is Dave Ramsey prosperity gospel???

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Hi everybody, I have been aware of Dave Ramsey for a number of years.He teaches his followers how to retire multi-millionaires after decades of working by investing in the stock market.He does not teach his followers how to get super rich but he does teach them how to be millionaires.Its not a get rich quick scheme by any means because most American millionaires hit that mark at around age 50.My church is going to teach a Dave Ramsey class.I think its wise to stay out of bad debt and stuff like that but I just think its suspect for a church to teach its members how to become multi-millionaires.Do you think Dave Ramsey is a prosperity gospel teacher?He says he teaches people how to handle money God's way but I dont think Jesus would teach his followers how to be millionaires.

I think the true way to handle your money God's way is to give all your money to the church and the poor.I just think Dave Ramsey teaching his followers that Jesus wants them to live the materialistic American Dream is problematic. Also Dave Ramsey is really rich and that flies in the face of the Rich Young Ruler passage in the Bible. He does teach his followers to tithe 10 percent to their church but in Acts the early Christians gave 100 percent.Do you think Jesus would object to Christians having a house a few million in a 401 K and IRA???This would not be super rich by any stretch of the imagination.Dave Ramsey does not market his course to people who want to be business owners generally. In most cases its the business owner who gets super rich not the employee-investor types.For the record, I would give all my money away to the church but my parents banned me from doing that in their will. Dave Ramsey says you will be a millionaire by retirement if handle money the Bible's way.People like him and at my church always like to point out there were rich people in the Old Testament and they take this as a sign thats its okay to be a multi-billionaire if you are a Christian.I know we have talked about Christianity and money but I would just like to talk about Dave Ramsey and how he relates to Christianity.

Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man of the new testament.
I tried giving all my money away to the church (when I was poor thankfully) but then felt cursed for trying to please God with works.

The rich young ruler needs Jesus because he and his brothers had the scriptures but didn't read them.
Also the ruler was selfish, ignoring the beggar. It's best to get beggars into rehab as many of them are there on the streets due to drugs, but it might be different in the US

If you give away all your money and regret it, and suffer the effects of being poor and homeless you might curse God (like I did)..so that is a reason not to rely on those works.

You can't expect help from Christians while homeless either, because they mostly suffer the flaws of being quite selfish and unhelpful.
So you wouldn't be rescued.
I'm talking from experience.

It's important to look after yourself so you don't get into a position where you hate God for what you've done to yourself.
The most important commandment is to love God.
You can't do that while sleeping on the street cos you decided to do that to please him.
I learnt that from my experiences.

I would advise against selling everything and living communally cos Christians are quite selfish and petty just like normal people. You can't rely on them for anything.
Also if you have autism aspergers it would be ten times more difficult to live communally.

Glad you're not selling your stuff, as that has saved you a lot of misery.

Do you have a way of leaving the community if it goes wrong?

I tried living communally but didn't like it.

I couldn't go on the internet,or read a book or have any solitary activity. Being around other people all day is exhausting.
The Christians I was with were interested in performing music, that was their hobby.
So they got to indulge in their special interests but I didn't. So that was unfair.
Also having someone perform music in front of you unasked is annoying.

So what I'm saying is, you.might hate it, so do you have a house to go back to if you change your mind?

John 20:10 suggests that the disciples never sold their homes

Ah that's different then, you're setting the rules and you're possibly more extroverted than I am.
There is part of me that enjoyed the communal living, similar reasons as you gave... but I was only with them a short time.

The issues I mentioned would have probably caused trouble as I have a tendency of speaking up about things that I feel are unfair.

Would you still post on wp?

Oh sorry you asked about Dave Ramsey.

I used to listen to him about 20 years ago.
He would tell people to pay off their debts mostly.

Prosperity gospel seems to be saying God will make you prosper if you do or say certain things. It seems to be selling Christianity to non-believers based on earthly riches. I can't say if Dave Ramsey is doing that as he hardly ever mentioned Christianity when I listened to him.

I'd like to hear how your communal living thing goes.

What Dave Ramsey wants is for people to be self-sufficient by retirement so that they are not dependent on the government as their sole means of support. As someone who follows Dave Ramsey's program, I am at the point where I am saving money for retirement with no debt (including my house). At current projections, I should do fine at retirement.

As for giving, if you listen to his program long enough, he does mention giving as one thing to do with money and tells people that follow his program that as they do build wealth, be willing to do targeted giving. That means giving to people and programs that you feel deserve you money and follow your views. What he does not say is to allow others to tell you what to do with your money (governments and charlatins included). It is the money you made, you should decide what to do with it (or mind your own business).

My opinion is that those who claim that Dave preaches prosperity gospel are the same people who do not see themselves as being debt free and saving for retirement and for fund activities (and real life giving) and rather than take the time to get to that place, they put down those who do.

Finally, if you wish to give up everything to a commune or want to live in poverty, live in debt, and/or not want to invest money, that is fine by me. Just don't turn around and demand that I give my resources to you when you see that I have them and you don't.

My experience is that people pick and choose what suits them in the bible. If they are poor, they may get some solace about what it says about that. If they are rich, they overlook those parts.

Dave Ramsey is not on a pedestal unless someone wants to put him on one. I see everyone who makes money of any magnitude as having a racket: doctors, lawyers, ministers, you name it. Dave Ramsey just has a racket and affiliates with the bible for political reasons or else he wouldn't harp on it. He is targeting and marketing to people.

I'll just say this on the subject: Jesus and his disciples were hardly rich. Neither was Paul. Or Thomas Aquinas. Or Luther or Calvin. Or Dietrich Bonhoeffer, or MLK.

Well folks just an update on the thread.I talked to a bishop from the church today and he said that the point of the class is not so much becoming millionaires but more getting out of debt and paying off your mortgage.I talked to him about tithing and he said why not give 20 to 30 percent of your income to the church.I have a friend from the small group who suggested giving 60 percent of household income to the church. Dave Ramsey wants church kids to tithe from their birthday and holiday money.I would be upset if i was a kid and I had to tithe to the church 10 to 30 percent from birthday and holiday money.And the preacher at my church has a small airplane.