The Secret
Christianity or New Age
By Lynn Stuter
February 2007

A “phenomenon” is sweeping America; according to the purveyors, everyone should have it — it’s The Secret.

“The Secret is a feature length, historic and factually based account of an age old secret, said to be 4,000 years in the making, and known to a fortunate few, as told by some of the greatest leaders of our time. The Secret reveals this great knowledge to the world—The Secret to wealth, health, love, happiness, relationships. . .The Secret to life itself.”

The secret of the universe revealed at last! Shouldn’t we all rush to the call! Aren’t we all just thrilled?

The above is from the press kit issued for The Secret. In the background of that press kit is a circular logo. Around the edge of that logo are the words “as above so below”—as in heaven so on earth. This is a New Age precept that defies true biblical teaching, for heaven is nothing like the world around us. As God warned His wayward people long ago,
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The idea of heaven on earth defies the Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; that Christ died on the cross for the sins of man; that
“whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting (eternal) life” (John 3:15).
When the mortal perishes—the body—the soul of they who believe in Him will live in eternity with God. At the same time, Jesus said,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
And God said to believers,
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28)
New Agers believe there is no eternity, there is only the here and now; heaven on earth; as above so below.

On Friday, February 16, 2007, two of the promoters of The Secret appeared for the second time on the Oprah show. For the discerning, what spewed from the mouths of these two men, Michael Beckwith and James Ray, was New Age. One lady, identifying herself as a Christian, spoke about her unease with the seeming focus of The Secret. She was quickly shot down by Beckwith and Ray and by Oprah Winfrey, claiming that she, too, was a Christian. After all, if Oprah Winfrey is a Christian and supports The Secret, isn’t that endorsement enough for all Christians?

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

Let us be reminded that Oprah Winfrey had Marianne Williamson, New Age leader and guru, on her show back in 1992; that it was Winfrey’s endorsement of Williamson that skyrocketed Williamson to fame along with her book expounding the virtues of the New Age “Bible”: A Course in Miracles. (Source: http://www.reinventingjesuschrist.com) Williamson now appears on Oprah and Friends XM Satellite Radio as a “friend and contributor.”

Within seconds of the lady proclaiming her unease with the focus of The Secret, Michael Beckwith announced to all that “God is within.” This is another New Age precept—God dwells within all people, man is divine, self-divination. God and humanity are one! This again defies the true biblical teaching of The Trinity and of God as the ultimate Higher Authority.

The natural outcome is evident throughout the New Age ideology: Man-centered “affirmations”—statements of positive attributes and desires, repeated often enough, will come true: believe and receive, my will be done. If I want a red Lamborghini, and I believe it will come to me, I will receive it. This is not what the Bible teaches; the Bible teaches that it is God’s will that shall be done.

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” (Matthew 6:9-13, the Lord’s Prayer)
God does not say to us, “wish for what material things you want, they shall be yours at your request.” He says, “I am the ultimate Authority, My will be done.”

And above all else, what became very apparent, as the show moved along, was the true focus of The Secret: money -- the more the merrier, and the more money in the pockets of the promoters, the better. Go back and read the press kit trailer quoted above. What is the first thing revealed by The Secret? “The Secret to wealth….” If you go on the website of The Secret, there you will see, front and center, “The Secret -- The Science of Getting Rich.” The promoters of The Secret are not nearly as interested in doing good as they are in increasing their net worth.

Is wealth the measure of our obedience to God? Of course not. Is wealth the measure of whether we will be with God in eternity? Of course not. Is wealth the measure of grace? Of course not.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 3:15)

“Lay not up for yourselves treasurers upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasurers in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. … No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other: or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:19-21, 6:24)

Also evident in the press kit trailer is the promotion of The Secret by Jack Canfield, New Age guru of long standing; disciple of the likes of theosophist Alice Bailey; promoter of confluent education—of placing children in altered states of consciousness known to many as guided fantasy/guided visualization for the purpose of meeting spirit guides.

