The silliness of THE SECRET

So a few weeks ago a close friend asked me if I'd heard anything about this new book called The Secret. Bookworm though I be, this is something that hasn't appeared on my radar screen at all (though let's face it: I have been pretty busy lately with things not ordinarily experienced). He said there was also "a movie about it" too. Well last night I finally got around to looking into this...

...and without even cracking open the book once I can confidently say: The Secret is crap.

According to the book, there is some big "secret" that has been put together after being fragmented through the ages: a secret that will bring about "money, health, relationships, happiness". All you have to do is believe that good things are going to happen to you, and you will miraculously lose weight, gain libido, and have a lot more cash coming in. That is, according to The Secret.

It's not that much different from the "name it/claim it" mindset preached by Benny Hinn and some other professed "Christians". And that too is what The Secret is: Gnosticism, repackaged for a new generation that is fixated on things of the flesh rather than growth of the spirit. Only this time, the bold claim is that there really is a universal all-powerful "force" that does your bidding.

And to think that some people say I carry the whole Star Wars thing too far...

The book and the accompanying DVD are selling like crazy (the book is listed at #2 on Amazon.com only after pre-orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Compared to The Secret, the Harry Potter books are a veritable trove of profound wisdom. Heck, I could see Lord Voldemort getting into this book bigtime. The Secret encourages materialism, while the big lesson from the Harry Potter series has been the real Christian principle that to not fear death is the only way to really live and enjoy life.

Besides, The Secret is going to ultimately prove to be just one more silly fad that will be almost totally forgotten about in another few years: some big "secret" indeed!