You wouldn't have to be James Bond to uncover The Secret in Rhonda Byrne's book with the same title. Heck, you wouldn't even have to be Maxwell Smart.
That's because The Secret is the worst kept secret since George Michael's sexual preference. In short, you have seen this secret before, anywhere from eastern philosophy to The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. A few years ago, The Prayer of Jabez contained the same secret.
The Secret, in other words, is the same philosophy that some polyester-clad preachers resort to when they weary of warning their flock of the perils of damnation.
There is indeed some scriptural basis for the truth contained in The Secret. "Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow!' God granted him that which he requested." (1 Chronicles 4:10)
In other words, need a quick infusion of cash? Just name it and claim it. Want a new Toyota? Just visualize yourself behind the wheel of a new Camry, and there you have it.
The whole idea of visualizing yourself to a better life is nothing new. Eastern religions have put forth this concept for 3,000 years. During the Eisenhower era Dr. Norman Vincent Peale placed the concept in a Christian framework with The Power of Positive Thinking:
He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, saying, "There was a judge in a certain city who didn't fear God, and didn't respect man. A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, 'Defend me from my adversary!' He wouldn't for a while, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.'"
The Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. Won't God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" – Luke 18:1-8
Now forget for a moment that The Secret's formula for success reduces the Creator of the universe to a cosmic valet who is there to serve our every whim.
And what if prayers or visualizations go unheeded? Mrs. Byrnes says that it's our fault – that we haven't been praying or visualizing hard enough. Maybe we just have a bad attitude.
But listen to what scripture says about why God doesn't always give us what we pray for:
You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." – James 4:3-6
There are many reasons why people exposed to the Christian faith would look outside the faith for answers. I tend to believe that so many of them have heard so much for so long about a vengeful God that they can't – ahem – visualize the Almighty Father as loving, patient and kind.
In other words, there's probably no real harm to The Secret, but if it serves simply to confuse people about what their own faith really stands for, then some secrets might just as well stay buried.