Cult News

Yesterday the national television program Inside Edition ran a report about John Gray and his educational credentials.

During that interview Gray admitted that he has no accredited degree from any institution of higher learning.

The Ross Institute/CultNews was cited as a source and I commented within the broadcast.

Gray told Inside Edition, “I don’t need to put Ph.D. by my name I’m the most famous author in the world.”

It seems the “good doctor” may have overlooked a few other authors and that modesty was not something Gray learned at those unaccredited colleges he attended and/or corresponded with.

Gray insists, “I’m not a fraud.”

John Bear, Ph.D. (an accredited degree) is a top expert on correspondence schools. He told Inside Edition that Gray’s doctorate from an unaccredited school “holds a lot less weight” than one from an accredited institution, but that having it branded on all his books must have helped sales.

“People look for respectability. Would [Gray] reach [millions] in sales with the non-Ph.D.? I would guess not,” Bear said.

Immediately following the airing of the Inside Edition program email started flowing to CultNews from Gray’s fans, though some seemed more like the cult followers of a charismatic leader, rather than people receiving advice from a supposed relationship expert.

Here are some excerpted examples:

“I was appalled to see your ‘judgement’ of Dr. Gray on Inside Edition tonight based on his degrees… he does have all three, a [Bachelors], [Masters] Ph.D., no matter what the accreditation issues are to date. A degree does NOT qualify intelligence. Are you next going to bash Bill Gates for his lack of credibility in growing a very successful business? Mr. Gates has NO degrees, along with many intelligent leaders of yesterday and today who have contributed so much to society. I have personally spoken to people with Ivy League degrees who have no common sense at all!”

However, Bill Gates did not base his career on essentially misleading credentials like John Gray, who constantly uses the moniker, advice from “Dr. Gray.”

The impression Mr. Gray sought to make, was that whatever philosophy he promoted, it was coming from a highly trained and degreed professional in the area of marriage and family counseling.

In every bio or introduction, it was always “Dr. John Gray,” John Gray, Ph.D. etc.

He also became a professional member of the American Counseling Association (ACA), even though he did not meet their minimum educational requirements.

Perhaps Mr. Gray should have promoted himself as simply “John Gray a man with ‘common sense’ and a high school education.” Though as Dr. Bear points out this probably would not have been as effective for the marketing of his books.

Another viewer wrote, “I was outraged at your daring stupidity to talk about something you have no idea what you are talking about in Inside Edition and through your nasty website…There are very few people in this world who have been able to do what John Gray has done for the benefit of others in the history of this world…The greatest people in this world never held a degree, Jesus Christ, being the greatest of all…John Gray has accomplished what he has accomplished, meaning his capacity to lift and help human kind, not because he has or does not have a stinking degree. The degree is totally irrelevant. John Gray developed, through divine intervention, a new science, a new understanding, an understanding of the human soul to help us live in peace and harmony.”

“Jesus Christ…[and] divine intervention”?

It seems like this viewer has elevated Gray to the status of a “Sacred Science,” which cannot be questioned.

However, “Dr. Gray” emphatically insists upon his titled prefix and uses it constantly, so apparently he doesn’t think it’s “totally irrelevant.”

There were also numerous personal attacks, following the old axiom “if you don’t like the message kill the messenger.”

Here are a few:

“What degree do you hold? How many people have you affected for good in this world? You are no match to John Gray.”

“You are very jealous, get over it. John Gray is better than you are.”

“Why do you feel comfortable applying such standards to everyone but yourself. I am also curious how you can reconcile your finger pointing with the [Jewish] law of lashon hora [gossip].”

I have never attended college.

My bio linked from CultNews states my education plainly as does the CV posted at the Ross Institute (RI).

Clearly the impression John Gray sought to make was that whatever philosophy he promoted, it was something coming from a highly trained and educated professional. Subsequently, it is certainly not “gossip” to report about Mr. Gray’s lack of accredited degrees.

The area of marriage and family counseling is a field typically populated by state licensed professionals. Ironically, John Gray insists upon licensed mental health professionals for his own Mars/Venus counseling centers.

The following comments came in from someone who had a more personal experience with John Gray:

“I was a…repair technician and went to ‘Dr. Gray’s’ house…I…had no idea that I was going to THE Dr. Gray’s house. I…[was] there for about one hour and 15 minutes…During that time He parked his car…in such a way that blocked my car. He seemed pissed when he had to go outside and move his car. I remember that. I overall didn’t like him…He had an assistant that he seemed to treat rudely…The guy is kind of a jerk, if you ask me!”