Comments on: How Could It Be So? Confronting the Ethics: “The Law of Attraction”

By: Jan J.

Jan J. — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:16:43 +0000

Amen, Shiloh. I have a deeply-held, longstanding belief that no human being prefers suffering. It’s just not in us. Our bodies are designed to heal over and over and over–automatically. We are hard-wired for joy. We are born with a brain that looks for the good.

Sometimes people are confused, sometimes they don’t know enough about non-suffering to go find it, but the Creator I know did not create me to prefer– or punish me with–illness, or earthquakes, or hunger.

In this popular one-way thinking, am I to assume that those who appear prosperous and healthy, have never done anything out of line or had anything but good thoughts? Gives new meaning to high-mindedness.

There is a quote that helps me: “Acceptance is love’s first action”. I do not have any of this figured out but to save my sanity, the best I can do is to try to accept (even if I don’t know how) and then ask for the blessing of Faith.

Thanks for always standing up and speaking out.

By: Chris Flynn

Chris Flynn — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:54:18 +0000

Right on Shiloh… you are such an amazing writer! (Oh yeah, artist too!) I too join the ranks of women who are agreeing with you. All these disasters just are. We didn’t cause them. What we can control is our thoughts and how we handle what has been given to us. The parts of LOA that I do appreciate is about controlling my thoughts. When bad things happen (and they do) I don’t spend time in the dense energy of trying to figure out what I did wrong to cause it. Rather I focus on the outcome I do want.

We lost our house last year, and my husband’s job. I refused to let anger, fear or failure dominate my thinking. Instead, I focused on thoughts of what it would be like living in our (tiny) rental cottage. I painted beautiful mind pictures of the gardens, the fireplace, the cute studio… kept my thoughts focused on the positive things I did want. So the transition of a time that many have been looked at as a terrible failure, has instead, been a time of humble acceptance and thankfulness.

There were few gifts for Christmas, but it was one of the best we’ve ever experienced.

Guess I went long here… but you bring that creative thinking out in us. Bless you for the work you do in the world.

Sweet Blessings

By: babushkajoanna

babushkajoanna — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:45:36 +0000

I didn’t intend to come off as brusque, as that is not my nature. But this topic does move me, as I have seen one too many people harmed by the idea of the law of attraction. I’m glad Shiloh addressed it.

By: Ti

Ti — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:07:55 +0000

Brilliant, Shiloh. I hope many will read it and come away with a commitment to respect their own beliefs and engage in conversation with others about different beliefs without declaring any one world view to be The Truth. The truth is not fixed. It is enduring and responsive and multi-faceted. Wise are the ones who say, “I know what works for me. I do not know what works for each, every, and all.”

By: babushkajoanna

babushkajoanna — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:54:19 +0000

Shiloh, I’m glad you wrote this article. When I was younger, I had a friend who came to me crying. She said that another friend told her she had birth defects because she did not have enough faith. She thought then that she suffered because she did not “believe enough”. I told her that was cr_p then, and I would say that now even more.

I am old enough to have seen a lot of people suffer, up close and personal. We do not “attract” it. What matters is how we choose to live and work through it. I think of the people, the survivors, in Haiti, in the midst of all that horror and destruction, standing together in the streets with their arms raised, singing to God.

Did the six million who died in the Holocaust bring it upon themselves? Even as a little girl, I knew this thought was wrong. They did not bring it upon themselves. People chose to place it upon them, choosing to do great evil.

In the Orthodox Faith, we do not feel bad or guilty if we are blessed. We see blessings as opportunities to help others in need.

Now that makes sense to me.

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:58:27 +0000

After reading this post I decided to sign up for the Legendary Women on-line workshop – we are so “on the same page”. I’ve always felt that the Law of Attraction and You Create Your Own Reality philosophies are really rooted in fear and are an attempt to have a sense of control over life. It is rare to read words that embrace ambiguity and bow to the Mystery. There are no easy answers, only living the questions……

By: Sulwyn

Sulwyn — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:41:33 +0000

I used to get so mad about the Law of Attraction – I live with a rare chronic condition, but for heaven’s sake, I “have the right thoughts, so why aren’t you better?” as one of my friends has asked. I’m not better because just thinking that this will go into remission on it’s own won’t make it do that. Nobody knows enough about the condition, but they do know that it is chronic and may eventally make me blind. But I embrace that this condition has taught me to make the most of my vision right now, even if I am seeing through a haze of headache pain and optic nerve compression, at least I am seeing. I do not believe I chose this condition, nor that it is “sent” to me. It just is. What I can choose, and do, is how I live with it. Thank you for opening up this question and for sharing your thoughts on it.