As Warren Smith and Brian Flynn—both former New Agers, one a former “medium”—have confirmed, spirit guides are not of God! They are of Satan; they are demons. Coincidentally, or maybe not, on Thursday, February 15, 2007, the Oprah show had John Edward, psychic medium, as a guest. On the Oprah.com website was posted a survey asking participants:

1. Do you believe in the supernatural?
2. Do you believe that sixth-sense abilities are real?
3. Do you believe human spirits can survive after death?
4. Do you believe it is possible for psychic mediums to see, hear and talk to the dead?
5. After watching this episode of the The Oprah Winfrey Show, did your opinions on this subject matter change?
6. If you have ever visited a psychic medium to try to communicate with a dead relative, was it a successful experience?

I answered “yes” to questions 1 and 2; and “no” to questions 3 through 5; I didn’t answer question 6 as I don’t consort with psychic mediums. I hit “submit” and the results of survey came up, preceded by “…You might be featured in an upcoming show!” WOW! I might be on the Oprah show, coming into the presence of her eminence, the queen of television! How exciting!

Under the results of question number 4 was a link asking the participant to Tell us why you believe or why you do not believe it possible for psychic mediums to see, hear and talk to the dead. I responded, stating that psychic mediums were not communicating with the dead, they were communicating with demons whose soul purpose it is to lead people away from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I suggested Brian Flynn as a future guest on the Oprah show.
“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:31)

You just can’t imagine how disappointed I was to receive a response from the Oprah show as follows:

“Thank you for your e-mail! Your message is important to us. Unfortunately, due to the volume of e-mail messages we receive every day, we cannot guarantee that you'll receive a personal response. Feel free to check out our Frequently Asked Questions for additional help.

http://www.oprah.com/tows/program/tows_prog_main.jhtml”

What? No offer to appear on the Oprah show? How devastating! Think maybe that had anything to do with the fact that I exposed John Edward as someone who communicates with demons? And imagine my surprise when, during her interview with John Edward, when John Edward made the mistake of referring to his “guides”, Oprah Winfrey did not ask him to explain but moved the interview right along!

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.” (Isaiah 8:19-22)

So, okay, what these people, Oprah Winfrey included, are pushing is the New Age world view, philosophy, religion. Don’t these people have a right to their beliefs? Oh, very much so.
So, if you don’t participate, why should you be concerned?

For one very simple reason: the New Age religious world view is the “spiritual dimension” that is inextricably engrained in the transformation of America from a constitutional republic to a participatory democracy. In short, it is the intent, the agenda of these people that they will usher in a one-world religion based solely on the New Age world view! You see, while you might be willing to allow them their religious beliefs, they are not willing to allow you yours. In fact, in the unpublished papers of one world futurist (fancy name for New Age theosophist), she states emphatically (sic) we are all atoms in a molecule (representing the one-world system concept); radical atoms (dissenters) must be exterminated in the greater good of the collective whole. Do I need to paint a picture?

The New Age world view, along with its near cousin, humanism, permeates government-run public schools, the work place in the name of Total Quality Management, and is rapidly infiltrating churches in the name of “the church growth movement” while pastors are being emasculated by the promise of overflowing pews.

Has Rick Warren and his “Purpose Driven” agenda been brought in and accepted by your church? Is your pastor aware of the connection between Rick Warren and such New Age gurus as Neale Donald Walsch, Robert Schuller, Bernie Siegel and Marianne Williamson? Why would a church, supposedly Christian in foundation, agree to teach New Age principles and precepts to its congregation?

In the words of Marilyn Ferguson in The Aquarian Conspiracy,
“You can only have a new society, the visionaries have said, if you change the education of the younger generation.” (1987; page 280)

Is your pastor telling you that contemplative prayer is okay or sanctioning it by saying nothing? Are you aware that contemplative prayer is nothing more than transcendental meditation (TM) or yoga; that it is grounded in Eastern mysticism and is totally antithetical to the teachings of the true Bible? Transcendental meditation and yoga both utilize altered states of consciousness, the state in which children in public schools, taken on guided fantasies and guided visualizations to meet spirit guides (demons) are being placed by teachers who are being taught the methodology by the likes of Jack Canfield, New Age guru.

