I picked up USA Today today (that drives the grammar check crazy) and found a story about The Secret. What is The Secret? It is a controversial self-help book and DVD that claims to know the secret to happiness. Author Rhonda Byrne says the secret is the law of attraction. If you think positively you become a magnet that pulls everything you want toward you. Whether you want a new job, a million dollars, or a gorgeous girlfriend. I apparently need to reverse the polarity of my magnet because I tend to only pull dog hairs and dysfunctional people toward me. So I was intrigued. Especially when I discovered that The Secret carries this centuries’ version of the Good Housekeeping Seal…an endorsement from Oprah. Like she needs another million or a new job.
Byrne is an Australian reality-TV producer who discovered “the secret” to obtaining everything you want through studying religious and philosophical texts.
“Everyone has to have their own experience to believe,” says Byrne, 55. “People start with little things like deciding a cup of coffee will come to you or that you’ll see a feather. There’s no difference between attracting a feather and anything else you want. It’s as easy to attract one dollar as it is $10,000.”
I have to admit that as I was writing this post on a flight from Memphis a cup of coffee came to me. The flight attendant on this American Airlines flight pulled a little cart right up to my seat and asked if I wanted something to drink. Amazing. I have to confess that the exact same thing happened yesterday before I knew about the secret. Perhaps I am just gifted at this.
I decided to skip the whole weird feather thing and go right to bigger things. I am going to think positively that you will click on this link right now and buy 5 copies of my books.
I’m waiting.
While I was waiting I found some more dog hairs on my pants. Obviously the polarity has not switched. There are, of course, skeptics of The Secret. Professor Robert Thompson of Syracuse University calls it “at best, silliness” and “good old-American snake oil salesmanship.” Advocates of The Secret tout the law of attraction for everything from finding good parking spots to curing disease. That is a concern. No one dies from getting a bad parking spot. Not surprisingly, the always bizarre celebrity set has jumped on board the phenomenon.
The whole thing just makes me sad. People are so desperate to find something, anything, to give them hope and a little happiness. Like the old country song, I believe they are lookin’ for love in all the wrong places. So I decided to share my secret with you. I have gleaned this from my study of ancient texts and from personal experience. I cannot promise you good parking spots. I cannot promise you a million dollars. I can’t promise you a gorgeous girlfriend or boyfriend. My blog is not endorsed by Oprah. If you are still interested let me tell you what my secret will give you.
Joy
Purpose
Significance
Strength in times of trouble
Power to forgive
My secret is not a law or rule. My secret is actually The Gift. The Gift is grace. The Gift is given by God. Jesus said that He came that you may have life and have it more abundantly. That verse has been so misapplied by those who claim “Beemers and Baubles” as a sign of God’s blessings. That is not what Jesus said in this text. The abundant life is simple. By living a grace filled life I can forgive the hurt and forget the grip of my past. I can live confidently without fear of the future. And I can live content in the moment. That is a prescription for happiness. When I autopsy what makes me unhappy it fits into one or more of those categories. Regrets from the past, fear of the future, or discontent with the present. The Gift can free from you those joy robbers even if you have to go get your own coffee.
That’s my secret. You don’t have to buy my book (but feel free if you want to) to share my secret of The Gift. For further research read the Gospel of John.
Stephanie
I just recently read your article about The Secret today, after hearing a radio documentary about it on my public radio station in Canada. What angered me was the “blame the victim” mentality of this book. Specifically they gave the example of a rape victim and said that the woman was raped because she either “had a real fear of being raped” or deep down she wanted to be dominated! Just think if an adherent to “The Secret” worked as a rape relief counselor. How can rational thinking people even go on public radio and say this stuff with a straight face? Another example was a firefighter who used The Secret and now owns a business in five cities. He said that those whose real aim is just to help their fellow man should really subscribe to The Secret because they would do much more good in the world if they attracted lots of money. Basically he said they were ineffective in helping people if they didn’t have lots of money and that’s where the Secret comes in. This is just like Landmark and Est and all those before it – just re-packaged for a gullible public that just never learns.
Robin Sampson
Becasue of this post I read the reviews on Amazon about your book and bought 3 copies. One for me and two for my daughters that were VERY hurt by a church. But I did not buy 5 so the Secret doesn’t work. 🙂
Blessings,
Robin
Robin Sampson
Super post. Love your humor. Thanks for the smiles this morning.
Is it an ancient secret or an old lie? It includes ancient Egyptian mystery religions, Gnosticism, Science of Mind, Unity, the New Thought and New Age beliefs.
Some Christians are buying into this philosophy by twisting Scripture to fit this thought. Same old lies as in the Garden of Eden. They talk about “Taking every thought captive” but leave out God and the verses that tell us to submit to God’s will: Matt 6.8-10, 26:39, 42, 44; Lk 6.28, 18.13, 21.36, 22.40; Jn 17.
Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, is a disciple of Jerry and Esther Hick. If you read anything by these people you will see they talk a lot about Abraham. This is NOT Abraham in the Bible. It is a spirit channeled. CREEPY!
Blessings,
Robin
brian
Thank you so much for writing this. I was beginning to think I was the only one who saw this as witchcraft without the wands. I was doing a little research via the internet about the Secret, because I have some Christian friends that are into it, and I found that most of the people Byrne says used the "secret" throughout history were in fact atheist, Plato, ect.
Jane
Thanks to a VERY OBEDIENT Christian woman in Oprah’s audience I didn’t even hesitate to check this book against the Word of God…& of course the oh so useful "Google" (that’s where I found your great article…Thank you!!).
My prayer is that the womans very timely questions will cause EVERYONE that watched the show to also question…and look for (and discover) the REAL TRUTH.
P.S. I was just channel surfing…Please don’t judge me for the moment of weakness on watching Oprah 😉 I really should tape 100 Huntley Street to watch during my lunch!!
Oh & Mr. Burchett I think I may just buy your book after all…All the best with the dog hair issue 😉 😉
Mark Marsden
I’m glad I wasn’t drinking coffee when I read your bit about coffee as I’d have sprayed it. I think your blog must have magnetic attraction as I found 31 cents in my bed last night and I wasn’t even thinking about money.
Though I did have 31 cents less in my trousers this morning – it may have had something to do with having a kip in bed yesterday afternoon but I think that’s just little faith on my part.
I’ve been wondering if you’ve got anywhere on your next book Dave. Maybe you should write about Unmet Expectations.
Kathy :-)
you are the bomb!!
dulcenea
It’s really so sad that there are false prophets who prey on people who long for freedom from their painful past. My husband is one of them. Tho a Christian for almost 10 years, he has turned away from the faith becuse of unmet expectations from Christianity. He comes from a very abusive past and totally backslid after his father died without any assurance of salvation. Sadly, no one among our church leaders came alongside him. I know that he is responsible to face the truth.I really just pray that one day he will cry out to the Lord and find rest and healing for his wounde heart and weary soul.