Can The Secret, Rosicrucianism and Religion Mix?

The short answer is yes. 

The principles of Rosicrucianism have been on display recently; Oprah Winfrey has featured several prominent contributors of a movement known as The Secret (see TheSecret.tv) on her program; and many people have purchased the movie and book by the same name.  The Secret practices the Rosicrucian philosophy.  Are all the Secret contributors AMORC Rosicrucians?  Probably not, but I'm not sure.  There is considerable positive buzz surrounding this newfound secret.  Oprah says of The Secret, "You will begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that's within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life." 

Jack Canfield, well known 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' author, and guest on the Oprah program says there are three steps to getting what you want:

1. Be very clear about what it is that you want
2. Believe that you can get it
3. Be able to receive it.

This does not mean that you produce things out of thin air.  What it does mean is that you can attract these things to you if you really want them.  You, you will put yourself in situations which will cause the circumstances you desire to manifest themselves.  You are that powerful!  Your subconscious mind will actively work out the details.

But is this paganism, or is it hocus pocus, and is it incompatible with your religion?  No.  Can you mix Rosicrucianism/The Secret with religion?  Yes.   

The untapped power within is a highly beneficial, God given, spiritual reservoir and resource that you were given to use in every circumstance.  You use this when you're learning new skills, when you're considering careers, when you make intuitive decisions, when you fall in love, when you care for your children, and on and on.  God has given us the power to determine for ourselves what we will be, who we will be, and where we will be.  Some believe in pre-destination, that every step of our lives was pre-ordained before the dawn of time; well, it's still up to you to accept the signals coming your way and to act on them.   

God wants good things for us, he wants us to enjoy an abundant life.  He has given us all the tools we need to create for ourselves this abundant life.  Some even say that God experiences our joy, feels our love, and our sorrow, he is with us.  There are many things we might want out of this life - good things like peace, and love.  Some of us might want material things, like a fine house or automobile.  This is not coveting.  Coveting is when you want what someone else has and you are willing to commit an illegal or immoral action in order to obtain it.  Like stealing someone's Mercedes, for instance; instead of working to earn it.  Earning the Mercedes will bring joy, peace, happiness, and the abundant life that God wants you to have.  You may choose to skip the Mercedes and give your money to the poor.  If that makes you feel good, then do that.  But you would serve the poor man who receives your money - better - by teaching him how to earn his own money.  You will have preserved the poor man's integrity by doing this.  This should be obvious.  But it's not.  We have been raised, many of us, to live with guilt, to believe that we should not keep what we earn, better to suffer.  Somehow, according to this strange way of thinking, we have come to believe that those who do not earn their keep are more qualified or deserving of good gifts.  We should not stop giving to the poor, but we should teach them the way out of poverty while we're temporarily taking care of their immediate needs.  This is what Jesus taught. 

Jesus says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” - the truth that Jesus speaks to is the truth that we are extremely powerful beings.  Some of us would rather fail than to realize this truth.  Think of something that you want and ask yourself why you don't have it - what choices did you make that prevented you from getting what you want?  More often than not, you will find the underlying reasons relate to guilt feelings, feelings of inadequacy, an unwillingness to accept the great responsibilities that might come with success.

Peace and goodness do not come from doing evil.     Joy and happiness do not come from denying yourself.  Love does not come from hate.  Patience does not come from agitation or frustration.  Faithfulness does not come from being inconstant and fickle.

When people say joy comes from God, they are correct.  The capability of humans to feel joy is a characteristic built into our systems by God.  Like the law of Gravity, the law of Joy is constant.  Follow a certain path and Joy is the result.

While the pursuit of worldly desires should not be the predominant guiding factor in our lives, there is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying God's creation and our ability to create fine things for our own (and one might say, God's) enjoyment.  The people behind the automobile factories are not building automobiles just for themselves, and they are not just in it for the money; they want to provide more value to you than they are taking from you.  The value of an automobile can be totally different from one person to the next.  While one may enjoy its practicality and basic function of transporting them safely from point A to point B; another may enjoy it for it's beauty and comfort.  Both individuals are buying and using their automobile for the right reasons.  While we are not as powerful as God and cannot presumably create an entire universe, nor are our creations cheap imitations, for they stem from our desire to be like our Creator, who created us in His image.  We should desire to leave the world knowing that we made it better in some small, or large way. 

One can easily practice The Secret or Rosicrucianism right alongside any religion, as far as I can discern, without offending either.  The exception might be, perhaps, if your religion teaches you that you're only here to suffer.  At the root of religion, I do not believe this to be true - it has more to do with interpretation than facts.