In Reply to: What do you feel the common threads of faith are? posted by SWMT on June 27, 2008 at 22:11:03:
Although my initial urge was to answer the question snidely (common threads of "faith"?...submission, a need to be told what to do and believe, a lack of trust in one's own ability to find meaning in life...you get my drift), I'm going to try to answer the question the way I think you meant to ask it (What are the common threads of wisdom? because I don't believe that the common TRUTHS that a majority of the world's religious have in common with each other are necessarily things that require faith--they just require observation).
I really can only see one common truth of worth in any religion, philosophy, or life plan and that's an affection for self and others in equal amounts, for we share the same planet and cannot survive without each other.
As far as The Secret doing harm to the New Thought movement, I think that would all depend on the practitioner. Perhaps teaching people who are empty because of their circumstances and thought processes, on how to balance them, so their own cup is full, IS a way of giving, and also hoping that when all peoples' needs are sustained, and their desires satisfied, they are more eager and able to help others.
This is one of the major truths I learned from my first marriage -- the concept of denying self and giving to others is flawed. It assumes that if everyone looks out for the needs of others rather than themselves, then others will look out for them in return. That doesn't work, because some people haven't matured enough to be able to give, therefore the person giving to that person ends up with their needs unmet, (they give but don't receive).
The only way the giving and taking can work is if everyone looks out for himself FIRST, and then gives from the surplus (if there is any).