Well here we go – once again, secular Hollywood is making a mockery out of biblical accuracy and biblical Truth. Most recently we had Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett give us their various “Bible” productions” – 1) refusing to admit that they themselves are not Christians but New Agers, and 2) not addressing the numerous heretical points in their productions.
Now we see similar problems in the “Noah” movie, coming out 03/28/14. The producer 1) describes himself and the other film makers as basically attempting accuracy and Christian ideals, and 2) fails to address the “Noah” movie’s specific heretical and even occult points.
The trailer looked good to me – but looks can be deceiving. Following is the inside scoop – from discernment articles by Amy Spreeman at Stand Up for the Truth, and Ken Ham at Answers in Genesis.
Reading the above two articles, “Noah” looks like another Downey-esque fiasco to me…
I’d like to zero in on specific inaccuracies in the rough cut of the “Noah” movie, as originally listed by Ken Ham. I am emphasizing certain points by bolding, and inserting comments in [brackets]. Note that Ken Ham’s blog was posted back on 11/19/13 – unfortunately, most of us have been slow in getting out the warnings about “Noah”.
… the main characters of the movie are Noah, his wife, and three sons—and one little girl they rescued after all in her family were murdered by an evil tribe. She was badly injured when they found her, but Noah’s wife placed healing nectar on her stomach and she later grew up to become the eldest son’s wife. For the longest time she was barren in the womb until Noah’s wife convinced Methuselah to bless her womb—against Noah’s wishes.
Noah at first is portrayed as a humble yet strong good man—a father and husband who protected his family from the evil that had come upon the world. But as he helped build the Ark, he was portrayed more like a basket-case who was convinced that his family was the last generation. He repeated over and over again that God would not let them repopulate since God would replant Eden without man and perfection would be reestablished with the “innocent animals” God brought on the Ark. Even when Noah’s eldest son brought news to the family on the Ark that his wife was expecting, the movie’s Noah said essentially, “If it is a male, he shall live. If a girl, I will kill her because it is not God’s will for man to repopulate.”
Here are a few more problem areas seen in the rough cut of the film, most of which I expect to be in the final film:
1) In the film, Noah was robbed of his birthright by Tubal-Cain. The serpent’s body (i.e., Satan), which was shed in Eden, was their “birthright reminder.” It also doubled with magical power that they would wrap around their arm. So weird!
2) Noah’s family only consists of his wife, three sons, and one daughter-in-law, contrary to the Bible.
3) It appears as if every species was crammed in the Ark instead of just the kinds of animals, thus mocking the Ark account the same way secularists do today.
4) “Rocks” (that seem to be fallen angels) build the Ark with Noah!
5) Methuselah (Noah’s grandfather) is a type of witch-doctor, whose mental health is questionable.
6) Tubal-Cain defeats the Rocks who were protecting the finished Ark.
7) A wounded Tubal-Cain axes his way inside the Ark in only about ten minutes and then hides inside. Tubal-Cain then convinces the middle son to lure Noah to the bottom of the Ark in order to murder him (because he was not allowed a wife in the Ark). Tubal-Cain stays alive by eating hibernating lizards. The middle son of Noah has a change of heart and helps kill Tubal-Cain instead.
8) Noah becomes almost crazy as he believes the only purpose to his family’s existence was to help build the Ark for the “innocent” animals (this is a worship of creation).
9) Noah repeatedly tells his family that they were the last generation and were never to procreate. So when his daughter-in-law becomes pregnant, he vows to murder his own grandchild. But he finally has a change of heart.
10) Noah does not have a relationship with God but rather with circumstances and has deadly visions of the Flood.
11) The Ark lands on a cliff next to a beach.
12) After the Flood Noah becomes so distant from his family that he lives in a cave, getting drunk by the beach.
There were many other bizarre, unbiblical aspects in the preview cut. Though it’s possible that some of these elements may not make the final cut (though we suspect most will), compare the above list to the trailer that has just been released! The comparison should be very revealing for you.You wouldn’t get much of a hint of most of the biblical problems in the list above based on watching on this cleverly-put-together trailer. A real con job, to be frank!
By the way, I also read that the name of God is not mentioned in “Noah”. Reminds me of the name of Jesus not being mentioned in the Roma Downey series “Touched by an Angel”. And Christians still think these are Christian productions?
Focus on the Family’s review of “Noah” details what they see as both bad and good in the movie. Frankly, I have nothing good to say about “Noah”. But I do agree with FOTF’s conclusion regarding the movie:
Long before its release, Noah was deluged in controversy. Some Christians praise the film for its themes of redemption and love winning out over malevolence, others revile it for taking so many liberties with the biblical account.
Director Darren Aronofsky offers a spectacular and often moving story, but it’s obviously not the story of Noah. There’s more Tolkien than Torah here, really, and more of Aronofsky himself than both of those. Perhaps this director made the Creator in his own image—full of mercy, magic and environmental sobriety. If you uncouple the movie from the Bible and take Noah as imaginative, fantastic fiction, it can begin to work. But hooked as it is to such a sacred narrative, well, let’s just say it’ll be hard for some Christians to swallow whole this fractious fable.
Harry Potter fans expect Harry Potter movies to stay mostly true to the book. History buffs are known to require historical dramas to follow actual history. I think it’s reasonable, then, for Christians to ask that the stories most precious to them be treated with faithfulness—and that movies based on them would, y’know, stay at least in the ballpark. But Mr. Aronofsky has chosen a different tack, and so the ancient truth about Noah becomes more of a pretext for Middle-earth rock monsters and a tormented, half-mad Noah ready to kill his own kin.
Here’s a secular editorial that criticizes Christians (such as the National Religious Broadcasters) for wanting to criticize and boycott “Noah”. Hmm, I wonder why the NRB didn’t also call for a boycott of the Downey-Burnett Bible productions? After all, they too strayed far afield from biblical accuracy.
Speaking of biblical accuracy, there are many “Christians”, etc. who do not take the first eleven chapters of Genesis as being historically literal. With these eleven chapters being “myths” to them, no wonder they have no problem with the serious errors in “Noah”. Consider the following quotes, found here:
Rabbi John Spitzer, associate professor of Jewish studies at Walsh University, said the movie is the interpretation of its director, writers and actors.
“Once the words go off the page and go on the screen you’re already getting an interpretation, and I think interpretations are fine as long as you know they’re not final,” he said.
“If you don’t believe the movie is telling you the quote, ‘truth’, small t, you have an opportunity to use the movie as a way of discovering the capital T, ‘truth,’ ” Spitzer said. “I’m not afraid of the movie — I believe the Noah story is an important myth in the Bible and as such each of us … we have to be able to take it into our hearts and souls and find the meaning that is relevant.”
“We often think that a myth is something that’s just not true, and that’s not true,” he added. “It describes a truth that can be told best through a story.”
