Prosperity Doctrine

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGU7eI3XdfM[/youtube]

This is a video i put together about a disease spreading through Christianity- Televangelism

If you are unfamiliar with "prosperity doctrine" here it is in a nutshell: Rich people are rich beccause God is happy with them, poor people are poor because theyve done something to piss God off. I believe this is false doctrine. Also consider that many people make their judgements about Christianity based on the first thing they see. If the first thing they see is a televangelist placing curses on people, thats a major turnoff. If the first thing they see is a televangelist promising "health and wealth" in exchange for a large donation to his ministry, they see all Christians as hypocrites.

To you atheists and agnostics out there, i really cannot blame you. Modern Christianity really is not doing itself any favors. I profess the "love chapter" 1Cor. 13. Going around damning people gets us nowhere, showing people the love that we have been shown goes much farther.

FMI:
Wikipedia Article-Prosperity Theology

A vile doctrine. Almost as bad as Calvinism.

ruveyn

Prosperity doctrine is bunk. Jesus promised that his followers would have trouble, not acceptance and wealth. In the Old Testament, Job, Job's friends had that notion of wealth being equivalent to favor and poverty being equivalent to disfavor, which was even then treated as a load of bogus. Prosperity doctrine works well for impressing upon rich people the importance of Malachi chapter 3, and nothing more. They are the kind of preachers who use Christ to advance their bank accounts.

whats your view on Arminianism then ruveyn?

Seen in a different light, and while dependent upon a comparison between Christianity and The Messiah's actual Scriptural example, "Modern Christianity" with its "prosperity doctrine" seems to be flourishing ... and usually at the expense of desperate people who wittingly or otherwise place faith in man's seeming ability to manipulate spiritual truths.

[quote="thechadmaster"]whats your view on Arminianism then ruveyn?[/quote

I am not Arminian.

ruveyn

Yes, they quote the miracles of Christ ad infinitum, even put on a fair bit of showmanship, treating church as a type of circus and God as a sideshow. People who intentionally act dishonestly for their own gain and thereby drive people away from God and the Bible are going to have that "depart from Me, I never knew you" event most likely.

If you want to go through false Christian doctrine, here's a place where tons of politicians go who believe in such fake doctrines:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fellow ... ganization)#C_Street


They also believe in the prosperity doctrine, if I'm not mistaken.

The only Christian I know personally who followed prosperity doctrine had no trouble with using his widowed grandmother's savings to achieve that prosperity. A sample of one I know, but in general the whole thing reeks.

I believe salvation is by grace (Eph. 2:8-10) These people are human sinners just like everyone else, if they truly believe in salvation, then i believe they are saved. Human logic cannot be applied to Godly matters just as we cannot understand His logic. Human fairness is irrelevent to God.

Also, one thing i avoid is making statements like "this person is going to hell". I dont know that for a fact, i cant know that. Only that person and God know his fate. I know Jesus, i believe in His salvation, i received His grace, i know without a doubt where im going when i die, but i dont know about anyone else. thats between God and the believer.

Just because im a believer, does not mean im not a sinner. Im still in my human body, thus still subject to sin.

I have yet to meet a politician whose morals are 100% correct. heck id be happy with 50%

They might truly believe salvation is available, but that does not mean or guarantee they have availed themselves of it.

Salvation is through faith in Christ's act as the final sacrificial atonement for our sins. It is God's gift that we should not have to pay for our own sins. However, Jesus himself said this of those type of people who would use his name wrongly:

Matthew 7:21-23
(21) Not every one that says to me, "Lord, Lord", shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(22) Many will say to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"
(23) And then will I say to them, "I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity."

I believe that is all covered in Eph 2:8-10 "For by grace ye have been saved through faith it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast"

It is the will of God that we accept Christ's sacrifice, the "works" are "prophesying" "casting out devils" and "wonderful works" So, these televangelists, as long as they accepted salvation, their works are irrelevent. Regardless of their doctrine, i believe Creflo Dollar, TD Jakes, Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer are all saved, Benny Hinn, im not so sure, but then again, thats not for me to decide.

Consider the fact that there are over 5000 known denominations of Christianity, and many proclaim that all other denominations are going to hell. I believe that Christianity is the most simple faith in existence, and anyone Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic, Methodist, Wesleyan, Lutheran, Congregationalist, and heck, even a few liberal Christian Unitarians, can be present in heaven.

I have another video for you, I Just Know, by Disciple. Good, hard rock sound.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtOV8Sd0KOg[/youtube]

Its basically like witch craft. Do a lite voodoo ceremony to speak to the spiritual world to get rewarded with material stuff. Its essentially the same.

You don't need to hedge by saying you "believe" it to be false. It's obviously false. It was explicitly rejected by Christ.