CURRENTLY IN CULTURE

Barbara Armstrong

Hebrews 5:14 tells us, "Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." While I do not profess to be discerning in all matters, I do have the occasional discerning moment. One of these moments came while reading the autobiography of Della Reese, of Touched by an Angel fame, titled Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above.

I have only viewed the television program Touched by an Angel a few times and did not find it held great appeal even though it did seem to present God and His created angels in a positive manner. I wanted to read Reese's story especially because of the MB Herald's review of her program (June 13, 1997) and the letters to the editor which followed.

Reese frequently gives glory to God for His intervention in her life, often quotes Scripture and claims a "meeting" with Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, I experienced a nagging doubt as I read the book. The book's dedication may have been the start of the doubt: "This book is dedicated from the ‘Christ in me’ to all the angels along the way.…"

Reese recounts her life, which has had many difficulties, honestly and forthrightly. As a child, Deloreese Patricia Early attended a Baptist church in Detroit, where, she says, "an abiding faith was instilled in me forever." Throughout her stormy teen and adult years, while honing her musical skills, she always sought out a church to attend and was fervent in her participation, particularly in the music and worship. She relates how she grew as a musical artist, as well as the difficulties, scraps and highlights of her career.

In 1979, Della Reese (her stage name) was introduced to a woman named Johnnie Colemon. Colemon is the founder/minister of Christ Universal Temple in Chicago, Ill., part of the Universal Foundation for Better Living. After attending her first Sunday service at Colemon's church, Reese writes, "She got my complete attention." Della returned to the services at Christ Universal Temple, later studied a correspondence course under Dr. Colemon and eventually took a four-year course at the Johnnie Colemon Institute to become a licensed minister. She then began her own church, which was officially named Understanding Principles for Better Living.

In Chapter 13 of her book, Reese says, "I don't teach that there is one way and one way only to salvation, nor that one denomination is more truthful than another.…I teach that you don't have to call God what I call Him in order to be in touch with Him. Or Her. I teach that Father/Mother God loves you with infinite love and loves to hear from you and talk to you no matter what's on your mind."

Upon reading this, I became highly suspicious of Reese's understanding of God and decided to do some further investigation on Johnnie Colemon and her church. I found what I needed on the Internet site: http://www.cutemple.org.

Universal Foundation for Better Living is listed on the Internet as an "association of new thought (metaphysical) churches". Included in the Statement of Faith for Christ Universal Temple are the following: "We believe that it is God's Will that every individual on the face of this earth should live a healthy, happy and prosperous life. We believe that such a life is within the reach of each one of us and the way to its attainment begins with the realization that the Kingdom of God is within us, waiting for us to bring it into expression. We believe that we can bring this Kingdom forth by practicing the Universal Spiritual Principles handed down through the ages and taught by our Wayshower, Jesus Christ. We believe with Jesus that our experiences are the reflections of our beliefs; and therefore the key to happy and successful living is right thinking followed by right action. We believe with Jesus that the basis for right thinking is LOVE—love of God and all that is good in our fellowman and ourselves."

Christ Universal Temple includes the following under "What We Teach": "Everything that exists, or ever will exist is pressed out of the body of God (God-Substance) in different forms of manifestation. Since the nature of God is absolute good, and everything is God-Substance, there can be no evil in reality." It also has a section on "The Divinity of Man", and states, "It is through thinking that man forms that which he has in his life."

At the end of her book, Reese says: "I've learned the Christ in me will never leave me or forsake me because God assigned it to take care of me as its sole and main function" (italics mine).

While the names "God" and "Jesus Christ" are generously used in this book, after investigating the book's underlying beliefs, I am convinced Reese is not referring to the personal God of the Bible nor the Jesus Christ I know; the "Jesus Christ" she refers to bears little resemblance to the Christ of the cross and the resurrection. Reese is instead strongly influenced by New Thought (New Age) teaching and uses the names in that context.

I also believe this New Thought teaching strongly influences the television program Touched by an Angel and that Christians who choose to watch the program with their families should be armed with this knowledge so that they will not be blindly supportive merely because the program appears to present God in a good light.

We do well to heed the words of John: "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.…This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.…We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true—even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (I John 4:1-2,10; 5:20).

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