Nicole Johnson, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies at the University of Mount Union, said “the story of Noah can be reinterpreted and retold in interesting ways — in my perspective (it) doesn’t necessarily do a disservice to the understanding of that event.”
Johnson said that “we tend to put a scientific standard on (the Bible) — I’m not sure that’s the right way to interpret something that was supposed to last (for all ages).”
In spite of much documentation to the contrary, many Christians still believe New Agers Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett are born again Christians. Below is one such comment from a reader, with my response attempting yet again to prove Downey and Burnett are not born again Christians but deceptive New Agers.
JAMIE WROTE:
If Roma Downey is not a Christian, but a “New Ager”, why is she encouraging Christians to read their Bibles? Why is she constantly talking about a relationship with God? I don’t think that Roma and her husband are trying to deceive people. On the contrary, I think they have been deceived somewhat. They have made it clear that they embrace Jesus and the Gospel message. Roma is good friends with Kathie-Lee Gifford, who is a strong evangelical Christian [frankly Gifford is not a very consistent Christian witness nowadays IMHO – DM]. However, she is also good friends and kind of a surrogate daughter to Della Reese, who runs a New Age church. In short, I think Roma and her husband lack discernment in these matters, and have adopted New Age philosophies coupled with true Christian teachings. I pray that God would give them discernment to realize these teachings are dangerous and go against the Word of God.
MY REPLY
Thanks for giving your opinion, Jamie. I know Roma Downey has said things akin to “I want people to read their Bible.” The statement I heard was “the movie ‘Son of God’ will help people fall in love with Jesus all over again.” But I am perplexed as to why Downey and hubby Mark Burnett would say these things; I still believe they must have some hidden New Age agenda. Read on…
What is the CORE worldview of Downey and Burnett? Is their core belief a born again, biblically sound stance, with peripheral beliefs of Catholicism, Celtic traditions, New Age practices, etc.? Or are born again, biblically sound teachings (if they even hold to any) somewhere in the periphery of their potpourri of beliefs? I would have to say it’s the latter.
I have never heard Downey and Burnett renounce their Catholic, Celtic and New Age practices. And, I have never heard Downey or Burnett say anything like: “I was in bondage to Catholic and Celtic false teachings and New Age practices. Then I repented of my sins, of these false teachings, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, accepted Him as my Saviour, and now I’m pleading with others to leave these false teachings.”
What does it mean to be a born again Christian? Several “signs” come to mind:
1) Having experienced a “crisis conversion experience”: hearing a gospel presentation, being convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, repenting of sin, believing in Christ, accepting Him as Saviour, then following Him sincerely and wholeheartedly, abandoning all nonchristian “faith traditions”. (See John Chapter 3, particularly verse 16.)
2) Believing in born again, biblically sound doctrinal statements and creeds (not just mouthing them as so many mainline/liberal denominations do, but truly believing them). Here are a few examples of Christian creeds and confessions: http://carm.org/creeds-and-confessions
4) Believing in The Fundamentals of 1910-1915, which were written in opposition to the Modernists in the the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fundamentals
A truly born again, biblically sound Christian would believe in all four of the above positions. And in my mind, Downey and Burnett fail on all four of these.
Note – Click here for a recent blog of mine, in which I described a March 2014 article re: Downey. Here Downey uses a great deal of New Age terminology. As of this writing, she still has not renounced these practices.
On another note, so many evangelicals today are incorporating Roman Catholic, ecumenical, interfaith, contemplative, postmodern (Emerging/ Emergent), and yes – even New Age – teachings. Once evangelicals strayed off the straight and narrow path of born again, bibically sound doctrine, I believe they began falling into apostasy. And yes, I believe born again Christians can “lose” their salvation – making shipwreck of their faith as the Apostle Paul put it.
Hope that helps clarify my position on Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett. God bless you – Dave
Well we endured the very popular “The Bible” TV miniseries, and now “The Son of God” movie. I wonder how many evangelicals have been deceived into believing Roma Downey has become a born again Christian. Truth is, Downey is still a New Ager, in spite of many public statements by her and hubby Mark Burnett that they are Christians.
It angers me when New Agers are so deceptive, deluding born again Christians into thinking they are Christians (Oprah Winfrey and other New Agers are also trying to deceive us in this way). Following is a March 2014 First for Women article I came across with New Age quotes from Roma Downey. (I realize there may be copyright issues concerning the posting of this article – for now at least, I am leaving the article online primarily for other discernment ministries to access and quote.) Here’s the article:
In the above March 2014 issue of First for Women magazine, Downey said, “I think we all have a responsibility to see God in each other. That’s how I’ve raised my children – that no matter whose face they look into, they’re looking into the face of God, who’s in all of us.”
(First for Women magazine, 03/31/14, p. 45)
Other New Age buzzwords in the above article, quoting Downey:
“light, peace and happiness”
“doing work that spreads the message of God’s love”
“rituals she relies on to stay centered”
[candlelight] “promotes mindfulness”
[I light a candle and it] “calls in the light”
Also, in the article Downey says she is reading the book The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. Hoffman sounds New Age to me. Even if Hoffman isn’t New Age, Downey apparently likes her occultic themes. Check out this info from Wikipedia:
“Many of her works fall into the genre of magic realism and contain elements of magic, irony, and non-standard romances and relationships.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Hoffman
Note – all of the above articles are copyright Dave Mosher, all rights reserved. Excerpts may be quoted up to 300 words, as long as credit is given to my original blogs and links provided to my original blogs. Thank you.
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Now on to the current blog:
(revised 02/19/14)
Roma Downey’s comments and connections with psychic medium John Edward show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
Shortly after “The Bible” TV miniseries came out, Whoopi Goldberg on The View mentioned that psychic John Edward had endorsed the movie. Whoopi seemed baffled as to why Edward would endorse the movie. To find the answer, I Googled on the the search string [“Roma Downey” “John Edward”].
I guess it should come as no surprise – I stumbled across several articles connecting self-proclaimed “Christian” Roma Downey with psychic medium John Edward. The Bible condemns occult practices such as those of John Edward. Seems to me this is powerful proof Downey is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager.
So far I have found two articles detailing Downey’s connections with Edward. I have reposted them verbatim below, to document these connections. I have emphasized certain points by bolding, and inserted comments in [brackets].
Exhibit #1 Roma’s TV chat to dead mother[in 2002](click here for the original source of this article)
ACTRESS Roma Downeyhas talked to her mother through a psychic on live TV.
The Derry-born Touched By An Angel star was a guest on a celebrity version of the US psychic show Crossing Over, hosted by medium John Edward.
Roma’s mother Maureen died of a heart attack in Derry when she was 10.
And Roma was heartbroken that she was never able to tell her how much she loved her.
So she jumped at an offer from the producers of the show on the Sci-Fi Channel to speak to her mum using Edwards for the connection.
Downey sat directly behind Edwards during the programme and he did not know who the celebrity he was speaking to was until he turned around at the end of the segment.
