By Siamang
Sunday I was reading Isaone’s post at the same time my wife was flipping through the TiVo. And in a moment of coincidence, “The Secret” was on both. So we watched and discussed “The Secret.”
“The Secret” is a video and a book and I’ll call it what it is, a brand-name for a particular style of prosperity theology. Ellen DeGeneres had done some episodes on it, so did Larry King, and now it was Oprah’s turn. My wife and I watched the second of two episodes Oprah did on “The Secret.” And Oprah touted it without skepticism, with barely a wiff of any opposing viewpoint.
The gist of “The Secret” is the idea that you “magnetize” whatever you bring into your life by your own thoughts. “The Secret” is a very new-age set of beliefs, with more than a bit of name-checking of “Jesus the Christ” for some street-cred. This makes it nominally Christian, but certainly not mainstream. This is very close to what my beliefs were just before I became an atheist. I’ll explain my problems with this after the video.
Oh, and they also try to rip off the DaVinci Code too.
My wife and I watched the Oprah show, which was called “The Secret”: The Reaction. The entire episode was filled with glowing viewer responses talking about how they were going through problems, but now everything seemed so clear to them and they have a new outlook on life after watching “The Secret.”
And steam shot out of my ears. Here was Oprah, who has more money than God, telling people who will never, ever be rich or famous that the key to success was to do what she does, which is apparantly just to want stuff. No Oprah, the key to success is EDUCATION. The key to success is HARD WORK. The key to success is to be at the right place at the right time with the right talents. The key to success is to have good opportunities, and loving people who will help you get the chances you need. The key to success is NOT to watch a tv show and “ask the universe” for material goods.
As Mike’s Weekly Skeptic Rant writes (caution, strong language): This is blaming the victim. I guess starving children in Africa just don’t visualize food well enough, or “ask the universe” the right way.
As I said before, I believed this idea of magnetizing things to you by thinking positive thoughts. And as my wife says, at one level, sure it’s correct. If you have a positive outlook, you’ll draw people to you with similar outlooks, and you’ll see some benefit in your life… no magic required. Just the “magic” of human kindness.
But I believed it on a magical level, and here’s where I hit upon the moral problem of this belief. If I get good things because I think good thoughts, then people who are suffering are suffering because of their own thoughts. This is a terrible moral position because it excuses me from my moral duty to help others. Katrina victims? Why they probably brought that negativity on themselves. The poor? Oh, they don’t think positively enough.
This kind of belief is a balm to the folks who feel guilty that they should be doing more to share their good material wealth. It sure feels good, if you have a lot, to comfort yourself with the idea that you deserve it, and that luck didn’t have anything to do with your station in life. How nice to look upon a homeless family and never have to think “there but for the grace of God go I.”
As I said before, Oprah is richer than God. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if the economy worked in such a way that wealth was generated not by work, but by wanting stuff? If it were, wow, Oprah could impart that secret, and prosperity would just make itself happen. Oprah could then make every one of her tv viewers fabulously wealthy (as they have made her fabulously wealthy).
On the Oprah episode, one audience member spoke with clinched jaw about how this wasn’t Christian theology. Oprah was very dismissive of her views.
I explained to my wife how Prosperity Theology worked. I saw it first-hand when I was growing up. My father belonged to a “New Thought” church which taught a flavor of it. They taught that abundance was our right as children of God, and God provided all. “Abundance” was always referenced holistically. The church leaders weren’t talking about mere monetary abundance, but “an abundance of spirit” as well. They spoke of a “abundance of all things, mentally, physically, spiritually.” Spoken in those terms, it didn’t sound greedy. It sounded normal and healthy to say that we all deserve to be well and rich in mind, body and spirit.
The trouble was, this prosperity theology was a con. Probably a self-working con, believed as fully by those getting rich off the con as well as those whose pockets were getting picked. They were taught a bible verse that said something like (biblical experts correct me here), “whatever thou givest shall be returned to thee tenfold.”
This verse was printed on the offering envelopes.
Remember in the video above, Bob Doyle says,
“What will help you generate the feelings of having it now? Go test drive that car, go shop for that home, get in the house, do whatever you have to do to generate the feelings of having it now and remember them, whatever you can do to do that will help you to literally attract it”
Of course, the ultimate way to “generate the feelings” of having it now is to buy the item, on credit. When my father would put $500 he could barely afford in the offering envelope, God was promising him $5,000. But only if he could generate the feelings of having it now.
After a decade or so of belonging to this church, my father’s finances collapsed under a mountain of debt.
- Siamang
Posted in A Cacophony of Posts, Siamang | 30 Comments »
(Thanks to Carl Buell in advance for his wonderful painting of young Darwin in the Galapagos.)
By Siamang
Today is the 198th birthday of Charles Darwin. With his 200th birthday coming up, folks have attempted to promote his birthday each year, with the hopes of spurring a big celebration in 2009.
