Yesterday I read the story of Kevin Trudeau, a legendary shyster known as the “infomercial king.”
Trudeau is spending 10 years in a federal prison for making false health and diet claims in his book (a New York Times bestseller) “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.”
I was attracted to the title. Why is it we believe these kind of claims? Why does a conspiracy make us want to believe? The Federal Trade Commission concluded that virtually nothing he said about the weight loss program was true.
Kevin Trudeau ran 32,000 infomercials about health, weight, and diet and almost none of it was true.
While the FTC investigators pursued the book case, Trudeau came up with another scheme called GIN (Global Information Network) which was essentially a $110 million pyramid scheme which hid assets and benefitted Trudeau.
Trudeau claimed to have a council of 30 “global powerhouses” who would share their secrets of success. These billionaires would make all of us rich as well.
Why do we believe these claims? Even now in federal prison, people continue to send him money.
What is there about me and you that makes us want to believe conspiracies and get rich quick schemes? Why do we think health and weight loss has a secret not-named discipline, moderation, or self-control?
Why do we trust the Trudeaus of the world but won’t believe what has been known to be true for thousands of years?
The shysters of the world claim to have something which will change our lives.
Here’s the truth: The good news is free. It’s open to everyone. It comes from God who gave His only Son for us.
Even if it worked, a weight loss book won’t change your life, but God will.
If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation. “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT).
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3 Responses
What a simple yet profound truth. The question you pose is the same reason people buy lottery tickets to solve all their problems…..it only creates different problems. Trust & belief in The Lord is such a simplistic answer but most don’t want to let go of the control they think they have over their lives. I know , I was one of them.
I agree with Nancy. We hold on to a control we think we have when actually we have very little…maybe none. The realization of that control, or lack thereof, is life changing.
Perhaps the reason why people don’t believe the truth of the Gospel is because it is not a willpower thing. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to Quicken a lost sinner, open his/her understanding of the Gospel, before they will ever turn to the truth. Paul said it is in the nature of man to be alienated from God. So, a Lost person will never run to God, unless the Spirit of God draw him. It is a supernatural work of Grace. As Paul put is in Ephesians 2, Even the Grace thru faith salvation is not of yourself, it is a gift of God. Makes one cry out with the gospel writer who said: “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!”
Great article, thanks for posting.