He was able to tell that the 41-year-old actress was caught in a hail of gunfire during an IRA gun battle 30 years ago which almost killed her.
Facing the audience, he said: “I hear you crying. I hear some sort of popping.
“The sort of popping I am hearing would mean there is some sort of gunfire or like someone was caught in a spray of bullets.”
And referring to the celebrity’s mother, he said: “She [the spirit of her mother] was commending and applauding what you do and how you do it.”
Roma said: “My mother was telling me that she was very proud of me and my work, it just made me want to weep.”
The psychic show will be aired in America tomorrow night.
CAPTION(S):
SEANCE: Downey
Exhibit #2
Roma Downey develops rosary concept with John Edward, includes her rosary CD in his book
Note: this Amazon link to the first edition includes a “Look Inside” link to read various pages online
And a reader comment on the second edition of the book (which also includes Downey’s CD) states: “John Edward came out with this brilliant concept with Roma Downey”.
Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life (click here for the original source of the article below)
Roma prays the entire rosary on the beautiful CD that comes along with this book. It’s quite lovely and gives you the special opportunity and a unique spiritual closeness to Roma to be able to pray right along with her as if she was right there at your side.
The book above by well-known author John Edward was published in April [2005]. Practical Praying is divided into three sections; the first includes Edward’s thoughts about writing the book and his own personal approach to prayer, as well as the history of the rosary in the Catholic Church. The second section discusses usage of the power of prayer through the rosary. The last section is the audio CD, which the author says is “one of my favorite parts of the book. It’s unbelievably beautiful.” Roma Downey refused to accept pay for her work, instead asking Edward to make a donation to Operation Smile in her name “so she could pay for more smiles,” he said.
You might enjoy purchasing one of Roma’s beautiful rosaries from her collection at QVC to use when listening to Roma’s beautiful voice or you may use them and pray the rosary with her.
For those that may be surprised that John Edward wrote a book all about the use of the rosary in your life, you may feel differently after reading a recent article Praying the Rosary [link not included] John Edward’s new book details his favorite ‘weapon of spiritual defense’ that ran recently in The Catholic Telegraph. Click on the link [broken link] to The Catholic Telegraph to read the full article. Although to many, including some Catholic clergy, they are not surprised at all. During the run of his popular [psychic medium] show, he always promoted the use of the rosary and shared that he prayed it daily. John Edward is an Irish-Italian Catholic. In regards to this specific book and his promotion of the rosary, he even received recently a papal blessing, signed by the current pope when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. [Wow – I’d like to research this further – the Pope is “God’s man on Earth.” All his decrees are (supposedly) infallible – yet he gave his blessing to Edward’s book??? Shocking.] The book has become quite popular with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Conclusion and thoughts
I’m wondering if Edward and Downey received some of their Rosary concepts from the teachings of New Ager Elizabeth Clare Prophet, who also developed her own brand of the Rosary back in 1972. Click here for a description of “the New Age Scriptural Rosaries given to Elizabeth Clare Prophet by Mother Mary.”
I do believe Mary accepted Christ as her Saviour – that she was born again and is in Heaven. But she is not an intercessor or Co-Redemptrix (hopefully I’m using the right Catholic terms). And any messages or apparitions supposedly from her are actually demonic counterfeits.
FOR FURTHER READING
David J. Stewart, Psychic John Edward EXPOSED!– a Baptist article exposing many occult teachings of Edward, including his use of the Rosary Famous “Catholic” Psychic Says the Afterworld is Bipartisan – A “conservative” Catholic article detailing and critiquing John Edward’s connections with Catholicism. (I oppose Catholicism, which has its own occult practices such as “praying” to the saints, praying for the dead, etc. But I agree with many of this writer’s criticisms of Edward.)
WARNING – The following four YouTube audios are recommended only for born again Christian researchers. I hesitate to even post these here. Please give your feedback. If you feel including these four audios is “crossing the line”, I will remove them from this blog. These four audios contain the content of the CD included with Edward’s book. First Downey prays the idolatrous Rosary entirely the “normal” way, then Edward prays the idolatrous Rosary entirely using his method. It’s creepy, hearing a psychic medium pray the Rosary – yet Downey goes right along with Edward in this idolatrous project:
Roma Downey’s comments about her New Age “Spiritual Psychology” degree show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
In the Wikipedia article about Roma Downey I noticed this fact: “Roma graduated from the University of Santa Monica with a master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology.”
On a technical note, this blog says Downey “will graduate in June”; it was written Apr. 23, but doesn’t say what year. I looked back at several previous blogs – the Mar. 25 blog refers to “this Sunday, March 28.” Which would mean the Downey blog was written Apr. 23, 2010. So apparently Roma Downey graduated from USM in June 2010.
What exactly is “Spiritual Psychology”? Is it “New Age”? Bingo, you’re correct! I’m going to quote from several sources here, to explain Spiritual Psychology and Downey’s involvement.
This discernment article (which unfortunately says we should give “The Bible” a chance by watching it and discussing it with nonbelievers) nonetheless contains much helpful info on Downey. Such as:
I think, without question, [Della] Reese has had an influence over Downey’s view of God, and possibly that of Burnett, as well. However, even if she hasn’t [obviously she has, as I showed in another blog], Downey definitely has been exposed to the New Age having earned a degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica (USM). (Charisma)
Lest one think this is a fully accredited four-year university with degrees in several schools; it is not. USM only offers an advance degree in “Spiritual Psycology”. If there is any question as to whether this is tied into New Age thought one only has to look to the founder of USM, Roger Delano Hinkins [I added this link-DM], who goes by the name, John-Roger. Hinkins, or John-Roger, is a prominent New Age author and teacher.
“Spiritual Psychology is the study and practice of the art and science of human evolution in consciousness… “surrendering” and “sacrificing” is work that can and has been called “healing,” which includes healing on the physical, mental, and emotional levels in service to the deeper revelation of who we truly are as Loving, Peaceful, Compassionate, and Joyful beings. We refer to this level of awareness as the Authentic Self…
Put another way, Spiritual Psychology is a technology that empowers students to convert their everyday life experience into rungs on the ladder of Spiritual Evolution…
Change is taking place at an unprecedented pace on our planet… From within the Context of Spiritual Psychology, the only way to truly promote peace is for there to be more peaceful individuals living in the world.
… assuming we get through the current challenges, these very same skills will be highly valued as we transform into a more peaceful, highly globalized world.”
Regarding the University of Santa Monica, this Wikipedia article states, [founder Roger Delano Hinkins was joined by] “Dr. H. Ronald Hulnick and Dr. Mary R. Hulnick (former faculty members at New Mexico State University), who shortly thereafter took on the roles and responsibilities as President and Academic Vice President, respectively.” And in Google’s “Book” section, I found this book: Loyalty to Your Soul: The Heart of Spiritual Psychology, by H. Ronald Hulnick, Ph.D., Mary R. Hulnick, Neale Donald Walsch. The New Age Roma Downey provides this glowing endorsement (viewable online) near the beginning of the book as follows:
“As a USM [University of Santa Monica] graduate, I know firsthand the value I received from participating with Ron and Mary in the Master’s degree Program in Spiritual Psychology. I am so grateful to have Loyalty to Your Soul to sweetly remind me of all I have learned. Let’s just say that I went from playing an angel on TV to living more of an angelic life every day. The teachings in this beautiful book have sent me on a journey to the very center of my own being where, wrapped in the safe wings of Love, I feel as though I have come home.”
