A socialist gospel, having ‘the form of godliness but having no belief in the power there-of’.
a BIG A-men to that. Often the most unholy of people are the very ones who, like the Pharisees of old, wear their piety on their sleeves for all to see - whereas the truly holy ones among us are seen by their quiet deeds and love for their fellow man.
I'm reminded of the story (perhaps apocryphal) of the church that prayed for the tavern under construction next door be shut down. After it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, its owner got wind of the church's antics and sued them for damages.
The owner was absolutely convinced that the church's prayers were directly responsible. When questioned by the judge about it, the pastor admitted that, yes, they had been praying for God to intervene on their behalf but never truly believed that He would actually do it.
The judge commented that a non-believer was convinced that God had burned down his tavern while the believer never thought that God would actually do so.