Question:
Have you heard of “The Secret” The law of attraction, that is so popular right now? It is a teaching (tapes, books, etc) that sounds really good but I don’t hear anything referencing the Bible.
Answer:
“The Secret” is all the rage right now presenting itself as some new and wonderful secret psychological teaching that will transform your life.
It was begun by a woman named Rhonda Byrne who “discovered” these secrets in a book entitled, “The Science of Getting Rich”, a book you will often find listed right in the middle of other positive-thinking-personal-success-human-potential lists. While this book is actually written in a very professional, matter-of-fact, non-sensational way (giving it an air of non-religious credibility), when you boil it down, it’s still the same message of human potential and metaphysics.
For example, in chapter 15, you find “God cannot help helping you, if you act in a Certain Way; He must do so in order to help Himself” which is a line that is restated over and over in any number of today’s success teachers, or prosperity preachers. It is just one of the “laws” that supposed run the universe, and apparently run God too (which is the undeniable logical conclusion any time we declare that God MUST do something because man has forced His hand according to a ‘law’. God makes the laws. He is above them. No one can force God to act any time, any way. This is occultism and humanism at its finest).
That “the Science of Getting Rich” teaches that man “creates” reality with his thoughts is clearly stated in the ending summary:
“THERE is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe. A thought in this substance produces the thing that is imaged by the thought. Man can form things in his thought, and by impressing his thought upon formless substance can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.” (emphasis mine)
Like most books and teaching of this type, there are some reasonable ideas, some good points, and there is nothing wrong overall with the idea of being positive and thinking proactively about what you want to achieve.
When it becomes MAN’S POWER, or comes UNDER MAN’S POWER to effect and create reality, then it has moved from simply teaching people good life skills to teaching them the oldest religion in history (“you can be like God”) for GOD ALONE has creative power, can control circumstances and can bring about His Will by His Word and Thought.
“The Secret” is a Hollywood, Madison Avenue slick production but in reality, it is nothing more than the same old metaphysical, new age, health/wealth/prosperity, personal success message that has been around since Satan snookered Adam and Eve.
It’s a dirty old pig in a new silk dress. Built around positive thinking, the eastern mystical ideas of life energies, and so-called laws and principles of the universe, it’s an extreme makeover of Satan’s garden lie, Oprah-style.
It is no coincidence that these very same “principles”, “keys” and “secrets” have been dressed up several times in Christian vocabulary and for a several decades been preached ad nauseum in a large segment of Christianity.
No matter who, or how you dress it up, whether coming from Peale, Copeland, Robbins, Schuller or Oprah…. it’s humanism at its best attempting to elevate man’s abilities and status to that of God… or as several leading Christian personalities boldy proclaim, you and I are “little gods.”
This ancient idea started in the Garden of Eden when Satan lied to Eve telling her she could be like God. This is the essence of man’s sinful pride… we want to replace God with SELF.
“The Secret” is not even a “christian” version of this metaphysical nonsense. You should avoid it except for the purpose of knowing enough about it to warn the vast numbers of lukewarm and Biblically ignorant Christians who will ride this latest fad.
I PREDICT IT WILL ONLY BE A SHORT TIME BEFORE YOU WILL SEE A NEW “CHRISTIAN” VERSION OF THIS SWEEP THE AMERICAN CHURCH SCENE.
I’d like to finish with a piece of advice: we have God’s Word. Any time you hear about some new “secret”, “hidden” or “revealed” teaching (usually next to the words “key”, “law” or “power”), don’t get sucked in.
There are no new revelations or secrets waiting to be “mined” from the Bible, nor revealed by God to someone today having never been known before now.
TODAY’S CHRISTIANS WOULD DO WELL TO SPEND SOME TIME LEARNING WHAT THE BIBLE IN FRONT OF THEM SAYS RATHER THAN CONSTANTLY SEEKING OUT THE LATEST “SECRET” OR “REVELATION” FROM THE CURRENT MOST POPULAR PREACHER OR SUCCESS GURU.
Other than that, I don’t really have an opinion. 🙂