For more info on the above book on Spiritual Psychology, see the book’s home page here.
“Roma also attends the University of Santa Monica, a private graduate school founded by New Age spiritual and self-help guru John-Roger, and will graduate with a master’s degree in spiritual psychology in June [2010].
‘As someone who has been on a spiritual journey for many years [so basically Downey admits she has been a New Ager for many years – notice she doesn’t say here she’s been “a Christian” for many years], it seems a natural extension of that work,’ says the lady still seen in Hallmark Channel reruns as angel Monica. She notes, ‘The skills I’m learning will ultimately qualify me to be a therapist’ — not that she has plans to start a practice anytime soon. ‘It’s really so interesting to learn about human behavior.’
And other matters.
Says Roma, who lives in Malibu, ‘My kids go to school about a 40-minute drive away. I’m open to the group’s opinion about what we listen to on the way there. On the way back, I get my own selections — books on tape by Eckhart Tolle, Tony Robbins…My husband says I’m so self-realized I’m practically levitating.’
And Downey, a Spiritual Psychology major who listens to Eckhart Tolle and “practically levitates”, is co-producing “The Bible”? This is pretty heretical – not to mention all her other New Age statements quoted in my other blogs.
This article by Kate Nesbitt gives a New Age definition of Spiritual Psychology. Note that 1) the writer graduated from the same school as Roma Downey. And 2) Downey has stated elsewhere recently that she hopes to become a “therapist” (similar to Kate Nesbitt, I assume).
Sooo… when did Downey supposedly become a Christian? Before or after getting a Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology? And perhaps Downey received this degree near the same time she was “contemplating” a production of “The Bible”. Sounds to me like Downey is claiming to be a “Christian” in the same way Oprah Winfrey is claiming to be a “Christian.” It would be interesting to see Downey go on an Oprah show as a guest. Wouldn’t that be a hoot, seeing one famous New Ager who insists she’s a Christian talk with another famous New Ager who insists she’s a Christian.
Would Christians like “The Bible” if it were produced by Winfrey, or Shirley MacLaine, or Deepak Chopra? Seems to me like Roma Downey is just as bad.
FOR FURTHER READING
John-Roger Hinkins(aka John-Roger, J-R, born Roger Delano Hinkins)
Google list of many articles on Hinkins (Christian discernment articles, secular articles opposing Hinkins, secular articles favoring Hinkins)
I am currently in the process of adding more info to this blog – keep checking back. And thank you for your patience. New info on Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett is coming out almost daily – it’s hard to keep up with!
Roma Downey’s comments about her theology show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
[Note – I’ve repeated much of the following info in this blog about “Touched by an Angel”.]
Closely study reruns of “Touched by an Angel” and I’m sure you’ll find many heretical New Age views held by both Roma Downey and New Thought/New Age co-star Della Reese. There is much evidence that Downey is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager.
Check out the following quotes from Downey, found here. I have emphasized certain points by bolding, and inserted comments in [brackets].
“It’s fantastic that [the Touched by an Angel reruns are] on GMC,” says Downey. “It’s reaching a whole new generation of people with its beautiful message of faith. I loved being on that show. I loved it. I loved playing Monica. I loved being the messenger, the believer. I loved being part of a message that went out weekly reminding people there is a God and this is God’s purpose for you and God will be part of your life and most importantly that God loves you.
“I got to deliver that message every week for almost 10 years to millions of people a week.”
“Still to this day, wherever I am in airports or shopping malls people tell me, ‘Oh, that show has changed my life.’ or ‘That show helped my family heal’ or ‘You’ll never know what that show did for us’ and so I’m thrilled that it’s back at a regular spot in the television and has a chance to heal and touch people’s lives all over again. [I don’t see any wording here about bringing people to salvation through the Father’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ, do you? I guess that would be rather difficult for “Touched by an Angel” to do, considering the 212-episode series has never – that I know of – mentioned the name of Jesus Christ.]
“I’ve been there, too, needing an angel — I can tell you. Over the years I’ve found myself wishing sometimes my angel would show up. [So Downey would want to communicate with angels? I’m not surprised. By the way, the Bible forbids communication with angels – this insightful pdf article mentions this.] I could use a little uplift, a little reminder.
“And then you know, and it’s available to everybody at all times. You’ve just got to turn your attention into your own loving heart where God exists inside of all of us.” [This reminds me of the heretical Inner Light teaching of George Fox and the Quakers, “that of Christ in all men” – supposedly.]
“There’s a timeless quality to the story,” she says. “It was always stories of people at certain crossroads in their lives when a decision was to be made. The spirit[notice Downey doesn’t say “the Holy Spirit” but rather uses the liberal/New Age term “the spirit”] would show up and help you make that good decision. You know, there’s no magic wand. Somebody didn’t come down and fix it for you. All we did as the angels was to come down and to remind you that you were a child of God[only a born again Christian is a child of God – nonchristians are offspring of Adam and “children of the devil” – see John 8:44 and I John 3:10] and God loves you and God wants the best for you, that God has a purpose for you and that you have to reach into your own heart to see it and believe it and then out of that place, make a good choice for yourself. [Again, “reach into your own heart” and “out of that place” are heretical New Age phrases.]
“It was very empowering in that way. It wasn’t some easy fix, because life isn’t filled with easy fixes. But when you pray and really trust and hand yourself over to God [notice she doesn’t mention repenting of your sins and accepting Christ as your Saviour], you know that God has you and holds you in his heart and in his hands.
“You know there’s no better feeling.
“If I were to look back at my career, I think my greatest achievement is very simple.
“I’ve been able to make choices where I could glorify God.”
So there we have it – a bit of Downey’s theology in her own words. As we will see in my various blogs about Downey, she is extremely New Age. Several questions: would she say in the previous paragraph her New Age beliefs “glorify God”? And how does she define “God”? For that matter, how does she define the label “Christian” which she applies to herself? Like I said, she is not a Christian like she claims, but a New Ager.
I wonder how Downey’s beliefs would measure up, when it comes to this chart. In this comparison between the worldview of Christianity and the worldview of the New Age movement, I’m positive she would be New Age – if she were honest.
By the way, I perused this devotional book about “The Bible” as it was premiering. It is supposedly written by Downey and hubby Mark Burkett. But don’t be deceived by the biblically sound lingo found throughout the book. It sounds very different from Downey’s New Age statements in her quotes above. I’m going to take a wild guess here and speculate that portions of the book were written by ghost writers (perhaps some of the heretical “Christians” on “The Bible” Board of Advisors who have a better grasp on Christian lingo.)
