These days it seems as though we are seeing more and more pastors at mainstream Christian churches, preaching a much different ‘gospel’ than I remember from Christ’s teachings throughout the New Testament?
Rather than addressing the topic Jesus spoke of more than any other, loving and caring for the needs of others before self, it seems many churches have chosen instead to highlight personal success as a measure of God’s reward.
This so-called “Prosperity Gospel” teaches that if you enrich yourself and own lots of toys, God has indeed granted you his blessings. But conversely, if you are poor or struggling financially, you obviously have not pleased your god? The Mormon religion, I believe, pushes this theory quite heavily.
This is of course nonsense if you faithfully consider these Bible verses: Matthew 19:24 reads, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Timothy 6:10 says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
And finally, please remember the words of the Lord’s Prayer that Christ taught us to pray, where it implores us to request that our heavenly Father, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
So if the love of money is the root of all evil and a rich man will be tempted by ‘the love of money”, does it make sense that God would want his ‘blessings’ to become “temptations” to us?
I am not rich, but blessed richly indeed!
Rod Livdahl
MESA
DonMey posted at 10:14 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Remember the story of Job? When he passed the test, God "rewarded" him with a prettier wife, more kids, more money, etc.
The Bible constantly contradicts itself.
VofReason posted at 1:05 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Hmmmm. If Rod goes to a church where this is preached, he should find another church. I will borrow from EV to say that soon enough, those churches would go out of business. I on the other hand attend a very large church and have never heard this once. Something interesting abount the Bible, even the most well schooled in the Bible quibble about interpretations. Usaully people like to pick and choose the peices they tout to support the message they want to portray (as we see here). It will help this group to note that wealthy people are the ones who generously donate large sums of money to churches, causes and charities. Poor people by virtue of lack of ability, cannot. Think about it
RubidouxFalcon posted at 1:09 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Rod,
How do you come to the conclusion that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints preaches a prosperity gospel?
Is it because a prominent member of the Church happens to be really wealthy and running for President of the United States?
I've been a member of the Church since age 17. A voluntary convert-no other members of my family ever joined the church. I am now 37 years old. I've attended church throughout southern CA, in Provo, UT, while at BYU, and here in Gilbert (not mention my missionary service in the Colorado/Kansas areas).
I've never heard one such presentation that God will reward me with financial riches to the extent I am righteous. In fact, we preach that you should pay your tithing and offerings without expectation that you will be financially blessed. We preach that you don't have be rich to have a love of money.
We preach about sacrificing our time and resources to the Church, for the benefit of helping those in need, for the teaching of the Gospel, and to help contribute to the growth of the Church which in turn helps expose more people to the saving Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Disagree with our doctrine, but disagree with what is actually our doctrine. Don't make up doctrine and then disagree with it.
mrconservative posted at 1:33 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
I'd rather be "rich" with friends than with money. Money can only last so long, but friendships last entire lifetimes.
Bluepoet posted at 3:07 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Rod,
You're confusing the TV evangelicals with Mormons, regarding the Prosperity Doctrine, I think.
With regard to riches and Mormons, there is no path to riches being preached. It's just that, the people who populate the hierarchy of the Church are rich. This makes sense, when one considers that no one in the Church gets paid--all are volunteers. And, who else but the rich can afford to spend the time?
Of course, a lot of the hierarchy are also members of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Masonic Order, too. Does that make them pharisees, somehow? Maybe, maybe not...
No, I think you are correct with your assertions...just not with regard to Mormons. Please, as RubidouxFalcon said, feel free to disagree with Doctrine, but just make sure it really is doctrine, first.
There's already enough there, to disagree with, after all...
truth posted at 3:11 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Politics and the pulpit: More than 1,000 pastors said this week they will openly defy government restrictions on their freedom of speech by telling their congregations who to vote for in the presidential election. Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits tax exempt charities and churches from intervening for one or against specific candidates in political campaigns.
One of the fastest growing religion, or should I say non religion, are the nones, the group of people who claim no religion at all.
Dale Whiting posted at 6:46 am on Tue, Oct 23, 2012.
Rod,
For far too many ministers, religion is a job, a job requiring them to be competitive, to differentiate themselves from their competition. Sure at first they had an honest desire to serve God and their congregation. Then reality sets in. They either find a way to become a successful preacher or they leave. If one were to study what happens to divinity school graduates, this picture becomes quite clear.
