Comments on: The Secret Is Total Bunk http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/ Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:45:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By:   It ain’t no secret: I’m not a fan of The Secret — Sunflower Chalice http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-15028   It ain’t no secret: I’m not a fan of The Secret — Sunflower Chalice Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:21:37 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-15028 [...] the best rebuttal was from Elizabeth at her Little Blog in a post titled “The Secret is total Bunk” and the crux of her post was [...] [...] the best rebuttal was from Elizabeth at her Little Blog in a post titled “The Secret is total Bunk” and the crux of her post was [...]

]]> By: It’s that time again. UU Blog Awards « Elizabeth’s Little Blog http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-14452 It’s that time again. UU Blog Awards « Elizabeth’s Little Blog Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:15:18 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-14452 [...] favorite post is The Secret is Total Bunk about the ethical and theological problems with a philosophy/mindset/belief that if you believe [...] [...] favorite post is The Secret is Total Bunk about the ethical and theological problems with a philosophy/mindset/belief that if you believe [...]

]]> By: Woody http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-14408 Woody Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:39:21 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-14408 Elizabeth, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with some of your points. Let me explain: You don't have an understanding past your present beliefs. These teachings disturb your present belief system (according to your article) and challenges it. And that challenge is healthy. Buddhism and Hinduism have been teaching these principles for thousands of years. They teach about karma. The teachings from the Law of Attraction (the real foundation of "The Secret") are very similar to the Buddhist concept of karma. If you do bad things in past lives or in present life you get those things back either in this life or the next. While this concept of karma envelops past, present and future, the teachings from the Law of Attraction and The Secret dwell mainly in the "now". I'm wondering if you reject the concept of karma. If you accept the idea of karma, then you have no reason to discredit The Secret. I would personally recommend watching the Law of Attraction instead of The Secret which is a lot of hype and similar to the Davinci Code. The Law of Attraction DVD isn't like that. Watch it and see what you think then. Like you, I was skeptical about these teachings and 6 months ago discarded them as the ramblings of mad people. Now it's different based on my personal observations of the principles found in these teachings. You condemn The Secret for the answers it gives to life and suffering, etc, but freely admit that your faith does not offer easy answers or any at all concerning it. Do you see where I'm coming from? Think about it. The L.O.A., along with the concept of karma, offers the simplest and rational explanation for the divide between the duality of our existence. How else can you explain the divide? An unjust God who picks and chooses who is right and wrong and who deserves pain and who deserves pleasure? Offer your own thoughts that solve the apparent problem with life before destroying something that you don't know much about. I offer this comment as a cause for you to ponder things to a greater extent. I offer constructive criticism in love. I hope you receive it as such. Peace... Elizabeth,

I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree with some of your points. Let me explain:

You don’t have an understanding past your present beliefs. These teachings disturb your present belief system (according to your article) and challenges it. And that challenge is healthy.

Buddhism and Hinduism have been teaching these principles for thousands of years. They teach about karma. The teachings from the Law of Attraction (the real foundation of “The Secret”) are very similar to the Buddhist concept of karma. If you do bad things in past lives or in present life you get those things back either in this life or the next.

While this concept of karma envelops past, present and future, the teachings from the Law of Attraction and The Secret dwell mainly in the “now”. I’m wondering if you reject the concept of karma. If you accept the idea of karma, then you have no reason to discredit The Secret.

I would personally recommend watching the Law of Attraction instead of The Secret which is a lot of hype and similar to the Davinci Code. The Law of Attraction DVD isn’t like that. Watch it and see what you think then.

Like you, I was skeptical about these teachings and 6 months ago discarded them as the ramblings of mad people. Now it’s different based on my personal observations of the principles found in these teachings.

You condemn The Secret for the answers it gives to life and suffering, etc, but freely admit that your faith does not offer easy answers or any at all concerning it. Do you see where I’m coming from? Think about it.

The L.O.A., along with the concept of karma, offers the simplest and rational explanation for the divide between the duality of our existence. How else can you explain the divide? An unjust God who picks and chooses who is right and wrong and who deserves pain and who deserves pleasure?