I am currently in the process of adding more info to this blog – keep checking back. And thank you for your patience. New info on Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett is coming out almost daily – it’s hard to keep up with!
Roma Downey’s comments about her ties with New Thought/New Ager Della Reese show Downey is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
Roma Downey has claimed to be a Christian for years, yet has in reality been a New Ager for years. I haven’t discovered exactly how the TV series “Touched by an Angel” came into being – nor why New Agers Downey and costar Della Reese were hired. I do know that Downey and Reese are closely bonded to this day.
I am coming across a great deal of info tying Downey with Reese. I have posted some excerpts below; click here for the original site of this info. I have emphasized certain points by bolding, and inserted comments in [brackets].
“Downey, who produced the 10-hour miniseries “The Bible” (Sunday [03/03/13], 9 p.m. History) with her husband, Mark Burnett (producer of “The Voice” and “Survivor”), spent nearly the next decade in Salt Lake City. Nine seasons and 212 episodes [of Touched by an Angel], all filmed in Utah.” [Why Utah? Is there a cultic Mormon connection? There has to be a reason they selected Utah for the shooting site – this is a very unique location.]
“The biggest change came in 2007 when Downey married Burnett in a ceremony officiated by her former “Touched by an Angel” co-star, Della Reese” [This extremely New Age article mentions that Downey’s 1995 marriage before Burnett was also officiated by Reese – and that Reese is godmother of one of Downey’s children. Most couples I know select a minister who agrees with their theology. So if Romey and Burnett are New Age, they would be comfortable with their “Reverend” friend Reese being New Age.]… There’s no safer place in the world than in the arms of Della Reese,” Downey said. [The safest place in the world for Downey is in the arms of a New Age “Reverend”? Just another sign that Downey is not a Christian but a New Ager.] “And I still see Della with regularity. My mother died when I was a child, and she stepped in to be my mother. And then, when we were filming together, her only daughter died. I stepped in to be her daughter. And we know that was a God thing that we were brought together to be family for each other.” [I get it – Downey and Reese care for one another. I don’t mean to be insensitive here and overlook human love and compassion. But as a supposed Christian, why is Downey is giving credit to God for bonding her with a cult figure? Yet again, I maintain that Downey is in reality a New Ager claiming to be a Christian. And I suppose New Thought/New Age cult figure Reese would also claim to be a Christian.]
Does it concern you that Downey is so close to Reese? It should. I wonder how much of Reese’ heresies Downey has incorporated into her own theology. Quoting from the Wikipedia article about Reese, “In more recent times, she became an ordained New Thought minister in the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles, California.” Here is the Wikipedia article on New Thought. And here is the “church” website where Reese is “Reverend”.
I am currently in the process of adding more info to this blog – keep checking back. And thank you for your patience. New info on Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett is coming out almost daily – it’s hard to keep up with!
Roma Downey’s comments about her “biographical trivia” show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
I came across some insightful biographical info about Roma Downey, from an interview on the set years ago of “Touched by an Angel”. This should come as no surprise: she has continued to hold a number of New Age beliefs and practices. And yet, as of the premier of “The Bible” 03/03/13, she and hubby Mark Burnett are claiming in numerous interviews that they are born again Christians.
Such a theological position is impossible. The New Age worldview and the born again Christian worldview are mutually incompatible. A New Ager cannot be a truly born again Christian, and a truly born again Christian cannot be a New Ager. Either Downey and Burnett are New Agers, or they are born again Christians who have renounced all New Age beliefs and practices. The research I’ve done seems to show they are still New Agers masquerading – like Oprah Winfrey – as born again Christians.
In this blog I discuss some trivia Q&A that show just a portion of Downey’s beliefs. Specifically, she alludes to her Catholic, interfaith and New Age beliefs. She does not mention her New Thought friend Della Reese, her Celtic “Christianity” practices, etc. Click here for the original article.
I have taken the remainder of this blog offline for revision. For more info, see the comments following this blog.
And, besides the revision,I am currently in the process of adding more info to this blog – keep checking back. And thank you for your patience. New info on Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett is coming out almost daily – it’s hard to keep up with!
Roma Downey’s comments about her “Little Angels” series show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
Below I discuss how Downey’s “Little Angels” children’s videos, books, etc. – which she is still touting as of “The Bible” premiere 03/03/13 – have various New Age teachings.
Now Roma Downey is showing her New Age side again, in a big way. She has come out with a new series for preschoolers; publication date is 02/14/12. There is a whole series of “Little Angels” books and DVDs. (Roma Downey appeared 02/14/12 on ABC’s “The View” talk show and mentioned her publications coming out that day.)
Following is the official trailer for the “Little Angels” series. Note that the Little Angels literally “hang around’ preschool children. And they don’t just lurk unseen – they actually communicate with preschool children. This reminds me of demonic New Age-ish “spirit guides” – the same concept as the PBS series Dragon Tales which I wrote about years ago. And remember, the “Little Angels” follow the same theme as “Touched by an Angel” – only this time it is “child angels” communicating with children:
Following are insightful excerpts from an interview with Roma Downey regarding “Little Angels.” Click here for the entire interview. I have emphasized certain points by bolding, and inserted comments in [brackets].
Interview: Roma Downey Teaches God’s Love to Preschoolers in Faith-Based DVD Series
For almost 10 years, Roma Downey shared the message of God’s love as the star of “Touched by an Angel.” Now, the mother of three and devoted Christian wants to introduce that same message to preschoolers through her faith-based [but what faith?] animated DVD series “Little Angels,” which hit stores shelves on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Downey, who is the creator and executive producer of “Little Angels” series, visited the New York office of The Christian Post on Tuesday [02/14/12] to speak about the launch of the series.
In the interview, Downey said her role as Monica on “Touched by an Angel” inspired the “Little Angels.”
“I’ve played an angel on ‘Touched by an Angel,’ bringing the message of God’s love. It was such a privilege for me as a person of faith to deliver the message,” Downey told CP.
“And I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be marvelous if we had a faith-based series for very young children?’ They are such sponges at this age and there is such an opportunity here to sow seeds of faith in our little children.”
“Little Angels” follows two four-year-old twins Alex and Zoe who have eight little angels watching over them from the ceiling of their nursery.When the parents aren’t around [what kind of teaching is this – angels appearing to children when they parents aren’t around?], the little angels come to life to help the young tots overcome daily life challenges by drawing upon Christian principles and values found in the Bible. [But, does the “Little Angels” series tell us how our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary to save us from our sins? I’ve heard no mention of that.] The series is also designed to teach children the practical life stills [sic] as well including their ABCs and 123s.
On Tuesday, the first three DVDs in the series were launched: Little Angels ABCs, Little Angels 123s and Little Angels Animals. The DVDs from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment are now available in Walmart, Target and on Amazon. [Interesting – the “Little Angels” is not being targeted to a Christian market – yet. Not that I recommend the series in any way – it is an abomination in my opinion.]
