Prosperity Gospel

Historical approval of prosperity gospel is a green light to defraud the poor

The founders and the missionaries of the old world set a precedent by flaunting their prosperity. “Paganism was a faith that was largely geared to gaining material prosperity. There were gods for the crops because they wanted their crops to grow. They had gods for cattle so that they would produce more milk. When these pagans looked at the wealth and power of Christian Europe, they were impressed: the Christian God was obviously one who could deliver the goods. Christians built bigger buildings, made more beautiful jewelry, possessed better ships, and so on. Many pagans were not adverse to converting to Christianity because they believed it would, in fact, give them more material prosperity than had their gods”. (1)

To appreciate this point, note how Christian missionaries fared in sixteenth-century China. Here was a non-Christian culture that was in many ways superior to the West. In that context, Christianity makes practically no headway.

In Europe, we see evidence that this wasn’t a by-product but a deliberate tactic of missionaries. When the bishop of Winchester sent his pupil Boniface to evangelize Germany, he stressed that Boniface should remind the pagans just how rich and powerful the Christians were.

Prosperity gospel is the cartucho that sets the poor on a course to prosperity in jesus. Now, popular in the poverty culture of Christianity is to give their mite to the wealthy ministers in hope for wealth through faith—

Professional audio, sound, and lighting guaranteed to bolster the spiritual experience with calculated speech patterns to ultimately deceive its audience my manufacturing emotions—with of course phone apps to request prayers and donate money. Copeland’s net worth is now $760 Million on the backs of the poor. So much for living like Jesus?

I couldn’t donate to anything with this face attached to it.

Author: jimoeba

Alternatives to big box religions and dogmas

81 thoughts on “Prosperity Gospel”

  1. Living like Jesus? I have yet to meet a preacher who practices anything that resembles what they preach. People like Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Pat Robertson, Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn are living it up while teaching others to store up THEIR treasures in Heaven. And there’s one more preacher whose name is rather telling; Creflo Dollar. With a name like that, what’s not to trust? 🙂

    All of these people are disgusting individuals. Making money isn’t bad, but scamming millions of people by exploiting their naivety is shameful.

    Liked by 8 people

    Reply

    1. With Copelands net worth of 760 million you think he’s a generous man? He just sent me an invitation to donate money to elderly Israelis for food. How the hell did he get my name and address? He can use his own money. That’s another deception perpetrated on Americans faking them to believe Israel is Jewish property. I’ll add that pic

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

      1. That’s crazy. Copeland is what, 80+ years old? Pretty sure he can let some money go and help a few people out before he dies and still be okay. He could give most of it to the needy and still die in luxury, but no. It blows my mind that there are people out there like that who instead of extending a helping hand, would use their hand to instead grab your wallet.

        Liked by 5 people

        Reply

            3. This is a short video of him explaining why he needed a 65 million dollar jet:

              It’s quite amazing that not only did he say it with a straight face, thousands in attendance were clapping and saying Amen. Unbelievable.

              Liked by 2 people

  2. This is unfairly sad. This is happening in .y country as well, they have the audacity to use God’s name but completely doing the opposite when it comes to collecting money from people, using God’s name for their own benifits. Pathetic.

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

  3. I will never knowingly hand cash over to any religious organization. I do like to occasionally donate to causes, but I try to make sure that money goes to where its supposed to……..disaster relief is my thing now, not somebody’s damn mansion, plane, or luxury car.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  4. Good post. I hated the prosperity gospel even when I was a Christian. When I went to Zambia, I saw a villager give all their grain as an offering. It made me very sad for them and their family. These wolves prey on the poor and ignorant.

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

      2. The more I read the comments here on prosperity gospel, the more I come to realize why it works: it hits one of man’s lower forms of debauchery, particularly prevalent among the poor: gambling. These “churches” are gambling casinos and the house always wins.

        Liked by 4 people

        Reply

        2. Yes, when people get desperate they are more inclined to be influenced. If you’re struggling to eat and drink clean water every day, some man in a swish jacket comes along, appears to have it ‘made’, and tells you how you can be made too, you’d wanna listen to him.

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply

          1. There were and are, so many stories of how snake oil salesmen and tent revival gospel salesmen did so well during the great depression. People would give their last quarter for a bit of hope of rain, or a job. As the economy downturns ever more, expect more of this kind of scamming. Have you watched the 1992 movie, Leap of Faith, with Steve Martin, Liam Neeson and Debra Winger? Even with the “Deus Ex Machina” kind of ending, it gets the message across how these con men operate.