In an article published in New Age magazine in 1978, Canfield instructs …

“If you're teaching in a public school, don't call it meditation, call it ‘centering.’ Every school wants children to be relaxed, attentive, and creative, and that's what they will get.”
In a sidebar to this article, it is acknowledged that …

“Many of the new methods and approaches we have written about in this article are beginning to be adopted by more and more teachers in pilot programs.”

The Bible does not teach that we need to be in an altered state of consciousness to pray. But children, subjected to this in the government-run public schools are being introduced to New Age practices from an early age. When ministers fail, from the pulpit, to expose contemplative prayer for what it truly is, young people are given the message that contemplative prayer is just okay, and in so doing, ministers are encouraging children to participate in self-destructive behavior in defiance of God’s word.

Ever wondered why teachers in your local government-run public school cannot speak of God, Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, and even having a Bible on school grounds could be cause for disciplinary action, but the same prohibition on “religion” does not exist for Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism?

children study the spirituality of the Native American Indians, their spiritual wheels and animal spirits, shamans, dream catchers and the like are okay topics and art projects for the classroom but speaking of God or coloring a picture of Christ is taboo?

children cannot wear clothing proclaiming their belief in God to school, but clothing depicting Satan, the peace symbol, the yin/yang do not receive the same censorship?

children cannot pray to God in the classroom, but they can go on guided fantasies and guided visualizations to meet spirit guides (demons) in the classroom?

Do you get the impression that the only discrimination going on, in the realm of religion in the government-run public schools is against Christianity? If you do, you are absolutely correct.
Why is that? Very simple, systems theory—that which provides the foundation upon which the transformation of America from a constitutional republic to a participatory democracy is built—cannot tolerate the individual and true Christianity teaches that we are all individuals.
Enter the New Age movement, one of the precepts of which is that we are one with one another: one with God: in communion with God 24/7: as above so below.

Enter Karl Marx who was not shy in proclaiming that Christianity, because of its teaching that we are all individuals, should be stamped out in pursuit of “Oneness of Mind”—the Hegelian Dialectic of thesis, antithesis and synthesis with synthesis becoming the new thesis, ever evolving to a higher plane of reality. If you think that sounds like something right out of the New Age Movement, remember that the religions of New Age and humanism are close cousins, the difference between the two being nothing more than the spiritual dimension of the New Age world view.

New Age Religion:
One with another and with God
Believe and receive; my will be done
Gaia Hypothesis
Human potential
Create the Future


Humanist Religion:
Oneness of Mind
No deity will save us; we must save ourselves
General Systems Theory
Self-actualization
Create the Future

And lest we forget, Karl Marx is considered the “father of communism”.

The Hegelian Dialectic is familiar to most under the name of “consensus building” and “facilitation.” The teacher will become the “facilitator of learning”; not the “sage on the stage” but the “guide on the side” — all terms that those familiar with education transformation, better known as performance-based education, outcome-based education, standards-based education, competency-based education. The Hegelian Dialectic is also the basis of such concepts as higher order thinking skills, critical thinking, peer mediation, peer tutoring, team building—the purpose of each and all is to move the child away from individuality and to the concept that they are but one atom in a molecule; Oneness of Mind.

The government-run public schools are preparing children to be willing participants in the new world of tomorrow; a world in which true Christianity has no place, but the false teachings of the New Age religion are considered to be Christianity. In short, Christianity is being hi-jacked and too many churches are willing participants in what is becoming known as the emerging church or church growth movement.

In the work place, people are coming face to face with the transformation of the work environment to the “total quality” environment, sometimes known as continuous quality improvement, the high performance work organization, or the learning organization.