It’s not difficult to find the message of God’s love in the episodes. At the beginning of every adventure, little kids watching are reminded that God loves them in catchy melody that says, “Always remember whatever, whenever, God loves you forever, forever and ever.”
Downey, who has been working on the series for the past 18 months, hopes the series be a catalyst for parents to start having the faith talk with their preschooler.
“I think that ‘Little Angel’s provides the gateway into that conversation about faith and about the Lord and about God’s love for us. Remembering that the angels are just the messengers and the message is the message of love,” said Downey. [I would like to ask Roma Downey, “Why do you say that angels are the messengers? Parents, Sunday School teachers, the pastor, and most of all the Bible itself are to tell us about God and His love – not angels. “Faith cometh by hearing [from people], and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17, KJV).
“Quite deliberately, I placed the little angels on a mural on a ceiling in the nursery so it’s the first thing they see in the morning when they get up and it’s the last thing they see in the evening before they go to sleep.”
There are eight angels in all, each with their own distinctive personality:
[Some of these remind me of the patron saints, whom Roman Catholics pray to – this lengthy list is ridiculous.]
• Dina the Angel of Learning • Charmy the Angel of Harmony • Uriel the Angel of Creativity • Michael the Archangel (i.e. The Boss Angel) • Ariel the Guardian Angel • Hammy the Angel of Logic • Gabriel the Messenger Angel • Hayley the Angel of Animals
Downey said she was intentional in making “Little Angels” of the “highest quality,” from the “nostalgic” animated feel to the compelling stories told to the tune of upbeat music . She enlisted the help of great animators and teamed with writer Phil Lollar, who wrote Focus on the Family’s Bible-based children series Adventures in Odyssey. [Adventures in Odyssey, hmmm, there’s another series I wonder about.]
Mothers of Preschoolers has even awarded the series a Seal of Approval.
The veteran actress and executive producer promises that she is not simply “slapping” her face to this product. To Downey, “Little Angels” is very personal. She even does the voiceover for the mother of the Alex and Zoe herself.
At the end of every episode, the twins’ mother comes into the nursery to pray over them, saying:
God in heaven, my Savior dear,
Watch over my children and draw them near, Send your little angels to be at their side, To light and to guard, To love and to guide.
“This was a little prayer that my parents shared with me when I was a child so it also has particular meaning that I added that little prayer in here. It also served as one of the inspiration for the series,” Downey shared with CP.
In addition, her daughter Riley sings the songs on the accompany “Little Angels” CD and her oldest son plays the guitar.
And the series not only speaks to children. The series can also rekindle Christian roots in those who may no longer attend church, according to Downey.
“I’ve already had such response from parents but particular from grandparents who said it’s such a great resource to share with their families. Maybe they have young families who have fallen away from the church and it’s an opportunity to, you know, in an entertaining way to remind and re-introduce the stories of the Bible,” said Downey….
Read below for the full transcript of The Christian Post interview with Roma Downey on February 14, 2012:
CP: Well, we’re here with Roma Downey, who is launching a new faith-based series for children called” Little Angels.” There are three DVDs being launched today, Little Angels ABCs, Little Angels 123s and Little Angels Animals. We have here Roma herself to tell us about this launch. Can you tell us what the message is for each of these DVDs?
Roma: I’m so thrilled to finally roll out Little Angels, the animated series for preschool children. It features eight little angels who live on the ceiling of the children’s nursery. The children in this case are four-year old twins, Alex and Zoe, and when the mum and dad aren’t around, the little angels fly down and they come to life and they engage with the kids [angels communicating with the kids and vice versa – to me this seems demonic – the Bible FORBIDS this] to teach them practical life skills, on the one hand, ABCs, 123s but they teach them so much more than that. They share with them beloved Bible stories and support the teaching of good old-fashioned, family values. So we’re teaching the children the importance of kindness and of sharing and of cooperation, of being honest. [Again, no mention of the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ dying on the cross to save us.]
One of our stories, for example, has the little boy Alex and he can’t tie his shoelace. He wants to put on his velcro shoes – he thinks that would be so much easier. And the little angels come to life and say , “Alex, you can’t just quit. If every time something got too difficult and you just quit then nothing would ever happen. Would you consider for a moment Noah in the Bible?” Little Alex scratches his head and says, “Who’s Noah?”
One of our little angels is a painter and he paints a picture of the ark. It gives us this device in our animation where our children can time travel back into the Bible. They take Alex and his sister Zoe by the hand and they fly into the picture of the ark and lo and behold, they are back with Noah himself who is building the ark. Noah says to them, “If I had just quit if there was no sign of rain then nothing would have happened. And when the rain comes then I wouldn’t have been able to save the animals. And anyway, I couldn’t quit because God told me to do it. I had to do it. God told me.”
And we see the rain come in and we see Noah save the animals and the flood waters rise and wash the children back into the nursery and the little boy says, “I get it. I get the importance of not quitting and now I’m going to tie my shoelace.” And with the help of his sister, he ties his shoelace and all of that happens in seven minutes.
CP: Oh, I see. A lot of people may know you from “Touched by an Angel. “
Does the inspiration for Little Angels come from that series or how did the inspiration for this Bible-based series come about?
Roma: Well, you know, for almost 10 years I’ve played an angel on Touched by an Angel, bringing the message of God’s love. It was such a privilege for me as a person of faith to deliver the message.
And I thought, “Wouldn’t it be marvelous if we had a faith-based series for very young children.” They are such sponges at this age and there is such an opportunity here to sow seeds of faith in our little children. So the idea was born and I’ve been working on it and developing it now for almost 18 months. I got a fabulous team of animators. The animation has a lovely, nostalgic feel to it but yet it’s fresh and funny. The characters are really well designed. We’ve found a great writer in Phil Lollar….Phil wroteAdventures in Odyssey and has really brought the stories to life.
CP: From Focus on the Family?
Roma: Yes, and the music component is a very important one. It’s lively, upbeat and engaging because I could have all the best intentions in the world of bringing a faith-based product into the market space but if it’s not compelling and they are not drawn in and it’s not exciting then they are not going to watch it.
So, I’m super excited on how it’s turned out.
And the message here is really, you know, straight forward I guess. We’re teaching them practical life skills, we’re teaching them Christian values, and we’re introducing them to age-appropriate stories from our Bible, both Old and New Testament. [But is it age-appropriate – or appropriate at ANY age – to give children the thought that angels can communicate with them? NO!]
CP: Well, I’m looking at the series and it looks very well done. A lot of times when people are trying to make Christian-based series, the quality or the budgeting is not on par with what you see in secular children entertainment.
When I’m looking at this, it looks like something you would see on ABC Family on TV. Was that intentional?
Roma: That was the absolute goal: to make sure it was the highest quality.
