by Brian Flynn
The latest falsehood to be promoted by Oprah Winfrey is the new DVD called The Secret. Oprah is no stranger to promoting New Age books and authors so it comes as no surprise that she would promote yet another New Age self-help idea.
She has promoted books by Gary Zukav, Marianne Williamson, and Deepak Chopra to name a few. Oprah Winfrey is, by far, the most influential person when it comes to promoting books. Unfortunately, her selections of books are generally New Age. I had at one time believed Oprah to be a Christian.
Often she has spoken about her upbringing, always mentioning how the church shaped her life. However, the statements she makes on her shows and in more current interviews clearly expose her New Age views: "One of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe there is only one way. There are many diverse paths leading to what you call God."
I believe Oprah is well-intentioned, and I think everyone agrees she is one of the most generous and well thought of people in America. However, that doesn't make her right. Sincere - yes; right - no. During one of her shows that focused on reincarnation, the Christian Bible was attacked and grossly misinterpreted.
On that show, Oprah stated, "As I study the New Age movement, it all seems to say exactly what the Bible has said for years, but many of us were brought up with a restricted, limited understanding of what the Bible said." That ended my illusion of Oprah having any biblical discernment.
The DVD begins by manufacturing a story that The Secret was kept away from the masses by evil kings of the past and more recently by evil corporate types. The film shows smoke filled boardrooms with visuals suggesting a cover-up going on. They offer no proof that these events actually occurred but who cares when you are trying to make a buck from the ignorant. I wonder whether people are gullible enough to believe this premise, or have we become so accustomed to marketing techniques that we know that this is just hype to sell us the story.
Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret, admits as much on Oprah's show when she was asked why it is called The Secret. She states, "We really needed to contain the knowledge in a couple of words." In other words, it is a marketing technique. If the producers start with a lie of The Secret's history, why should we believe its content?
As a former New Ager who was later saved by Christ, I watched the video with grave concerns. If anyone thinks that this is new information recently uncovered by the authors of this film they are mistaken. This is the same philosophy that has been promoted by Self-help gurus for the last 30 years. However, its foundational lie goes back further in time than that. I will address that aspect at the end of this article.
When I was a New Age medium who performed psychic readings, I was always looking to the Universe for guidance and power. It was during this time I was also looking for a way to succeed financially. I was introduced to the concept of a warm, generous Universe who was willing to bestow all that I wished for simply by asking and believing. That is the same philosophy as described in The Secret.
The film gives a 3-step plan. First you must ask, actually COMMAND, that the Universe provide you with what you want. Second, you must believe that it is already yours. You affirm this request in the present tense. For example, I weigh 120 pounds. I am a millionaire. I receive royalties from The Secret. Oop's, sorry that request has already been taken. The film states that the Universe will rearrange itself to make it happen for you. No real explanation is offered as to what that means or how that occurs.
Thirdly, believe that you can have it and feel what it would be like to have it right now. Who is this Universe they speak of? The "Universe" they describe is another god. The Universe that they worship as the purveyor of gifts actually does not exist. God is not a cosmic Pez dispenser doling out goodies whenever we ask.
A truly loving and responsible God would never give us everything we want anymore than a responsible parent would give a child everything it wants. When we believe that we deserve everything, it will never be enough. I don't think I want to be on the same planet with many spoiled brats.
The reason I have a concern about this film is that it leads one into bondage. It is a trap that I was in for years before I came to Christ. I was always looking to the Universe for help and never getting results.
I followed all the rules of this practice. I stated my desires in the present tense. I visualized receiving it. I placed pictures on the wall of the things I wanted. Truly believing that all my wishes and desires would come true but somehow it never happened.
The response from the New Age gurus who promoted this belief was that I just didn't believe enough. I was still letting the blocks of my rational thoughts stand in my way. In other words, it is my fault for my failures.
When you are told that you are God and you are in charge, then you are responsible for everything that occurs in your life good and bad. Therefore, if you have any sickness, disease, relationship problems, or financial problems it is your fault. I heard the constant refrain from my New Age gurus in my mind; You just don't believe enough, Brian. The Universe didn't fail me. I failed the Universe. It was this belief system that left me chronically depressed.
I fear that many will buy The Secret, follow the steps and when their dreams don't come true it will leave them further depressed and dissatisfied than before. I am guessing that neither Oprah nor Ms. Byrne will offer a money back guarantee.
If Ms. Byrne and her Secret teachers, James Ray, Joe Vitale, Jack Canfield, Michael Beckwith, Lisa Nichols, and Bob Proctor, are so confident in The Secret then I propose that they pack up and fly to Darfur and go from village to village sharing this information.
I would surmise that the Universe, hearing the pleas of the people who are starving, would surely grant their request for food and money. Why bother sending aid to this country when poverty could be eradicated within weeks after hearing of The Secret? Unless, of course, The Secret only works for self-absorbed westerners like ourselves?
Why is it that many of us feel so dissatisfied with our lives that we are willing to buy into this theory? Many of us believe that by getting that new car it will make our lives better. If only I could lose weight. If only I could get that new job. All those things are legitimate desires but it will not fill the true dissatisfaction that lies within.
What is the answer?
Why am I so deeply satisfied with my present life no matter what the circumstances? Simply because I know who I am, who God is, and where I will be for eternity. The worries of the world drop in scale and importance when you have the answers to those questions. A deep abiding faith in Jesus Christ changes ones outlook and understanding of the world. Assurance in Christ trumps assurance in Self. Believe me, I have been on both sides. I know.
Christianity provides liberty when making decisions about life. I am free to pursue whatever job I want without having to consult or wait for direct guidance from the Universe. As long as my pursuit is not sinful, I am free to pursue my work with confidence. There is no guarantee that the outcome will be fruitful but I will be satisfied no matter what the result because I know that God is in charge, not me. Halleluiah! I never had that feeling when I was following and failing with The Secret.
The problem with affirmations in the future tense is that we do not know the future. I am a millionaire in 2016. I am married to a wonderful person in October. Those are very affirming statements, but what if you were hit by a bus tomorrow? You are assuming that you know the future when you make those affirmations. How can you boast about the future when it is unknowable?
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" James 4:13, 14.
You may wonder why I am critiquing The Secret from a religious perspective. The Secret is a religious film. It is not until the end of the DVD that the authors reveal their hand and their true religious philosophy: You are God.
Lisa Nichols, co-author of Chicken Soup for The African American Soul states, "You are God manifesting in human form made to perfection." This is a religious view, is it not? If the authors were promoting the way to fulfillment as through Christ, it would be viewed as a religious-themed film, but because its message is one that promotes "I am God," it is not.
The Secret is not new. It is a very old lie. When Eve was tempted in the garden, she was told that she could follow her own desires and be like God. The woman said to the serpent,
"'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil'" Genesis 3:2-5.
Rhonda Byrne and Oprah Winfrey ask their audience to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. Will we fall for the same trick again? With sales topping two million already (with nearly four million in print), I believe that, sadly, the answer is yes.
