Posted on 11/11/2009 5:17:16 AM PST by reaganaut1
America’s mainstream religious denominations used to teach the faithful that they would be rewarded in the afterlife. But over the past generation, a different strain of Christian faith has proliferated—one that promises to make believers rich in the here and now. Known as the prosperity gospel, and claiming tens of millions of adherents, it fosters risk-taking and intense material optimism. It pumped air into the housing bubble. And one year into the worst downturn since the Depression, it’s still going strong.
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America’s churches always reflect shifts in the broader culture, and Casa del Padre is no exception. The message that Jesus blesses believers with riches first showed up in the postwar years, at a time when Americans began to believe that greater comfort could be accessible to everyone, not just the landed class. But it really took off during the boom years of the 1990s, and has continued to spread ever since. This stitched-together, homegrown theology, known as the prosperity gospel, is not a clearly defined denomination, but a strain of belief that runs through the Pentecostal Church and a surprising number of mainstream evangelical churches, with varying degrees of intensity. In Garay’s church, God is the “Owner of All the Silver and Gold,” and with enough faith, any believer can access the inheritance. Money is not the dull stuff of hourly wages and bank-account statements, but a magical substance that comes as a gift from above. Even in these hard times, it is discouraged, in such churches, to fall into despair about the things you cannot afford. “Instead of saying ‘I’m poor,’ say ‘I’m rich,’” Garay’s wife, Hazael, told me one day. “The word of God will manifest itself in reality.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Did Christianity Cause the Crash?
No, criminal acts by people in power and govenment did. Think Frank, Dodd...
Is “Name it and Claim it” part of this?
I think HGTV is to blame, actually. Or maybe just “Flip this House” and “Designed to Sell”.;-)
...I’ll have a hard time buying this theory...the influence of Christianity is waning in America....the influence of the fed and Fanny drove the housing bubble.
This ‘prosperity’ gospel is a problem in todays churches. I’m sure (and have seen) folks trying to make it happen by living beyond their means and hoping God will provide.
This is a distortion of the true gospel. We aren’t promised everything we ‘WANT’. But we convince ourselves that these ‘wants’ of ours are actual ‘needs’.
I do think it’s a shame that preachers and the church get blasted so much on this issue because of a few who stretch it out of proportion to gain followers. It’s not as bad as one would read in the media and through heresay.
Now we are really reaching for straws to bash Christians saying “It pumped air into the housing bubble.”
What left wing radical hatred speech - is it anti-american?
But I think the article is correct that in many cases, blind optimism encouraged by “religious belief” (PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE?
especially in “certain ethnic groups” (PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONES,
played a role in “reckless housing speculation” (PLEASE EXPLAIN.
Since you started this sentence with I think, I need your elaborations to understand where you are coming from.
Instead of the Word of God manifesting itself in "reality", people need to manifest themselves in Gods Word.
Jesus never drew wealth to himself. The God of the universe divested himself of heavens wealth, humbled himself by becoming human. And not just any human. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords became a helpless baby. Not born into royalty and a palace, he was born to a poor teen girl and her carpenter fiance, in a cave for animals. Instead of a fancy crib with jewels, he layed in feeding trough carved from rock, lined with animal drool.
All the authors of the New Testament, except 1, died martyrs deaths. Paul himself worked as a tent maker to support himself, as not to burden others.
Millions of Christian brothers and sisters live in poverty and squaller throughout the world, and yet have GREAT faith.
I have never held to name it and claim it "theology", but as this country goes into its death spiral, and I see our material wealth, and our freedoms being stripped from us, I've come to realize that my brothers and sisters, who have nothing to cling to EXCEPT for Jesus, are far wealthier than me.
Their hope IS NOT in a governmental system, or comfortable homes, or fancy cars. Their HOPE is in Christ Alone.
As this nations governmental system crashes down around us, as its once great wealth dissolves into dust and is blown away, how many of us will cling to Christ? Not for the return of yesterday, or the return of wealth or stability, but for WHO HE IS. Our Rock. Our Refuge. Our Savior.
Seems that Hanna's an anti-Christian bigot. This sort of politically correct revision of "the Jews did it" - that American media has made mainstream - has been her specialty.
And how does she ignore Calvinism's association with the rise of capitalism itself? Ignorance or dishonesty?
The health n’ wealth crowd do get a disproportionate share of attention. It’s kinda like when you’re driving out on the road, you pass a thousand motorists who are driving fine, not doing anything foolish, then you pass one guy who’s driving like a maniac - he’s the one guy out of a thousand that you notice.
Most churches are doing their best to serve God in a fallen world, then you have one church that teaches it’s members they can believe their way to being millionaires - and that’s the church that gets noticed.
I have always heard it called the “Health & Wealth” gospel, preached in it’s pure form by the late Reverend Ike. His message distilled was “send your money to me and you will be rewarded with health and wealth”.
I attend church regularlly and have never heard the "prosperity gospel" preached in church. That's primarily preached by tv preachers who own thier own private jets.
There may be a good tv preacher out there some where but I don't have the time or inclination to weed them out, as a result I never watch any of them.
Dr. Charles Stanley is the ONLY one I've found so far. I highly recommend him.
If in the sense that atheism is a religion, then OK.
I doubt that corporate heads or Wall Street or the government are very religious in the traditional sense.
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