I think the proof is in the product. The books are lovely. They are hardcover books. The DVDs each have 40 minutes of content. And there are musical videos along with it and I also have musical CDs which we had a great time doing it. We have very musical children. I, myself, am the only Irish person I know who can’t sing a note. But my daughter Riley is a great singer and she sings many of the tracks on the albums for me. My oldest boy James is fine musician and he plays guitar so it was very meaningful for us to all be involved in the project.
CP: There is also an app (for Little Angels) you have that has a daily prayer that parents can use with their kids. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Roma: Yeah, it’s available on iTunes under “Roma’s Little Angels.” It’s a really fabulous and interactive app. It has many features, games, puzzles and coloring. I recorded 365 prayers and I think it’s really good opportunity to go in there with your little preschooler and maybe find a moment each day to spend a moment in prayer.
I know that particularly in the car or emergency moments in your life, I don’t how my children were raised with all the particular features we have today.
One of my hope is that it’s an opportunity to start that discussion with your preschooler. I think that Little Angels provides the gateway into that conversation about faith and about the Lord and about God’s love for us. Remembering that the angels are just the messengers and the message is the message of love. Quite deliberately, I placed the little angels on a mural on a ceiling in the nursery so it’s the first thing they see in the morning when they get up and it’s the last thing they see in the evening before they go to sleep.
The mother doesn’t have a very big part in the DVD because of course, the angels come to life when the parents aren’t around. But when the mother does have a voice, I’ve voiced it myself. There is one scene that will appear on every episode and that’s the final moment that the mother comes into the moonlit room and the little four-year-old twins Zoe and Alex are fast asleep in their bunk beds and the moon is streaming into the room. And their mom just pops her head into the room to check on them and she says a little prayer:
God in heaven, my Savior dear,
Watch over my children and draw them near, Send your little angels to be at their side, To light and to guard, To love and to guide.
And this was a little prayer that my parents shared with me when I was a child so it also has particular meaning that I added that little prayer in here. It also served as one of the inspiration [sic] for the series…
At the end of the summer, I have a Little Angels Storybook Bible coming out. I have other DVDs on colors and shapes in the pipeline that should be out by the end of the year. I’m just thrilled that I’ve got a line of dolls that will be out by the beginning of the new year.
CP: Now, your husband in Mark Burnett. Both you and your husband are Christians.
Roma: Yes.
CP: How has faith played a role in your career choices and also in raising your family?
It’s central to everything we do. Our children go to a wonderful Christian school in Westlake, California, where we live.
For me, I felt so fortunate that I was able to combine what I believe with what I do for so many years on Touched by an Angel. You know, the year that I was cast to play that part, I was an actress looking for a job. I wasn’t on any kind of a mission especially. But I was so grateful that I was selected to play that part. The central theme of every episode was that there is a God and God has a plan for your life and that God wanted to be part of your life and that God loves you. [And yet, the series never mentioned the NAME OF JESUS – why does Roma Downey believe she could present a Christian message without mentioning the name of Christ?] And over the years, I can’t tell you the kinds of feedback that I’ve had where people said it was the exact message they needed at the exact moment they received it. At the height of that show’s success, we had over 20 million people tuned in every week.
One of the lasting things for me from that show is my relationship with my co-star Della Reese. [Della Reese has been very New Age-ish.] She has really become a mom and mentor in my life. When we were filming together, her only daughter tragically passed away. And when I was a little girl, my mother had tragically passed away. She took me in her arms not long after and she said, “Baby, God is just so amazing because I always knew that He brought you into my life because He knew you needed a mother. I just hadn’t realized that He brought you into my life because I was going to need a daughter. Will you be my baby girl?” And I said, “Yes.” And she said, “Then I am your mama.” And she has been from that day forward. She also godmother to my daughter Riley. She’s been such a wonderful part of our lives…
In terms of Bible stories….
CP: Which one do you tell your kids or they like hearing from you?
Roma: Well, I guess, we love the story of David and Goliath for our children when they feel they have insurmountable problems in their life and there is something so empowering in how David was able to bring down Goliath and he was a young lad doing so…
CP: A lot of what you do seems to be linked with faith education, from the apps that you mentioned to the docudrama The Bible and also the series, Little Angels. Why do you think it’s important to educate kids early on about faith and what are some of the challenges that you think parents face today?
There are studies that show children that grow up in Christian households leave the faith as they grow older. How is the work that you’re doing with Little Angels to the work that you do with your husband in the entertainment industry help build faith in Christian homes and help children keep faith as they grow older?
Roma: I think that certainly with “Little Angels” and aiming for this preschool market that we’ve just launched, I’ve already had such response from parents but particular from grandparents who said it’s such a great resource to share with their families. Maybe they have young families who have fallen away from the church and it’s an opportunity to, you know, in an entertaining way to remind and re-introduce the stories of the Bible. [Through angels? Give me a break.]
We have an opportunity to make the stories seem very relevant as well. You know, our little girl in the story Zoe, is very particular. She experiences certain fears from the storm that goes off in one of the scenes to being afraid to climb the top bunk to get her little dolly that is up there. The little angels take her back to meet with Jonah and Jonah shares with her that he, too, experienced fear so much so that when God called him he ended up in the belly of a big fish. One of the things that he has done to calm his own fears is to pray and he encourages little Zoe to do that. So when the children are now back in the nursery and she’s looking up on the top bunk and she puts her hand on her heart and says, “I know that God loves me. I know that he does.” And through the power of prayer [or perhaps Roma Downey should say “through communication and encouragement from angels”] in that moment, she climbs to the top bunk.
So I think that even though it’s designed in an age-appropriate way to reach someone, I think there is a way to bring the stories very much alive and to find the relevance that will teach them and make the stories very current in their lives today.
CP: You are involved in a lot of things. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind in your work. Do you want to be known as the actress, the executive producer, the mother of 3, the wife of Mark Burnett? How would you like to be remembered and what kind of legacy would you like to leave?
Roma: I think, perhaps, the virtue that I hold dear is one of kindness.
I try to live my life with my faith in loving actions. Perhaps, it would be that…
One of my favorite stories is the story of the Starfish that we hear at church all the time about the girl and the starfish. [So Roma Downey and her husband do attend church somewhere – but where? Why keep it secret – would she not want to share her church’s biblically sound Christian beliefs with the world? If it truly is a biblically sound church, that is…]
CP: For the “Little Angels” enterprise, what can we expect for the future? Will you continue with preschoolers or other ages?
Roma: No, for preschoolers. But thank you for asking because this is just the beginning, these three DVDs and these two books.
At the end of the summer, I have a Little Angels Storybook Bible coming out. I have other DVDs on colors and shapes in the pipeline that should be out by the end of the year. I’m just thrilled that I’ve got a line of dolls that will be out by the beginning of the new year.
CP: Based on each of the little angels?
Roma: Based on the little angels because there are eight little angels and each little angel is very sweet and has a loving, unique personality and varied perhaps as the children who are watching.