Religion is a business on the decline. Very few faiths are seeing an increase in membership. Care to guess which ones are experiencing increases?
JNelson posted at 9:03 am on Tue, Oct 23, 2012.
Rod, Jesus may have made a reference to a rich man in Matthew 19:24 as you said, but I've heard of no message in which he said people should NOT strive to become rich. But then, I'm not much of a Bible scholar.....
Dale Whiting posted at 1:37 pm on Tue, Oct 23, 2012.
Hey Guys, Ever heard about the problem of taking a camel through the eye of a needle? The original Santa Claus was a young and wealthy young man who sold all of his goods, packaged his money in small sacks and pitched those sacks through open windows of homes now in Southern Turkey. He got the point. Mitt doesn't quite get the point. Sure he's pitched a few sacks, but in the main he's for the accumulation of wealth, not the giving of wealth away.
truth posted at 3:24 pm on Tue, Oct 23, 2012.
Dale Whiting, you are close. You are refering to St. Nicholas was born in Patara, Turkey around 300 A.D., became Bishop of Myra, Turkey, deid 350 A.D. Born of wealthy parents, (only children of wealthy parents could buy their way into the church) he travled around the Holy Lands in his youth. Young girls who had no money for dowries to keep them from sinning St. Nicholas woukd a drop bag of gold into their courtyard or chimney so they could get married.
Engaged Voter posted at 8:33 pm on Tue, Oct 23, 2012.
Wow...I guess religion and sleazy cowardice really DO go hand in hand.
I posted a factual comment, complete with scripture verses and references included...and rather than reply or contest my facts, the slimy coward(s) just had my comment deleted.
Bravo mrconservative, bravo.
(what a worm)
Dale Whiting posted at 7:47 am on Wed, Oct 24, 2012.
truth,
Ever been to Patara? I have! His parents died. He sold all of his possessions and gave his wealth away.
truth posted at 2:30 pm on Wed, Oct 24, 2012.
Dale, No we did not go to Patara we went to Myra, and saw what was left of St. Nichalolas Crypt and the ruins of the ST. Nichalolas church. My wife and I traveled with 9 Harvard Professors and a guide through out our trip of a little over a month, and we traveled 3,000 miles.
VofReason posted at 3:11 pm on Wed, Oct 24, 2012.
Empty and Angry. A fool's project, but please tell me then, everyone who has money needs to go and give it away. Then we will all be a bunch of poor people and pure in the eyes of the lord. I don't believe that is true. In fact, I believe you must be strong and have financial ability to be of the best benefit to others.
Dale Whiting posted at 10:25 am on Thu, Oct 25, 2012.
truth,
I lived in Turkey for a year from July 1976 to June 1977 and toured the Mediterranean Sea Coast from Syria west, then up the Adriatic to Istanbul. I note that today Patara is located in a suburb of Ankara not far from another town called Fethiya [sp?]. But Nicholas [not his original given name] was born on the Fethiya, a port city on the Mediterranean. I got my information from there.
truth posted at 3:38 pm on Thu, Oct 25, 2012.
Dale, reaserch in the computer says ST. Nicholas was born in Patara. Type where was ST. Nicholas born.
Dale Whiting posted at 6:59 am on Fri, Oct 26, 2012.
Try wikipedia. It reports that the man who eventually became Nicholas was born in the Mediterranean coastal town of Fethiya, And when I visited Fethiya on the coast, they claimed to have been his home town. Now there is a Fethiya in a neighborhood near Patara, both near Ankara. But I seriously doubt that Nicholas was born there. Did your tour stay around Ankara and not get down to the coast? I went along the coast from the Syrian border back to Istanbul via roads many of which where yet to be paved. Stayed overnight in Fethiya. Saw Hadrian's wall and gate. Saw Konya, Ephasis, and many other important sites. I'll have to fetch my slides and review them again.
sockratties posted at 5:32 pm on Sat, Oct 27, 2012.
Dale… I believe you saw another wall, or were smoking some of that good Turkish hash. [tongue]
Hadrian’s wall is in Great Britain. It kind of indicates how far the Romans got before they gave up on complete domination of the British Isles.
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