Twisted Scriptures: Prosperity Gospel

It’s absurd and silly to me, the mixed opinions believers hold about me, and my disability. Some really believe my lack of faith is to blame for my spinal cord injury, and even for the poverty I have experienced. They aren’t surprised I haven’t been cured, and boy were they surprised when I began to succeed life despite it… and despite faith in their god. (Like I always feel it would be unfair not to point out: there are many more than Yahweh.)

Pick a god; any god 🧐

One of the challenges that comes with believing there is a god, is picking which one. Most people who believe in a god pick the same one as their parents. Belief usually originates during childhood, administered by trusting adults and often under the guise of the faith being a choice. When presented with eternal damnation as the only alternative, most church kids learn to compartmentalize their thinking enough to keep the faith in adulthood and pass it down.

Then there is the brand of believer who turns to a god despite not being brought up to believe. They may feel drawn to the idea and decide to believe in a higher power. If they witness something they feel is miraculous belief might come easier. 

Sometimes just belief in a higher power isn’t satisfying enough and they feel the need to figure out who exactly that god is, and they decide on one. Most often it is the popular one in their region, discovered at a local church. In America this means Yahweh. Christianity is so popular here, he’s the first god most Americans think of, whether or not they grew up in the religion, and the one they turn to, when compelled to believe.

But there’s more. There are literally hundreds of ways the words of Yahweh found in the Bible are understood. Christians have been fighting over what is meant by chapter and verse since before commoners were even permitted access. So so much of what believers believe is dependent not on the actual words of scripture, but mediators of the message.

Pick a Preacher: Choose Wisely 😬

The gospel can be administered in a harmless way. Skip the right verses; emphasize a few more. But it can also be administered in a very harmful way (discriminating against certain demographics, fire and brimstone tactics of indoctrination, purity culture) and one of these is the phenomenon known as prosperity gospel.

Prosperity Gospel is the false doctrine that believers attain earthly pleasures through faith: pleasures like financial blessings and good health.

Some preachers love that prosperity gospel. After all it is tied to the notion that your blessings will be administered according to your contributions to the church. Many a

preacher has gotten himself rich on this false doctrine including well-known figures such as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland.

Perhaps even more toxic than selling Jesus, is the message of these mediators is the faith healing message which I’ve previously covered.

Pray and believe and serve enough and you’re gonna get that money and you’re also gonna get that healing.

Of course humans have been crying to their dead ancestors and the gods they dream up for disease to lift and crops to grow since the dawn of time and Christians are no different.

The difference with Prosperity Gospel is it is believed that if those prayers aren’t answered, you’re doing something wrong.

God hasn’t healed you yet?

Oh ye of little faith!

Other brands of Christianity strongly disagree with the notion that God wants his children to be rich, and if they’re sick, they didn’t pray hard enough. They argue that Christians are meant to endure suffering in this life- meant to give the shirt off their back, stand strong for Christ against the pleasures of the world.

This is the trouble with belief systems. We can’t agree on a god and in the event that we do, we sure as hell can’t agree on what that god meant to say.

Are suffering and trouble promised for believers (John 16:33) and actual self denial encouraged (Mark 8:34)?

Or will believers be spared suffering and trouble if they pray with enough faith (Matthew 21:22)?

Many preachers have come out against Prosperity Gospel and Divine Healing ideology. One is the nephew of Benny Hinn, who was once one of the loudest voices proclaiming prosperity gospel and divine healing across TV sets in thee era of my own youth. More opponents are John Piper, Albert Mohler, and Matt Chandle.

Prosperity cannot be a proof of God’s favor, since it is what the devil promises to those who worship him.

John Piper

Yes their god can and does heal, they claim, but he chooses when and if to do so, and healing isn’t a reflection of faith. God has his reasons we may not understand, but our infirmaries are not present because we don’t believe strongly enough.

And no, God won’t write them a check for attending a church, paying a tithe, or endorsing a pastor, not any more than he’ll bless their bank account if they suspend critical thought effectively enough to believe he will.

The prosperity gospel goes by many names: Word of Faith, Health and Wealth, Name It and Claim It. This different gospel teaches that God provides rewards, including personal happiness, financial wealth and physical health, for believers who have sufficient faith. Prosperity theology developed in America in the last century and has been called a baptized form of capitalism.

More than anything, this gospel is predatory.

The prosperity preachers don’t just talk to rich Americans; They fly jets to under developed countries and push it on desperately poor people and tell them that if they will believe in Jesus, health and wealth will follow.

They bend every book in the Bible to indicate God writes checks to the faithful.

It’s really fucking sick.