We have Dina whose a little angel who carries an iPad, Gabriel who is this little… and he announces, and Ariel, and Uriel and Haley, she’s got an Australian accent, she teaches the kids about angels. So, it really lends itself to all kinds of storylines that are fun and engaging.
Anyway, I’m really just full of it. Sometimes you hear of celebrities or actresses who have just slapped the name on a product and who have just endorsed it. This is not that. You know, from the moment this was an idea, I’ve been nurturing it and bringing a great team to bring it to life. I’m really excited today as we roll out Little Angels.
Roma Downey’s comments about “Touched by an Angel” show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager
I have always felt very uncomfortable with the TV series “Touched by an Angel.” Why? Because I never, ever heard the characters mention the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The closest they came (in the episodes I saw): I heard the tune (not the words) of the Christmas carol “Silent Night.”
Also, I couldn’t help but notice that “Touched by an Angel” Roma Downey’s co-star, Della Reese, is a New Age-ish woman “preacher” in real life. (Click here for Della Reese’ Wikipedia bio. She teaches New Thought heresies.)
Christian discernment ministries have been writing exposés of “Touched by an Angel” for years. With so much having been written already, there’s probably not much new info I can add here. I will, however, attempt to locate and repost Downey’s New Age comments regarding “Touched by an Angel” – comments which show she is not a Christian as she claims, but a New Ager.
For example, in this quote (found here) Downey describes what attracted her to try out for the part of Monica:
Chet Cooper: You are most recognized for playing Monica on Touched By An Angel. How did you come across the role and what did you first think of the character?
Roma Downey: It was pilot season of ‘94, and I was reading through endless junk scripts that were being sent my way. Typically the roles were to play his wife or his girlfriend—leading roles for women were few and far between. Suddenly a very unusual script turned up. “Now this is curious,” I remember thinking. Because I’m a person of faith [in other Internet articles, she uses phrases such as “on a spiritual journey” – a New Age phrase], the spiritual aspects got my attention. Also, the actress in me was delighted to read a show that had not one but two strong female roles—female angels. I was to audition for Monica, and I very much liked Della Reese, who of course ended up playing Tess. [Just a couple clues that Downey was New Age prior to “Touched by an Angel”. See also my “trivia” blog mentioning biographical info prior to “Touched by an Angel”. I’m not sure when Della Reese first got interested in New Age teachings.]
[Note – I’ve repeated much of the following info in this blog about Downey’s theology.]
Closely study reruns of “Touched by an Angel” and I’m sure you’ll find many heretical New Age views held by both Roma Downey and New Thought/New Age co-star Della Reese.
Check out the following quotes from Downey, found here. I have emphasized certain points by bolding, and inserted comments in [brackets].
“It’s fantastic that [the Touched by an Angel reruns are] on GMC,” says Downey. “It’s reaching a whole new generation of people with its beautiful message of faith. I loved being on that show. I loved it. I loved playing Monica. I loved being the messenger, the believer. I loved being part of a message that went out weekly reminding people there is a God and this is God’s purpose for you and God will be part of your life and most importantly that God loves you.
“I got to deliver that message every week for almost 10 years to millions of people a week.”
“Still to this day, wherever I am in airports or shopping malls people tell me, ‘Oh, that show has changed my life.’ or ‘That show helped my family heal’ or ‘You’ll never know what that show did for us’ and so I’m thrilled that it’s back at a regular spot in the television and has a chance to heal and touch people’s lives all over again. [I don’t see any wording here about bringing people to salvation through the Father’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ, do you? I guess that would be rather difficult for “Touched by an Angel” to do, considering the 212-episode series has never – that I know of – mentioned the name of Jesus Christ.]
“I’ve been there, too, needing an angel — I can tell you. Over the years I’ve found myself wishing sometimes my angel would show up. [So Downey would want to communicate with angels? I’m not surprised. By the way, the Bible forbids communication with angels – this insightful pdf article mentions this.] I could use a little uplift, a little reminder.
“And then you know, and it’s available to everybody at all times. You’ve just got to turn your attention into your own loving heart where God exists inside of all of us.” [This reminds me of the heretical Inner Light teaching of George Fox and the Quakers, “that of Christ in all men” – supposedly.]
“There’s a timeless quality to the story,” she says. “It was always stories of people at certain crossroads in their lives when a decision was to be made. The spirit[notice Downey doesn’t say “the Holy Spirit” but rather uses the liberal/New Age term “the spirit”] would show up and help you make that good decision. You know, there’s no magic wand. Somebody didn’t come down and fix it for you. All we did as the angels was to come down and to remind you that you were a child of God[only a born again Christian is a child of God – nonchristians are offspring of Adam and “children of the devil” – see John 8:44 and I John 3:10] and God loves you and God wants the best for you, that God has a purpose for you and that you have to reach into your own heart to see it and believe it and then out of that place, make a good choice for yourself. [Again, “reach into your own heart” and “out of that place” are heretical New Age phrases.]
“It was very empowering in that way. It wasn’t some easy fix, because life isn’t filled with easy fixes. But when you pray and really trust and hand yourself over to God [notice she doesn’t mention repenting of your sins and accepting Christ as your Saviour], you know that God has you and holds you in his heart and in his hands.
“You know there’s no better feeling.
“If I were to look back at my career, I think my greatest achievement is very simple.
“I’ve been able to make choices where I could glorify God.”
So there we have it – a bit of Downey’s theology in her own words. As we will see in my various blogs about Downey, she is extremely New Age. Several questions: would she say in the previous paragraph her New Age beliefs “glorify God”? And how does she define “God”? For that matter, how does she define the label “Christian” which she applies to herself? Like I said, she is not a Christian like she claims, but a New Ager.
By the way, I perused this devotional book about “The Bible” as it was premiering. It is supposedly written by Downey and hubby Mark Burkett. But don’t be deceived by the biblically sound lingo found throughout the book. It sounds very different from Downey’s New Age statements in her quotes above. I’m going to take a wild guess here and speculate that portions of the book were written by ghost writers (perhaps some of the heretical “Christians” on “The Bible” Board of Advisors who have a better grasp on Christian lingo.)
Warning – a number of the following links are nonchristian; I can recommend them for research only.
Click here for CBN’s article about “Touched by an Angel” executive producer Martha Williamson and her Interfaith Movement connections. CBN, which has become heretical – actually recommends Martha Williamson and “Touched by an Angel.”
Click here for the official “Touched by an Angel” episode guide, including detailed plots of each episode.
Searching Amazon.com re: “Roma Downey” brings up a number of angel-oriented publications by Roma Downey. Also, click here for books, videos, etc. related to the “Touched by an Angel” TV series.
I am currently in the process of adding more info to this blog – keep checking back. And thank you for your patience. New info on Roma Downey and hubby Mark Burnett is coming out almost daily – it’s hard to keep up with!
Christians United Against Apostasy 