No better evidence exists of what the total quality environment is about then The Fifth Discipline; the art and practice of the learning organization by Peter Senge. In his book, Peter Senge states that he came up with the idea for the book during his morning meditation—our first clue that what Senge espouses has nothing to do with the true teachings of God.

Senge further states that people committed to one of the key precepts of the learning organization—personal mastery—practice some form of meditation which he defines as including contemplative prayer. (1990, page 164) Senge identifies systems thinking as the fifth discipline—the focus of the book—as it is the “conceptual cornerstone” of not only itself but the other four disciplines: personal mastery (New Age world view), mental models, building shared vision and team learning (1990, p 69, pps 6-10) tying his New Age world view to systems thinking, making it very apparent the two are inextricably connected. Senge makes the case for teaching these precepts early, “…experiments with young children show that they learn systems thinking very quickly.” (1990, page 7)

Senge also makes it very apparent in his book that those committed to the learning organization are also committed to truth, further claiming, “The power of truth was no less central to early Christian thinking, although it has lost its place in Christian practice over the last two thousand years.” (1990, page 161) In other words, if the Christian refuses to participate in “personal mastery” ie, meditation, viewing such (as many Christians do) as against the teachings of God, it is because the Christian denies truth as, according to Senge, Christianity has denied truth for the last two thousand years.

This, of course, then becomes a matter of job performance with the ability to apply coercion in the name of continuing to receive a paycheck. The Christian will either conform to the new “Christianity” or be forced out of the workplace.

If you, the reader, are not beginning to feel uneasy, you should. It is not my purpose here to put anyone’s mind at ease; what I write here is a dire warning to every American who does not understand what is happening as we watch the transformation of our nation into something we no longer recognize. New Age thought and practice, principles, precepts, are being inculcated in children in the government-run public schools; in the churches where pastors are being courted and deceived by the prospect of overflowing pews; in the work place in the name of total quality. I will return you to the words of Dr Shirley McCune, raving New Ager, author is The Light Shall Set You Free; made in 1989 at the Governor’s Conference on Education held in Witchita, Kansas:

"It seems to me that far too much of our efforts have been focused on the issue of let's find a short term fix... rather than... understanding that what we are about is total restructuring of our society. What's happening in America today... is not simply a chance situation in the usual winds of change. What it amounts to is a total transformation of our society. We have moved into a new era... But what I'm not sure we have really begun to comprehend and act on sufficiently is the incredible amount of organizational restructuring and human resource development restructuring.”

As a Christian you may tolerate New Agers, but New Agers have no intention of tolerating you. And what is at stake here is not of this earth, but our obedience to the true word of God,
Jesus said … “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3; 1st Commandment of God to Moses)
God also commands us ...

"Occupy until I come (Luke 19:13) ... of which you shall know neither the day nor the hour (Matthew 25:13)."

Sources:
Ferguson, Marilyn; The Aquarian Conspiracy; Personal and Social Transformation in Our Time; 1987; J.P. Putnam’s Sons; New York.

Senge, Peter M; The Fifth Discipline; the Art & Practice of the Learning Organization; 1990; Currency Doubleday; New York.

Flynn, Brian; Running Against the Wind; 2005; Lighthouse Trails Publishing; Oregon.
Smith, Warren; Deceived on Purpose; 2004; Mountain Stream Press; California.
All biblical references come from the King James Version or New King James Version.

Recommended reading:
The four books listed as sources above.

Also:
Eidsmoe, John; Basic Principles of New Age Thought.
Kjos, Berit; Your Child & the New Age.
Kjos, Berit; Brave New Schools.
Kjos, Berit; Under the Spell of Mother Earth.
Michaelsen, Johanna; The Beautiful Side of Evil.
Smith, Warren; Reinventing Jesus Christ. This can be purchased in book form with updates or can be accessed on line at http://www.reinventingjesuschrist.com/
Smith, Warren; The Light that Was Dark; A Spiritual Journey.
Recommended websites:
LEARN-USA
Reinventing Jesus Christ
Discernment Ministries

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/stuter/secret-new-age.htm