Second, when it comes to Christianity, he paints it as one of the worst examples of spirituality/faith when it is out of control and based on illusion, lies, and dangerous ideas. As he puts it, “The history of Christianity is, of course, a prime example of how the belief that you are in sole possession of the truth, that is to say, right, can corrupt your actions and behavior to the point of insanity.” This is the same worn-out slander that has used against Christianity for centuries -- i.e., bring up all the horrific things done under the guise of Christianity (e.g., witch hunts, Crusades, etc.) and blame the actual faith itself, rather than the people who merely used the faith to further their own evil and wickedness.

Third, it should be understood that Tolle's "religion" is not really a "religion" per se, but rather an eclectic mix of doctrinal views taken from all over the religious landscape. This reflects the way people are choosing their spirituality today -- i.e., a little bit of this a little bit of that. And it doesn't really seem to matter if the various things they are choosing are intellectually consistent or logical. In other words, of a certain idea "feels" good, then they'll take it and just throw it into their personal spirituality stew. This is why Tolle, I believe, uses so many quotes from the Bible -- it sounds awfully spiritually and uplifting. Unfortunately, the words contained in his select passages are rendered meaningless by him because he perverts them utterly via radically New Age  misinterpretations of them based on his own internal, subjective "knowledge" of what those verses supposedly REALLY mean -- always contrary, by the way, to their context and language. In this way he utterly reshapes/redefines every Christian doctrine around what HE believes about God, Jesus, eternal life, salvation, the cross, the "new" haven and earth mentioned in Revelation, the term "Christ," and the mission of Jesus.  

What is the basic message he's teaching?

His basic religious message is: You can escape suffering and live happy, fulfilled, and purposeful if you know who you REALLY are. And who are you? Supposedly, you and everyone else, and everything else, is "God" (which he defines as the Life Force, Power, One, Reality, or Essence of all that exists). This impersonal, cosmic, metaphysical stuff is what we need to recognize as our TRUE self, underlying the illusion of forms we see. Such a view is nothing but pantheism, which has been taught in Hinduism for centuries. It's one of the foundational teachings of the classic New Age Movement. It's all very, very old stuff. But with a new twist, thanks in part, to Oprah, who has become, as one person said it, the Queen of the New Age Gurus.  

What is it that people find so appealing about Tolle's message?

Tolle is a likable guy, first of all. He's not intimidating in the least—i.e., he comes off as very calm, kind-hearted, gentle, witty, caring, sincere, non-judgmental, and non-combative. There's a lot to be said for personality! This is enough to get most people to believe just about anyone, be they a used-car salesman, a politician, or an entertainer.

And then you have Oprah, who has been identified by Forbes as the most influential/powerful celebrity in the world. So, for a lot of people (fans, fellow celebrities, Hollywood movers and shakers), whatever Oprah says is golden. Whatever she says is true must be true. Add a few more celebrity endorsements into the mix and you've got untold millions looking to Eckhart Tolle because he is being backed by celebrities.

As for his actual message, it is crafted extraordinarily well for our era of self, self, self. It's all about the self -- me, me, me. What can YOU achieve, by YOUR efforts, to make YOU happier, by getting what YOU want, through understanding YOUR power, and knowing YOUR real identity, which is "God" (as Tolle defines him from a pantheistic perspective). The bottom line is simple—i.e., escape your suffering, obtain what you want, live a good life.

This is the same foundational teaching that has infected certain segments of the Christian community. The only difference is that in Tolle's teachings, each person is supposed to look inwardly to their own self as "God." The Christian version doesn't go quite that far, but instead, holds on to an external God while we are painted more us more like little gods who can, by virtue of our faith, make the big God give us what we want.

Christianity, contrary to Tolle’s assertion, does not teach it is possible to “end” suffering. Such an idea is nowhere to be found in Christ’s sermons (or anywhere in the Bible). In fact, the very opposite is taught in scripture—i.e., followers of Jesus will experience all kinds of suffering for myriad reasons. History has repeatedly born out the accuracy of this teaching with frightening clarity. Christian suffering began almost immediately after Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:10–12). But believers in Christ always recalled Master's promise: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). The Christian’s hope, in other words, is not to escape suffering, but to endure it with the strength, guidance, and comfort of God that is made available to us through the Holy Spirit, who is variously called the Counselor, Helper, or Comforter (John 14:16). The answer for Christians who live in a world rife with suffering is to look to, and lean on, God, “who comforts the downcast” (2 Cor. 7:6). It molds us, shapes us, and conforms us to the image of Christ. This is not a real popular message. In fact, it seems that few people these days (even in the Christian church, especially in America) are willing to accept what Jesus said in John 16:33: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."