Part of the Darwin festivities have been for the second year now, an “Evolution Sunday” event, the Sunday before Darwin’s birthday. Evolution Sunday was organized by Michael Zimmer, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University in Wisconsin. He organized it working with local clergy, and it has grown nationwide and has spread to a few international churches. On Evolution Sunday 2007, over 600 churches gave sermons about the compatibility of scientific understanding of evolution and religious faith.
It’s a small event, to be sure. 600 churches is just a drop in the bucket.
Did anyone here attend a service yesterday where Evolution Sunday was mentioned? What do people here think about issue-related campaigns to promote certain messages?
Does anyone think that an event like Evolution Sunday is going to have an effect, or is it merely relegated only to liberal congregations where such a statement would be uncontroversial?
Siamang
Posted in A Cacophony of Posts, Siamang | 24 Comments »By Siamang
I made a reference to the funniest tv show currently running in a previous post. A number of other posters here chimed in. Which got me to thinking…. what religions ARE the characters of NBC TV’s The Office?
I’ve seen webpages speculating about the political beliefs of cartoon characters. I’ve seen insanely elaborate ones about the religious beliefs of superheroes.
I figured this would be worthwhile. Actually useless and sad. But maybe fun.
I think only the accountant character, Angela has referenced any beliefs on the show. So these are my conjectures. Hopefully they’re on-target to the characters as I see them.
Per Wikipedia rules, here’s the link to where I got the photos I’m using.
So let’s start!
………
Michael Scott
Scientologist. Well, actually dabbles in Scientology. Thought Scientology was a good path for him until he found out that it costs money. Attempted to save money for a time by trying to gain free audit sessions by constantly returning for personality tests and steering the conversation. Today Michael’s entire adherance to the faith consists of a few helpful hints he clipped out of a free copy of Dianetics, and watching the videos “Battlefield Earth,” “Phenomenon,” and the “Look Who’s Talking” trilogy. Considers himself an OT-VIII.
……
Jim Halpert
Committed Agnostic. Deeply feels that nobody can possibly know of the existence or non-existence of God, so why worry?
……
Pam Beesly
Theist. Former Methodist and choir-singer as a girl, Pam has drifted away from structured Christianity. She firmly believes there is a God, but she believes that organized religion has gotten so far away from the deeper mysteries. She considers herself a deeply spiritual person, but has a hard time expressing her beliefs in ways that others can relate to.
….
Dwight Schrute
Horakthiest. Follows a religious tradition of his own invention, Horaktheism. Horaktheism is based equally upon portions of Sun Tsu’s The Art of War and an ancient Sumerian war god cribbed from the Deities and Demigods rulebook from the First Edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Dwight is the sole adherant of Horaktheism, which, according to the Horakian Rules of Engagement, makes him First General and High Priest Exhaltant.
……
Ryan Howard
Catholic. Attends Mass three times a week. Afraid to tell anyone in the office of his beliefs for fear of endless dirty nun jokes from Michael.
……
Angela Martin
Nondenominational Christian. Angela belongs to an evangelical “megachurch” outside greater Scranton. Her most fervent belief isn’t in God, but in the immortality of the souls of animals. Her favorite piece of literature is the poem “Rainbow Bridge” which she cannot read without crying. She reads it at least once a day.
…….
Oscar Martinez
Episcopalian. Oscar was brought up in the Catholic Church, but since coming to grips with his own homosexuality has joined a liberal Episcopal Church near the University of Scranton. Is a member of the Scranton All-Men’s Jubilee Choir, even though sadly he is tone-deaf.
…..
Kevin Malone
Deep Thinker. Sometimes likes to “get deep” and think about Carl Jung. Once blew his own mind by repeating the word “reality” over and over until the word just sounded like gibberish to him.
…..
Stanley Hudson
Pentecostalist. Very involved in his church, which his family has belonged to for four generations. Has 43 Godchildren, half of whom are named “Stanley”.
…….
Phyllis Lapin
New Age Beliefs. She believes herself to be the reincarnation of Cleopatra because of her strong dislike of snakes. She dabbles in love potions and she once burned a magic love candle that was the shape of a male sexual organ. The next day, Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration asked for her hand in marriage. She has saved every fortune-cookie fortune she’s ever gotten.
……..
Meredith Palmer
Higher Power. Meredith is an on-again, off-again member of Alcoholics Anonymous, and turns-it-over to her Higher Power on occassion. She thinks the Serenity Prayer is complete bull-crap.
…….
Kelley Kapoor
Superstitious. Raised in a Hindu family, Kelley hasn’t the patience for following all the rituals of that ancient tradition. She instead relies on a lucky cell-phone charm, and a few special bells on her key ring. She attributes her romance with Ryan Howard to their astrological compatibilty and her collection of lucky trolls. Doesn’t make a move without consulting the Cosmopolitan Bedside Astrologer.
…….
Creed Bratton
Other. Creed has had a variety of religious experiences. Creed is a former leader of a Peyote cult he founded in Arizona in the 1970’s. He is currently an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church, which he operates as a tax dodge. The residents of a small villiage in Laos revere him as the 43rd incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Forbearance.
…….
Posted in A Cacophony of Posts, Siamang | 12 Comments »