FAQ's @ GSLC:
"The "Secret" vs. The Bible"
Pastor Mike Anderson
Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007 - GSLC-South
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Today's frequently asked question revolves around a cultural phenomenon that has generated 2 million DVD sales and over 5.2 million book sales with the same title. "The Secret" is the work of Rhonda Byrne, an Australian television and film producer. Her central claim is that the "law of attraction" governs our universe.
"The law of attraction says that like attracts like, and when you think and feel what you want to attract on the inside, the law will use people, circumstances and events to magnetize what you want to you, and magnetize you to it," Byrne said in an e-mail in response to several questions posed by The Associated Press.
She said she was struggling personally and professionally several years ago when she was given a nearly 100-year-old book called "The Science of Getting Rich," by Wallace D. Wattles. In it, readers are guaranteed to become wealthy if they learn and follow "certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches."
Inspired to do further research, Byrne said, she resolved to create a film to spread the word about what she felt she had learned about the "law of attraction."
The DVD, also available as a Web-based, pay-per-view video, was released in March 2006. It resembles a videotaped seminar, featuring commentators with titles such as "quantum physicist," "philosopher" and "visionary" - many of whom had already written their own books. Its trailer has cloak-and-dagger images, yellowed scrolls and mystical music evoking another massive publishing hit, "The Da Vinci Code."
The book, which followed last November, features images of wax seals and paper that mimics parchment. It's currently the No. 1 nonfiction book on lists of best sellers, including Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and is No. 1 on The New York Times' hardcover advice list.
As with many publishing hits, the "Oprah Effect" played a role. Winfrey devoted two shows in February to "The Secret," and Larry King and Ellen DeGeneres also featured it on their shows. It was spoofed on "Saturday Night Live" when a man portraying a refugee in the Darfur region of Sudan was blamed for having negative thoughts.
As I thought about all the attention and acclaim this phenomenon has produced, two things hit me. For one, people are really searching for answers in today's society and are open to many ideas to fill the hole in their soul. Secondly, there is some truth in the secret or it wouldn't have sold so many copies. Often there will be books in the marketplace that portray a spiritual truth that is really God's truth, and people gobble it up like it is the best thing since sliced bread.
The apostle Paul also espouses the power of Positive Thinking in his letter to the Philippians when in 4:8 he states, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
Paul also says to the Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
The word for transformed comes from our word "metamorphosis", which means to have a complete change of being. It is the same word for a "caterpillar" to be changed into a "butterfly". This happens as our lives and our thinking aligns itself with God's Word.
Listen to what one commentator said and see how remarkably it smacks of "Secret-like" dogma. "If we will change our thinking so that we believe what God says in His Word about who we are and what we have, then this agreement between our spirit and soul forms a majority and our flesh will experience the life of God that has been deposited in our spirits." (Andrew Womack Ministries)
But the secret is really no new thing. The secret is really another form of New Age mysticism that says you are in control of your own destiny by gaining this secret knowledge of how to connect with universal power that will bring you anything you want in life. Often this happiness is connected with money, fame, renewed relationships or healing of physical maladies.
In the first century it was called "Gnosticism" and was one of the oldest heresies the church had to confront. As I have said before and it bears repeating, 'the best heresies resemble the truth very closely". The word "hairesis" which means to be able to choose! A good heresy makes you feel like you are just choosing a version of the truth!
Paul confronts this heresy in many of his New Testament letters and specifically in this book of Colossians, where he specifically uses the word "secret" as a code word to confront the Gnostic heresy. He says, "The message was kept secret for ages and generations". And, "This is the secret: Christ lives in you".
Paul said Jesus is the one true secret, and yet He has been made plain for all to see, so that all might know the one true God.
The major philosophical problem with the secret is that assumes all suffering is bad. It assumes any sickness, or poverty, or failure is a result of not connecting with the right vibe in the universe. Can you imagine how much self imposed shame and guilt this would bring on a person who is genetically predisposed to something, or children that are born with diseases, or even born blind or deaf. Does that mean they were not connecting with the universe in the womb?
What happens if you're raped, or your tribe is the target of ethnic cleansing? Does that mean you're to blame because you attracted that by your thoughts?
These issues are very problematic, and again it is not saying that positive thinking and possibility thinking can't help people that are dealt with these cards. The problem is with a philosophy that everything that comes our way is self0generated by us and specifically our thinking. Again ultimately we become the god of our universe because we are all powerful.
Also the central Christian message is centers around Jesus going to the cross. Jesus, who was all God and all powerful, allowed suffering to come into his life with some people with very negative vibes in order to accomplish the salvation of our souls.
Jesus gave us a model for ultimate greatness in this life. Jesus taught us that in order to live we must die. Die to ourselves and selfish motives. The disciples argued with Jesus about who would be the greatest in His kingdom and Jesus told them, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43-45)
The secret says you have a right to be happy and be rich and be famous, and Jesus tells us to give up our rights in order to be a servant to others, which leads to more than happiness. It leads to joy and peace and true love. There is more than one person that has realized that money does not lead to happiness, just ask many of the lottery winners.
The one thing I will give the purveyors of the secret is that they haven't kept it a secret! The have marketed it very well. Another thing the church can learn to do is not to keep Jesus the secret that was revealed 2,000 years ago a secret anymore!
The fact remains that Americans are looking for help, but unfortunately it is self help materials that seems to be the dominant best seller of the day. We spend roughly 10 billion dollars on books, videos, infomercials and other self help resources. The Secret is the latest and most intriguing of Self Help resources.
So as Christians we don't have to be afraid to talk about the Secret. People are hungering for answers to spiritual issues. But let's lead them to the real Secret that the bible has revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save lost people. He came to give us what no self-help guru could ever give us, a relationship with God.
This is the secret that has been revealed to us that can satisfy more than just our desire for happiness, but can fill the hole in our soul! This is the message that has been entrusted to us, let's not keep it a secret okay!
Colossians 1:25-29 (New Living Translation)
25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God's people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[a] in their relationship to Christ. 29 That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me.