Offer your own thoughts that solve the apparent problem with life before destroying something that you don’t know much about. I offer this comment as a cause for you to ponder things to a greater extent. I offer constructive criticism in love. I hope you receive it as such.

Peace…

]]> By: Earthbound Spirit http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-13280 Earthbound Spirit Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:37:01 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-13280 I'm a bit late, but thanks for this post Elizabeth. You've said what is wrong with this book far more eloquently than I. I first encountered this sort of thinking back when Shirley MacLaine's books were popular and she wrote something about people choosing their parents - clearly implying that abused kids had chosen their lot in life for some complicated karmic reason, which raised alarms with my BS detector. "The Secret" rang the bells on my BS detector again. Blessings to you... I’m a bit late, but thanks for this post Elizabeth. You’ve said what is wrong with this book far more eloquently than I. I first encountered this sort of thinking back when Shirley MacLaine’s books were popular and she wrote something about people choosing their parents – clearly implying that abused kids had chosen their lot in life for some complicated karmic reason, which raised alarms with my BS detector. “The Secret” rang the bells on my BS detector again.

Blessings to you…

]]> By: Stentor http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12817 Stentor Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:58:57 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12817 My problem with Rev. Small's attempt to rescue some good from The Secret is that the good he found is not unique to that book/DVD. You don't need The Secret to tell you that hope is good. Trying to rescue that message from it gives it too much credit, at the expense of diluting the criticism of all of the uniquely-Secret elements, which are bunk. My problem with Rev. Small’s attempt to rescue some good from The Secret is that the good he found is not unique to that book/DVD. You don’t need The Secret to tell you that hope is good. Trying to rescue that message from it gives it too much credit, at the expense of diluting the criticism of all of the uniquely-Secret elements, which are bunk.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12612 Elizabeth Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:20:06 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12612 I also see that Earthbound Spirit has recently written about The Secret http://earthbound-spirit.blogspot.com/2007/11/more-on-secret.html Thanks for the comments, Hafidha Sofia and Barry. I agree that if you read The Secret as sort of a fluff, interesting thing about magic and such, it is harmless and perhaps even inspirational. My fear is just that this is neither how it is presented nor how many read it.... Much peace all, E I also see that Earthbound Spirit has recently written about The Secret
http://earthbound-spirit.blogspot.com/2007/11/more-on-secret.html

Thanks for the comments, Hafidha Sofia and Barry. I agree that if you read The Secret as sort of a fluff, interesting thing about magic and such, it is harmless and perhaps even inspirational. My fear is just that this is neither how it is presented nor how many read it….

Much peace all, E

]]> By: hafidha sofia http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12587 hafidha sofia Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:11:57 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12587 While I enjoyed The Secret, I did so in the way that I enjoy movies about magic (how many children's movies, for example, are about the power of "belief"). I got some inspiration from it, but it is definitely not my theology. While I enjoyed The Secret, I did so in the way that I enjoy movies about magic (how many children’s movies, for example, are about the power of “belief”). I got some inspiration from it, but it is definitely not my theology.

]]> By: Barry Brownstein http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12586 Barry Brownstein Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:58:46 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12586 Elizabeth, I enjoyed your well-written post. Last month I wrote a blog post debunking "The Secret." See http://givingupcontrol.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/why-%e2%80%9cthe-secret%e2%80%9d-doesn%e2%80%99t-work-and-why-you-should-be-glad-it-doesn%e2%80%99t/ Elizabeth,

I enjoyed your well-written post. Last month I wrote a blog post debunking “The Secret.” See
http://givingupcontrol.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/why-%e2%80%9cthe-secret%e2%80%9d-doesn%e2%80%99t-work-and-why-you-should-be-glad-it-doesn%e2%80%99t/

]]> By: Shelby Meyerhoff http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12582 Shelby Meyerhoff Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:08:26 +0000 http://elizabethslittleblog.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/the-secret-is-total-bunk/#comment-12582 Elizabeth, I'm totally with you on the danger of taking the Secret to its logical conclusion (both politically and theologically). Elizabeth,

I’m totally with you on the danger of taking the Secret to its logical conclusion (both politically and theologically).

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