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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: The "Prosperity Gospel"
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Russ
Old salt
# 120
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
The real problem I have with even the watered down version is that it is always about "giving to us, to the church, to the 'ministry'" which is never what the Biblical message is about.
AIUI, the Bible message is that if you are generous, giving, caring and concerned about others - especially the poor, widows, strangers, the neglected - then this is a Good Think in the eyes of God, and he will bless you and cause you to prosper. This blessing may not be in physical or material prosperity, but in heavenly credits. And yes, there will probably be some prospering in business too. Not to a degree that will definitively pay you back, but you will live a life in God's favour...
...The core issue is that for so many people, their only idea of "blessing" is money. Not only unbiblical, but very dangerous.
Do we believe that giving our resources - money, time, effort, thought, energy - to those in greatest need will bring us a big psychological / spiritual reward ? Where "big" implies outweighing the satisfaction we would have got by spending those resources on good things for ourselves and our families & friends ?
You're right to say that misinterpreting the message in terms of financial reward is a mistake. And diverting the resources from those in desperate need to those delivering the message is the mark of a charlatan. And deliberately pitching that message at those whose lack of understanding makes them vulnerable to a superstitious view of finance is exploitative.
But I think lilBuddha is saying that there's a deeper problem.
If those who do most for the desperate are getting their psychological reward here on earth, should we look up to them as saints ? Or just admire them as smart operators ?
Those who are desperate - for food, healing, meaning, companionship, whatever - don't much care who they get it from. When our efforts to "do good" are resented because in order to play Rescuer we have to cast someone else as Victim, maybe we're misinterpreting who "the poor" are.
Maybe the "prosperity gospel" types aren't the only ones who take a crudely financial view, who substitute other beneficiaries for those in greatest need, and who pitch their message at what they see as the fertile ground.
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Wish everyone well; the enemy is not people, the enemy is wrong ideas
Posts: 3169 | From: rural Ireland | Registered: May 2001
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Ethne Alba
Shipmate
# 5804
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Posted
The naming of tiny communities would Indeed make its members identifiable.
And maybe such groups do not hope to spread any theology, any radical form of mission as a way of life?
Maybe such people are fairly busy getting on with doing life....with others..... and maybe this part of what they do is a b-product....an aside....something that a few are called to....but it's still there in the mix....?
The people that i can think about (in various places evenly scattered across the UK) are in no way remaining marginal nor are they beneath any radar.
They do face a degree of scrutiny and criticism and i'd say at Every stage...especially as pertains to funding.
And their part of the Christian movement has stuck around for Quite a while.
Normative?
I don't know.
Round my way, they're known as A Local Church.
and
Anyone can do it.
( and i like the local church option, rather than a project, because there is usually less cattle excrement.....)
[ 31. October 2016, 09:54: Message edited by: Ethne Alba ]
Posts: 3126 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Martin60
Shipmate
# 368
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Posted
The dying nearly as fast as the horse chestnut (2030) Local Church (2050)?
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Love wins
Posts: 17586 | From: Never Dobunni after all. Corieltauvi after all. Just moved to the capital. | Registered: Jun 2001
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SvitlanaV2
Shipmate
# 16967
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Posted
Ethne Alba
I understand that some groups resent too much intrusion from the outside, but this is usually a feature of rather introverted groups, not those that are very open to the wider community. So that in itself is rather interesting.
From what you say the kind of group you're referring to is probably too fearful of censure to be a role model for the British churches in general. That's perfectly fine (and a lot of more established churches wouldn't want to be in the spotlight either) but the kinds of groups we're thinking of here would probably have to be more willing to develop a public profile, because the hope is that they would generate interest and help other Christians develop similar communities.
This was brought up because many of us live in areas of ongoing church decline and weakness; it's not unreasonable for people in such contexts to be looking for ways in which the church can avoid extinction.
Posts: 6668 | From: UK | Registered: Feb 2012
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