Posted on 08/29/2023 8:27:54 AM PDT by Morgana
An increasing share of American Protestant churchgoers believe that financial prosperity is part of God's plan for them and that giving more money to their church and charities will result in blessings from God, according to a recent study by Lifeway Research.
The study, conducted from Sept. 19-29, 2022, and released this week, found that 52% of churchgoers say their church teaches that God will bless them if they donate more, up from 38% in 2017.
Additionally, 76% believe God wants them to prosper financially, an increase from 69% in 2017. The belief that they must do something for God to receive material blessings has also risen to 45% from 26%.
"In the last five years, far more churchgoers are reflecting prosperity gospel teachings, including the heretical belief that material blessings are earned from God," Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said, noting that the financial struggles due to inflation and the pandemic might have contributed to this shift in beliefs.
The prosperity gospel, or the "Word of Faith Movement," teaches that believers can use God for material gain, a belief that contrasts with traditional Christian teachings.
This belief is particularly prevalent among younger and less educated churchgoers, with 81% of those aged 18-34 and 85% of those aged 35-49 saying God wants them to prosper financially.
The online survey included 1,002 American Protestant churchgoers and provided 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.3%. Comparisons were made to a similar survey conducted by Lifeway Research in August 2017.
Different religious settings show variations in these beliefs. Methodist (93%) and Restorationist movement (88%) churchgoers are more likely to believe God wants them to prosper financially. Those with Evangelical beliefs are more likely to agree (80% v. 74%) than those without.
"Younger churchgoers — those 18-34 (63%) and 35-49 (66%) — are more likely than older churchgoers to affirm their church teaches that if they give more money to the church and charities, God will bless them," McConnell added.
African American churchgoers are most likely to say their church teaches that giving more money will result in blessings (71%). Those who attend worship services one to three times a month are more likely to agree than those who attend at least four times a month (57% v. 49%).
Denominationally, Methodist (85%) and Restorationist movement (71%) churchgoers are among the most likely to agree that their church teaches God will bless them if they give more money.
The belief that one must do something for God to receive material blessings is most prevalent among younger churchgoers, with those aged 18-34 (65%) and 35-49 (58%) more likely to hold this belief. High school graduates or less (50%) or those with some college education (48%) are more likely to agree than those with a bachelor's degree (38%) or a graduate degree (30%).
Among regular church attendees, those who attend less often are more likely to say they must do something for God to receive material blessings (49% v. 42%). Methodist (85%) and Restorationist movement (68%) churchgoers are again the most likely to hold this belief.
Christian leaders warn against the focus on material wealth and its potential to become an idol.
The Bible teaches different types of prosperity, and material wealth may not be the most important in God's eyes. Prosperity teaching also contradicts traditional Christian beliefs about the role of suffering and the promise of eternal prosperity in Heaven.
"God's ideal for this world was perfection (Genesis 1:31). He created it perfect, desired that we enjoy perfect lives and perfect fellowship with Him, and intended that prosperity would be a way of life," states GotQuestions.com. "But sin corrupted that perfect plan, and now prosperity, health, and a trouble-free existence are impossible for many and fleeting for the rest (Romans 5:12; Genesis 3). God does offer to prosper us beyond explanation, but it may not come during our short earthly stay.
"For many, the full realization of God's restoration will be experienced only when we leave this world behind and enter His presence for eternity. Hebrews 11 lists dozens of faithful servants of the Lord who one might expect to have lived prosperously because of their faithfulness. Yet verses 39 and 40 say this: 'And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.' Every child of God, bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, will experience prosperity beyond our wildest imaginations for all of eternity (1 Corinthians 2:9). Until then, we walk by faith."
Crying shame. God as Santa instead of Savior.
Give me your money and God will smile on you. Charlatans.
Went to a big church with my Sisters family.
The preacher said if you were poor, he didn’t want you there.
My Wife and I did not go back.
The prosperity of these pastors proves it works!
They were not: "I'll pay your mortgage if you follow me"
Prosperity Gospel if for Fools & Thieves
If you’re part of it, you’re one or the other.
Prove me wrong.
You know, if he goes in the wrong place with an artificially white smile like that, someone’s gonna tell him he gots him one purty mouf.
(I think I hear banjos)
No such thing as “prosperity gospel”. The Gospel of the grace of Christ as taught in Romans, Galatians and most of the New Testament IS THE gospel. Otherwise you have “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6) which is not a gospel at all (vs. 7).
And OBTW, the Gospel of the Grace of Christ does include God’s desire for his people to be prosperous and in health (3 John 2).
“The preacher said if you were poor, he didn’t want you there.”
You gotta give him a couple of points for honesty.
;-)
That turns my stomach, and raises my hackles. If people broke out their Bibles and read it, most of this garbage would go away.
Greatest bass intro of all time
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and put Me to the proof now herewith,” saith the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open to you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10
Are we not to trust God's word in the Bible?
From the article: "Methodist (93%) and Restorationist movement (88%) churchgoers are more likely to believe God wants them to prosper financially. Those with Evangelical beliefs are more likely to agree (80% v. 74%) than those without."
It's almost like they're lumping Methodists and Restorationist churches with evangelical churches as far as beliefs the churches share that other churches don't share. If anything, the evangelical ones are less liable to believe in the prosperity gospel.
Sounds to me like it's yet again the CP trying really hard to be like secular journalists.
For themselves, at least, but not for the rest of Christendom!
My thoughts exactly.
The blessings of God are eternal - namely eternal salvation and life through Jesus Christ. Jesus told Pilate - “My kingdom is not of this world.” Yes, he will clothe us and feed us and give us what we need in this short life as he has told us not to worry about those things, but when we see scriptures like Jeremiah 29:11 and others that people misuse in a worldly context, we need to look at the bigger context of the whole Bible. It is all about God’s eternal plan of eternal redemption. When we see this clearly, then our cup will truly run over.
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