            Liked by 3 people

            Reply

  5. The living like Jesus concept, hm. Once upon a time Jesus was my hero. If I believed what I was told and taught, he was a poor man who helped the poor and helpless, even defending a woman caught in adultery once (Christians generally discount that story now!). In keeping with that thought, there is an event when Jesus was “anointed by a sinful woman” with very expensive perfume. She washed his feet and dried them with her own hair. I imagine him lying there on a couch enjoying the woman’s touch and sacrifice. When a disciple objected, saying that the perfume could have been sold for a high price and the proceeds given to the poor, my “hero” is quoted as saying, “Mt. 26:11: The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” There you go. He could have been a televangelist only the technology was not available, and instead of having his own private jet he had to ride into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, but the times would favour his ideas regardless. Adding to that, and assuming for a moment that he really did do miracles, what did they cost him? If nothing, why was he so miserly with them? Then there’s this added nagging problem: that young girl he resurrected from death, the son of that widow and good ol’ Lazarus… did these people have to die again or are they still wandering around somewhere, learning how to use i-phones and Windows 10? Wonder if they’re on Facebook… “Yeah, I was called Lazarus then; I was dead and rotting peacefully in my cave when this guy opens it up and yells at me to get up. Whew, what a stink that caused, in more ways than one. I wasn’t exactly thrilled since my arthritis was still acting up but my sisters were happy I’d come back to haul the water and split the logs. I really wished he’d minded his own business but then I realized, after he slipped me a dozen Denarii that it was all for show, and as they say, the show must go on. But did it have to go this long?”

    Liked by 8 people

    Reply

    1. That take of the expensive perfume is a great catch. Nicely played. I remember reading apologist bs about this twisting it up so it made sense. It doesn’t, and never did.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  6. Ugh. This hits a big, disturbing nerve with me Jim. You may or may not remember from one or two of my personal blog-posts and perhaps comments on various blogs we frequent, but both of my kids — my daughter who is now 24 and my son now 17 — have grown up inside The Ark Church in Conroe, Texas. My daughter was there learning (being indoctrinated) for 5-years, my son is still there now going on 12-years at the church. 😪 Here’s what the church states on their “About Us” page then the “What We Believe” sub-page:

    The Ark Church was founded June 2, 1996 by three couples who had developed strong friendships while attending Lakewood Church [a split-off of Joel Osteen’s church] in Houston, Texas. *

    I am here to tell you Jim, materially speaking, just how well-off, how luxurious, how opulent a life both my kids have lived with their mother and step-dad, particularly my son, without ever going outside of the U.S. anywhere except ONE TIME with my family (for Xmas vacation) down to Cozumel, Mexico for 4-days, 3-nights. That’s it!!!! 😪

    I tell them about all the different places my semi- and pro soccer career took me, the diverse cultures on 4 of the 6 inhabitable continents… and my son is usually very interested in my funny and exciting stories, but my daughter — who has grown up around a Fundy-Evangy mother and maternal grandparents feeding her plenty of evil, immoral, minion of the Devil “stories” (really distorted opinions) about her biological Dad — is not interested in my life with her mother, before or during our marriage. The Ark Church reinforces these types of false illusions and delusions because this world, this life, and all non-Christians are the domain and slaves of Satan.

    * http://www.thearkchurch.com/about-us/what-we-believe/

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

        2. I’ve become fairly convinced of this myself, Jim… some people just have to believe… or maybe need to believe. My brother, my sister, my son. It doesn’t matter how much logic or plain ol’ common sense I toss their way, they just don’t want to hear it. They believe they’ve got ‘the answer’ (what was the question, again?) and anyone else is just trying to deceive them. It makes me sad. I figure all I can do is keep trying to live a decent life so they can at least see that all atheists aren’t baby-eaters.

          Liked by 4 people

          Reply

      2. As a former (secular) educator AM, my and many excellent teachers who are passionate about equipping students for the REAL world go by this simple motto in class…

        “Teach them how to think, not what to think.”

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

  7. Religious “teachers” and intercessors have been this way since the invention of gods and spirits over 10,000 years ago. They sat at home with the women and children while the others went out risking their lives to bring food to the group. The shamen and witch doctors always got the prime cuts of meat, because their job was to intercede on behallf of everyone else. Nothing has changed, except for the worse. It is no longer one such thief per community, but several, and with several levels of witch doctors now between god and the people. Humans haven’t learned yet these shamen are nothing but parasites. We can only hope they someday will… Soon!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      1. This is a huge problem, obviously, but what can one do about them, other than to expose them. Kumare exposed himself, and his “followers” didn’t care. If he allowed them to, they would still follow him.
        The good thing in this story, he told them to look inside themselves, which IMO is the only place to look. Yet there is something wrong that even when he gave them that advice, they still wanted more from him.
        I wonder what happened to these people? They were tricked by Kumare, but mostly they were tricked by themselves. What would they have done in the hands of a real “fake” guru?

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

          2. I guess that depends on how real some gurus are, I guess. They may all be real at some point, but when they start taking advantage of those around them, they become fake.
            I have my own belief that anything that is truly spiritual should come free of charge to everyone. How can anyone have to pay for what is inherently free? But people in the Western Worlds have this nonsense notion that it is worthless if it is free–everything of value has a monetary cost. But that does not make sense to me.
            This is how out-of-touch I am with Western reality, but how in touch with what I see as reality. Every living being has a spirit, and every spirit is in contact with every other spirit, whether this is known by every living being or not. To charge for something every being already has is fraudulent. Honesty is giving away for free what is already inside every one of us, even if we don’t know how to see something for ourselves.
            Maybe I am crazy, but I am true to myself. I want it no other way.

