... not having read/viewed this I can't speak to it's specifics; however, one aspect of your post caught my eye, this, "... presented beautifully to the uncritical consumer".

It seems to be very common to advocate spurious, iffy or substance-less notions by what I call the Appeal through Poetry argument. Graceful and grandiose nonsense seems to hold sway over many; very embarrassing.

Thanks

Please elaborate on the unlawful remarks. The secret had some good stuff in it and the core of it's message is timely. Unlawful remarks though is something you obviously observed that I did not so definitely explain to get a better answer.

I did not agree with everything in the secret though.

The Secret revolves around the idea of positive thinking. Positive thinking in a different sense, not like optimism. Its main idea is to "feel good" rather than "be good." Its morality is purely based on utilitarianism. "Every feeling corresponds to an abstract frequency of thought, and every also has a corresponding frequency. So your present situation is merely your own creation because every frequency attracts itself with the same frequency." My point here is that it denies the existence of extrinsic causes, which can cause intersections of efficient causes thus will create an effect different from their intentions. A concrete example would be Hitler and the holocaust. Does it mean that Hitler's brutality becomes a representation or actualization of what each and every frequency of thought that all the victims had? So the victims are to be blamed for them having poor quality frequency of thoughts?

Ah...I have only seen a minuscule portion of that thing, the one where they something to the effect that "God is energy;" I noticed several problems with it right away...One of which is that they conflate emotional energy (passion) with (meta)physical energy (things like light and sound). Now while it is of course true that if God is indeed monistic, there is no better medium through which He can operate than physical energy, the conflation with emotional energy--which, in all traditions where God is said to be monism, is not just not God (or Brahman or whatever) but something internal which can be directly contrasted with God (or Brahman or whatever)...

The Secret is many things, but good philosophy and good theology it is not.

It's self-help pseudo-philosophy. Probably on par with Ayn Rand for absurdity.

Some of the intent may be good - be positive, love life - but the presentation is for non-literate housewives who spend their day reading harlequin romances. Not to mention the fact that the story behind the book is bogus.

And let's just consider the title: "The Secret". We should know better, there is no secret to living.