The "it is good if it works" idea is Pragmatism. William James was a big proponent of this idea, and it is at the heart of things like AA, etc. In AA, you can use a tree or a door knob for your "Higher Power", if such suits you.
Clearly, whatever people are choosing and "using", it is NOT working too well.
This infection from the East is precisely why there are some who think they are saving the day by advocating the excessively-strict and incorrect understanding of EENS.