            Liked by 2 people

            Reply

            1. All I can add is, it isn’t just western society, it’s all of our civilization that is deeply infected by greed. Go anywhere, you will see it in action, unless of course one is so immune to capitalistic Ponzi schemes that s/he can’t see it anymore; that what is blatantly corrupt is seen as just part of the normal. Bechtel, one of the most corrupt corporations on the planet, because it had bought a local government in some Latin American country, I think it was in Bolivia, and secured rights to all the local water legally claimed that they owned rain water and began charging the locals for collected their rain water. It was only after violent confrontation that they were finally booted out, along with their bought and paid for local representatives. People died in that mini-revolution. Everything in today’s world directly or indirectly bears a product code which means it belongs to the global plutocracy. Chilliwack, that great Bible Belt community had one gambling casino: it’s about to gain two more.

              Liked by 1 person

            2. It might not seem like it is not only western society, but I look at it as most of the world has been infected with capitalism due to western society. Before Columbus, de Gama, et al, very few places had any idea of the concept of money representing value. It may not be exclusively a western idea, but few other societies/cultures had it. No matter what, it is a sickness, and needs to be eradicated from this earth.

              Liked by 3 people

            3. It may seem like it’s a “western” issue but the concept of money goes way back to Sumer, and if we read ancient mss, we find out how people who got into debt got treated – often there was a death sentence attached to non-payment but in most cases the debtor and his family were sold as slaves for non-payment. People with money, which could be lands, slaves, cattle, sheep, goats, wives, children, all considered legal tender and collateral, lorded it over others. Greed is constantly berated in the Old Testament. Yes it is a sickness that Earthians desperately need to address along with their other damning fails such as misogyny, racism, hubris that could set the sea on fire, and the lust for sex and war-mongering. Interestingly since the inception of our written “history” we’re told that we’ve been corrupting ourselves with these violent errors yet despite all efforts against them we haven’t budged one iota away from any of them. Even slavery is on the rise again though the “raids” are conducted in less obvious fashion than the old brutal ways used in “darkest Africa” of the empires’ open slavery days.

              Liked by 2 people

  8. Yes, the prosperity preachers (don’t forget the Deepak Chopra types either) are despicable opportunists, but they are only giving the people what they want.

    Any thoughts about reaching and waking up gullible, desperate, and possibly stupid family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors?

    Thanks and peace.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. Based on personal experience, the only thing that may cause changing trend (slow process!) is one’s honesty and reliability in demonstrating a compassionate alternate lifestyle. It’s pretty hard, even for the most die hard nay-sayers to argue against someone who is truly compassionate. We change ourselves and become the catalyst. The trick is to not look for corresponding change in others, or to live in expectation of positive change other than within ourselves. The Earthian creature is drawn to many weird things, most being debilitating to mind and body, but seldom to self-discipline, self-sacrifice on behalf of others, or self empowerment which entails taking responsibility for all of one’s thoughts, words and deeds. The one who reaches that place of self awareness discovers how little she/he now has in common with “the commons” and so discovers detachment. Surprisingly perhaps, that is where joy is found.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

    1. All these preachers do is essentially run a big gofundme racket. They tell a little story about how someone needs help (you!) and you send them money. Only gofundme actually helps people.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  10. And you didn’t even mention how the NT excoriates the rich, asking them to give away their wealth and live a pure life. I am hearing the voice of Emily Litella from a pulpit saying “Never mind!”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. That’s why you’re here Steve. I did like Sha Tara’s point about Jesus and the perfume. Adorn me while I’m here, you’ll always have the poor. I can’t help but think these preachers think as highly of themselves.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

    2. About a week ago I was having a similar discussion with a Christian friend of mine and when quoting from the gospels, I was told, again, that it’s all a matter of interpretation; that much of it is all symbolism to be understood by those properly “educated” in the language and customs of the times which cannot be taken at face value in today’s reality. Yes… ‘never mind’.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  11. When I was a Christian, I was very involved in the music ministry. On one particular Sunday I couldn’t make it, so I called the pastor to let him know that I wouldn’t be at church. The reason I called him was that I was scheduled for special music that day and wanted to let him know that I had gotten someone else to cover for me. Then I said, “but I’ll be with you all in spirit.”

    His reply? “The spirit doesn’t tithe.”

    I was stunned. As a chartered member, this was the one and only time I had missed a service, and I was a faithful tither. Talk about a wakeup call. The next time I went to that church was to turn in my resignation of church membership.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. Hope you didn’t hurt your finger pokin’ his frickin eye out. Jeez. What he said is what they all think, but never let it slip out. Welcome to the world of integrity. Cool exit!

      Liked by 5 people

      Reply

  13. I never thought about it that way, makes sense why many of the less well off countries embraced Christianity then.
    I wonder how much Kenneth Copeland charges for healing schools. Also what do people learn there? How to con others? lol.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  14. A perfect combination of greedy contemptible immoral men (and some women) and the gullible ignorant sheepish followers. A match made in Hell, if you will.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Loy made a comment the other week about government greed, corruption, lies, coverup, and so forth. I honestly though he was talking about the churches.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

Leave a reply to NeuroNotes Cancel reply