reading scripture every morning, praying, actually talking to God instead of talking about universal consciousness. And I feel like I’m finally becoming who I was supposed to be. What’s next? I want to use what’s left of my platform to do what I should have done all along.

point people to Jesus, the real one, the costly one, the one who saves. I’ll never have the influence I had before, but maybe that’s good. Maybe I had too much influence for my own spiritual health. She looked at Jonathan. Thank you for loving me enough to tell me the truth, for risking everything to ask the question I’d been avoiding.

You saved my soul, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repay that. You already are by using your voice for truth. Now, a year after the confrontation, Jonathan was back on set filming The Chosen. Between takes, he checked his phone. An article had been published titled The Year Christianity Got Its Voice Back.

It chronicled how one interview had sparked a movement away from spiritual synratism. back toward Orthodox faith. The article ended with a quote from a theologian. Jonathan Roomie did what the church should have been doing for decades. He drew a line. He said, “This is Christianity.” And that isn’t not with hatred, but with clarity. And it turns out people were hungry for that clarity. Tired of spiritual ambiguity.

Ready for truth, even if it was narrow. Jonathan put his phone away and returned to portraying Jesus. But now he understood in a deeper way what that meant. Not just showing love, but speaking truth. Not just including everyone, but calling them to follow one path. Not just offering comfort, but demanding surrender. Because that’s what Jesus did. That’s what Jesus still does.

And any version that avoids those hard edges isn’t Jesus at all. It’s a comfortable lie dressed in spiritual language. And the world had enough of those. What the world needed, what it had always needed was truth, costly, uncomfortable, demanding truth that saves. Thank you for following this story.

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