CF asks: “One of my cousins in Canada is sending quotes on Facebook from the Truth Follower. Although the quotes are good, I have a strange suspicion that they might be more new age than Catholic. Have you heard of this site?”
I took a look at this website and it appears to be an eclectic collection of secular and spiritual wisdom from a wide variety of people ranging from Theodore Roosevelt to Tommy Hilfiger.
For instance, Included on the site were quotes from Pope John Paul II, such as: “Young people are threatened… by the evil use of advertising techniques that stimulate the natural inclination to avoid hard work by promising the immediate satisfaction of every desire.”
This quote from Pope Paul VI shared a page with Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, Blaise Pascall and Helen Keller. “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.”
Dr. Charles Stanley, best-selling author, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, professes: “There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you’ll stand firm if you stand on His love.” See more at: http://www.truthfollower.com
C.S. Lewis also weighs in with several quotes, such as this one: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
These quotes share are offered alongside words from other spiritual leaders such as controversial Indian guru, Sai Baba: “Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.”
And then there are the secular gurus such as Ellen DeGeneres who offers this advice to readers: “The thing everyone should realize is that the key to happiness is being happy for yourself and yourself.”
Former CNN talk show host Larry King reveals a bit about his own beliefs by chalking up success in life to good luck. “Those who have succeeded at anything and don’t mention luck are kidding themselves.”
Truth Followers obviously caters to people of all belief systems, which means some of their contributors are big names in New Age circles such as Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. A host of others are speaking from a purely materialistic worldview.
The fact that the site mixes all this “wisdom” into one place makes it seem as if all wisdom is equal – which it isn’t, of course.
“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God . . .” (1 Cor 3:19)
