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Conversations with God is a hugely popular series of books written by New Age author Neale Donald Walsch. A movie version is due out in October, 2006. Walsch has written additional books as well, and has set up “The ReCreation Foundation, Inc.” also known as “The Conversations with God Foundation.” The foundation aims to “address the overwhelming response from people around the world who desire to do something tangible to spread the message of Conversations with God.” Walsch says the foundation was inspired by the message that “the purpose of life is to recreate ourselves anew in the highest version of the grandest vision we ever had about ourselves.”
A 2004 news article described the Conversations with God phenomenon:
Married and divorced four times, unable to stick to any career and recovering from a broken neck after a car accident, Walsch was in deep despair when he awoke in the middle of the night and put pen to paper: “What does it take to make life work?” he asked.
The question was directed to God.
God answered.
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Today, 12 years later, Walsch is the best-selling author of “Conversations with God,” a series of books translated into 27 languages and sold in more than 30 countries. Their popularity has spawned a Conversations with God Foundation that operates on a $1.3 million annual budget, employs 15 people and offers an array of books, audiotapes, videos, online courses, workshops and retreats.
The brashness of Walsch’s claim is that he’s talking to God, not about God. After scribbling his urgent question, Walsch says, he heard a warm and loving voice that gave him an answer to that and multiple other questions. He’s likened the process to “taking dictation.”
All of his books – typically found in bookstores’ Metaphysics or Spirituality section – follow the same question-and-answer, give-and-take format between Walsch and God. They touch on hundreds of different topics, from sin to sex to salvation.
– Source: Author brings Conversations with God to town, The Register-Guard, USA, Feb. 15, 2004
It is clear that the ‘god’ who speaks to Walsch is not the God of the Bible.
Walsch says God spoke to him in the middle of the night and that he began writing down notes on a yellow legal pad.
Walsch concludes that there is no good and evil, no right or wrong and that even Hitler went to heaven.
– Source: Ordinary man’s experiences with God have extraordinary effects, Star-Telegram, Feb. 19, 1999
Indeed, Walsch acknowledges that he is inspired by the same ‘god’ written about by other New Age authors:
Q. In reading the first “Conversations with God,” I recognized much from James Redfield, Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer and other authors. I could imagine some people saying you simply adapted their materials, then added your own.
A. They’re right. Marianne and James Redfield got it from God, too. It’s not unusual that we say the same thing. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some priest said, “Hell, that’s what I told him in a sermon as a boy.” God made it clear that he has been teaching me all along.
[…]Q. Are we all gods? Or all part of God? Or are we all collectively God?
A. Yes, to all of the above.
– Source: Neale Donald Walsch’s ‘Conversations with God’ books continue to create a stir, Star-Telegram, Jan. 12, 2000
The official Conversations with God website used to sum up Walsh’s philosophy as follows:
The messages in the books can be reduced to four sentences:
1. We are all one.
2. There’s enough.
3. There’s nothing we have to do.
4. Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.
The living of these four sentences could change the world.
– Source: About Conversations With God, Conversations With God Foundation, accessed Jan. 28, 2004 [Page no longer online at the original site. Link leads to a page archived on Feb. 2, 2004]
However, those four sentences do not quite cover Walsch’s teachings, which include monism (all is one and one is all), pantheism, (all is God and God is all) experience over words (doctrines), et cetera. Walsh also consistently quotes the Bible out of context, which may be why he usually quotes but does not cite (a favorite approach of those who twist the scriptures)
In her review of the book ‘Conversations With God, Book 1,’ Marcia Montenegro of Christian Answers for the New Age concludes:
Walsch offers no evidence that the entity communicating with him is God. Are we to accept these doctrines simply because Walsch claims that it is God answering through his automatic writing? Before debating the ideas in this book with anyone who believes it, one should ask how can it be authenticated that this book is from God.
Would God really write such florid drivel as, “My Truth is in the whisper of the wind, the babble of the brook, the crack of the thunder, the tap of the rain . . . My Truth . . . is as awesome as the night sky, and as simply, incontrovertibly, trustful as a baby’s gurgle.” [54] This sounds like a bad greeting card.
Walsch’s God says that his teachers have always come with the message that we are as holy as God. [55] Well, there have been teachers who have said this, notably the Eastern gurus and New Age teachers. One of the earliest foundational New Age bibles is Ram Dass’ Be Here Now, first published in 1971. This book teaches many of the same views held by Walsch’s God: man’s innate divinity, reincarnation, serving the self, all is one, all is God, Bible misquotations and misapplications, no final judgment, and the illusion of material reality.
Many of this book’s messages do line up consistently and completely with the messages of someone we know from Genesis chapter 3 — someone who questioned God’s Word, called God a liar, told Adam and Eve that they could be like God, and that they would not die. This someone was the serpent, also known as Satan. In fact, the attacks on Christ, on salvation by grace, on marriage and the family, on God’s Word, on the body, on absolute truth, on the reality of heaven, hell and the devil, and the promotion of sorcery and Gnostic philosophies are a perfect picture of what Satan would say and would want us to believe.
If truly dictated by a spiritual being, this book is a thinly veiled attempt by Satan to sound like God, misquoting Scripture and twisting everything around. Typical of Satan, the ideas are complicated, contradictory and open-ended, and the answers are often evasive. Preaching love and the “highest” choices and thoughts — this is an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) sweet-talking us into believing we are God and can do anything we want to do. However, Satan tips his hand too often; his hostility to Christ and his constant attacks on God’s Word give him away.
Conversations with God? Actually, this book is just the opposite.
– Source: Book Review: Conversations With Which God? Looking at Donald Walsch’s Conversations With God, Book 1, by Marcia Montenegro
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First published (or major update) on Saturday, October 7, 2006.
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Thank you for this succinct, understandable review of this book. I knew this book was not Biblical but could not remember any specifics. Two of my loved ones go to a church that is promoting this book and new movie and it worried me. I wanted to be prepared to give a response for my aversion to this book. Now I feel I can do that. Thank you again.
Amy
Neale D. Walsch’s book is nothing but “another gospel”, delivered to him by an “angel of light”. I cannot believe that so many people would actually give this book so much interest. I pray that Mr. Walsch will be like the prodigal son and “come to his senses” and repent of all this garbage. I will be praying for him..
I am going to pray for Mr. Walsch. Oh, buy the way, Mr. Walsh, here is what it takes to make life work. Give your heart and soul to God…he’ll do the rest. I am not a perfect person, but I do not have to go out and buy new age books to tell me how to get through life. I let the Holy Spirit lead me, and so far life is pretty wonderful. It also works wonders for kids. My kids are not perfect either, but I know the Holy Spirit leads their little lives as well. I may never have tons of money or a million friends, but without any self-help books to assist me, I can say with God’s good grace, I am going to be just fine. I’ve had a husband with cancer and related financial struggles, but my family has never been better. Mr. Walsch, no book taught me how to survive. Only my faith in God has sustained me. I wish the same for you and all who may purchase your book looking for some sort of solace. God bless you and may you be enlightened. JW
I agree with jennifer White on this one. Give it all over to God and you will find how life works. I enjoyed the movie and began my research. Being a one time Heirophant Druid of Wicca, and now Saved by Jesus Christ our Lord, I can say I was dissappointed on one level to see that much of this is Wiccan in nature. I am sure you and anyone following your book may not see it as such, but Shamanic wisdom is self wisdom through mystical means. All of which is a blashpeme to God. God is indeed a loving God and a wonderful person to hold conversations with, but I pray that many people who read your book do not adhere to the concept that there is any form of salvation through anything but Christ. You are correct that Hitler May be in heaven, should he have repented of his sins and asked forgivenes through Christ prior to his death. But in and of his own accord, no hes not there. I enjoy the fact that your book teaches people that God is Love and Love is the supreme sense of what must be accomplished in this world. Overall your book can be a powerful tool. Used the correct way and with the Truth from God, I pray many people find their way to Jesus.
Matthew 7:15-20 says “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Galatians 5:22-23 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Let it be known to you that I am a believer of Jesus Christ and He is my Saviour. Nothing you say or believe can change that. I understand your tendency to be cautious of Neale Donald Walsche’s writings. But if you have actually read his books you would realize that never is an unloving, joyless, violent, impatient, unkind, hateful, unfaithful, wrathful or angry word spoken on ANY page. See for yourself. Jesus said that a “bad tree cannot produce good fruit.” Simply put. If you must question the genuiness of Walsche’s message, put the Fruits of the Spirit to the test. I’ve read most of his books. They spoke wonderous truths to my heart and I consider them to be a blessing. They do not contradict the true spirit behind the teachings of Christ, they magnify them. I hope that all who post to this blog have had the opportunity to actually read at least one of Walsche’s books before they are so quick to judge. I understand that many of you reading this will still condemn the message of Neale Donald Walsche and my defending of this message. I will pray that the Spirit may lead you to the truth, irregardless of whether or not you agree with me. You may even feel compelled to pray for me and that the Spirit will somehow lead me to the Truth. I appreciate those prayers and I do not reject them. You mean well to pray for your brother in Christ, and if the Spirit so leads me to deny the message that Walsche has written I pray that He may do so, but so far, I have sensed no rebuke. May the Lord bless each and every one of you.
1. Nowhere in scripture does it say that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was Satan. There is no scriptural proof to suggest such a thing. Even Paul does not refer to the serpent as the devil. And the mention in Revelations doesn’t either.
2. “Have you not heard it said, ye are gods?” Does that ring a bell. Whatever could Jesus have meant by that.
3. “If God be for us, who then can stand against us?”
It is amazing that there are so many Christians who are so caught up in a Luciferian theology, that the concept that perhaps hell and the devil are NOT what we have been taught, and are actually incompatible with the notion of a Loving God, would be rejected. If indeed God is Love, then why is this so hard to accept?
The reason is because the Christian church does not want us to think. They hold Hell and the Devil over our heads as a method to control and corrupt us. The images of both Hell and the Devil have changed so much over the years, that the current understandings bear no resemblence whatsoever to what was written in the original language of the bible.
The true sin is not Walsch’s view on God. The problem is the narrow minded and scripturally inaccurate view of many who refuse to accept anything other than what the mainstream church has spoon fed us.
While I am proud to be a Christian and proudly admit to being a follower of Christ. But the attitudes of the church leaves a lot to be desired. It is a shame that people are more influence by Milton and Dante than the actual Bible, and that they put conditions on what and who God may speak to.
I bet if Walsch wrote a book saying everyone was going to Hell, some of you people would shut up, since it would say just what you wanted. Shameful.
Every one on this planet need to ask themselves one thing “if one was god for a day and had to created a being and had to give that being a free Will, would one create rules to stifle the free Will it just gave, and would one punish and condemn it to so called hell if that being did not do ones bidding. I think not… All I say take vary hard look at yourselves the massage is simple. Gods spirit and the truth is within, don’t look outside for answers, you will not find it there.
All churches of the world will change their teachings when they discover to find that the lie they wield is no longer has strength. People of this planet should not allow fear to rule. Fear and blind ignorance has done for so long and continues to do today.
Gain wisdom through the teaching, open your minds to the possibilities it is all good and relevant. The sciences make sense it is all around us.
The inspirational good massage that is in these books strengthen the wonderful Teachings of the good book and give hope and energy to the destitute and the lost soles. Open your eyes and embrace life and what it offers, heaven is here not somewhere else.
I would like to share a story with you all. I visited Europe recently and in my travels I visited Rome and entered St Peters Basilica. I walked away with my opinion strengthened and somewhat disillusioned. This overpowering architecture and the art, symbol of a Christianity reminder me of what it stood for, the hypocrisy that existed in the reaches the wealth and the massage that communicated to all intelligent christens. I would like you all think about this for a while and you all will come to the same conclusion. reflect on the teachings and of the church.
We all live in a very complex and highly political environment, look at the state of the world and ask your self the question? Where has the present religion’s of the world taking us. How have they improved our lives,? is their less hungry people in the world then yesterday, is our society material based or knowledge.
My God is not in a business of war or distraction. WAKE UP OPEN YOUR MIND & SOLE. We are all made from the same stuff. All it is saying love is the way be kind to one another create your tomorrow because you can. ……amen….
Reponse to Marcia Montenegro (quoted in the article):
“Walsch offers no evidence that the entity communicating with him is God. Are we to accept these doctrines simply because Walsch claims that it is God answering through his automatic writing?”
No, and Walsch does not indicate you should. Just the contrary in fact.
“Before debating the ideas in this book with anyone who believes it, one should ask how can it be authenticated that this book is from God.”
What does that matter? That is but a detail. Why not focus on the ideas that the books invite you to explore?
“Would God really write such florid drivel as,”
Why is such a thing not feasible? What makes you believe that God would not write this way? Is your statement in fact not the manifestation of your own belief as to what God can or can’t, would or would not choose to do? One of the central themes of the Conversations with God books is that the belief that all is known to us already is what prevents us from advancing. Again, it’s an idea,
not a dictate.
As for the last two paragraphs: oh boy. The “if it don’t walk and talk exactly like I say God does, then clearly it’s Satan” belief again. But what that “exactly” is, is open to interpretation by the individual, based on their own sacred text, their church’s interpretation of that text, etc. etc.
So just who is right? Oh yeah, you are. Why? Because it’s *your* interpretation of *your* sacred text. The word “arrogance” springs to mind. Must be the devil in me…
Response to Lon Washington:
“Neale D. Walsch’s book is nothing but “another gospel”, delivered to him by an “angel of light”. I cannot believe that so many people would actually give this book so much interest.”
Any, pray, why not? Are you saying that not a single page in any of the books is worth exploring?
“I pray that Mr. Walsch will be like the prodigal son and “come to his senses” and repent of all this garbage.”
….”and instead come to believe in the one, true path which, by a miracle of my God, just happens to be the particular path I believe in.”
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