I said "ignored" scandals. You can hardly say the HOMOSEXUALITY scandal in the Catholic Church has been ignored. U.S. Army Retired |
Posted on 12/28/2007 7:37:39 AM PST by NYer
“The Prosperity Gospel is an attempt to manipulate God.”
I absolutely agree.
Christians do have an obligation to give - but not with expectation of receiving wealth in this life.
We are supposed to be concerned with true wealth - a loving relationship with God.
Meyer is a true snake. She has even stated she does not sin....Google it if you want proof.
Some of the others may be simply misguided. I am a little nervous about the govt. checking into churches, but I could see this as being okay because of the churches involved. It is tough.
Certainly a big scandal. Not sure about the biggest. One could argue that sex predators (of all types) using God is a bigger scandal, but all such scandals are bad.
And none of those scandals were invented in this century. Or on this continent.
Worth repeating.
| I said "ignored" scandals. You can hardly say the HOMOSEXUALITY scandal in the Catholic Church has been ignored. U.S. Army Retired |
Sex or money, it’s still using people for suckers.
Post 5 is a good example of just how deceptive Meyer is....she is very, very cunning and really is good at pulling the wool over many eyes, even Freepers.
True, you did say “ignored.” Guess I “ignored” it. Apologies. :-”/
“the “Gospel of Prosperity,” or the notion that God wants to bless the faithful with earthly riches.”
Anyone that’s ever bothered to read the New Testamant should already know what a lie this notion is. Some people give the Catholic Church crap for its wealth, but that money goes for church use. Catholic priests still take a vow of poverty.
Now I’m all for preachers making a decent living, but no man that pays his bills by being a professional preacher should get rich doing it (unless he writes books that sell well...in that case, he’s really making his money as a writer, and I don’t have a problem with that. That income isn’t tax exempt). But these guys that are getting rich by preaching to people with a message of “give me your money and God will bless you”....well, I have a big problem with them. The Swaggarts and the Warrens and the Schulers of the world make me deeply suspicious.
I don't know about him, but two people who should definitely be on the list is Jesse Duplantis and John Hagee.
God even gave Job new children, as if the old ones were fully replaceable like material objects.
I'm a NEW, UNREFORMED Muggletonian!
It's real simple....
Just hand over all your assets to me and I'll say you're going to heaven and getting rich while you're here!
Your wife, daughter(s), or if you're female yourself good looking and good,,, errr... well, you know...
Hand her over for a twirl between the sheets and I'll say you're going to heaven and going to be rich while you're here!
Just don’t stockpile any rifles or Janet Reno will come and burn your house down.
Number Two: The biblical norm is to carry on the work of God in and through local assemblies (You know, LOCAL, where you can keep your own eyes on how the money is used or abused by those in the ministry.). The New Testament has neither precept or example, let alone any direct instruction for the creation of these large, over-reaching ministries. The biblical norm is like “the church of God which is at Corinth,” “the church at Thessalonica,” etc. That is the only kind of order God has given to us by revelation.
Number Three: Aren’t “conservative” Christian folks a sight?! They say they don’t believe in an over-reaching federal government which takes our “giving” (tax dollars) up and away to the secret places of Washington D.C. to be abused by the political elite. Conservatives believe governance is always best at the local level where the commoner can keep an eye on it and have a more direct say. But so many “Conservative” Christians (including many who read and post on these pages) don’t seem to apply the same principle to “church,” even though the LOCAL church is the only kind of visible church found in the New Testament by precept and example. So many “conservative” Christians complain about “giving” their money to the federal government, but then happily send money away to “federal” ministries (denominational headquarters, TV ministries, etc.).
Number Four: BUT(!) as bad as the bilking may be by TV and other “federal” ministries, the federal civil government should not be the ones to correct this. Let the Congress get into this and it will only open the door for federal government incursion into ALL ministries and all churches.
We are personally and intimately familiar with the underground, non-government-approved churches of China, Mongolia, and the former Soviet Union. From our experience, I also believe in UNREGISTERED LOCAL churches in the United States. I believe local churches should remain independent of all denominational structures, especially where it may involve federal ID numbers, etc. I believe LOCAL churches should remain unincorporated, and should not file for 501c3 status, or any other IRS classification. Actually there are no laws requiring such registration.
I am talking, though, about LOCAL congregations under the scrutiny of the LOCAL members, as to the way the “giving” is used in and by the churches. I am talking about order, precept, and example found in the New Testament. I don’t necessary like the expression “separation of church and state,” but I teach NON-ENTANGLEMET of the church with the state. To file for 501c3 status is a kind of CONTRACT with the federal government, and I don’t believe any LOCAL church, which claims Christ as the Head of the Church, should make contracts with civil government, which has ungodly Christ-deniers at the head.
All that to say LOCAL is biblical, “federal” is MONSTER! Christians, find a Bible-believing and practicing LOCAL assembly, and if so led of God’s Holy Spirit and by the Word of God to give your money, then give it through that LOCAL assembly.
“And some of you wonder why the “Religious Right” is a thorn in the side of the Republican Party. The same morons that give all their money away to TV evangelists are the same ones voting for Huckabee.”
Wonderful. Another Libertarian runs his mouth.
First off, while the Huckster is getting most of his support from evangelicals, a great many evangelicals...and I mean a lot, maybe most of them....are still undecided. I myself am a Fred Thompson guy and am deeply suspicious of Huckabee.
Secondly, without us “Religious Right” people, the GOP would a permanent backbencher party with no success. What success the GOP has had, it couldn’t have achieved without us. Furthermore, the country has clearly moved in our direction on a lot of issues.
“
Everybody can be saved, but it seems to be quite misleading to say that God wants you to be rich with Earthly goods, and even more misleading to say that claim is based on scripture.”
Yup. I’ll see Benny Hinn on TV, and think of his audience....”Do these people even read the Bible?”.
You scare me!!
Your tag line says it all.
The malaria-DDT relationship is wildly overstated. Malaria used to be a huge problem in the southern US, but was almost completely wiped out BEFORE the introduction of DDT. Cultural habits are much more effective against malaria than DDT, and I don’t think the stubborn refusal of most of the people of Africa to adopt and practice good cultural habits is a valid reason to sacrifice any wildlife (though the degree of DDT’s harm to wildlife has also been susbtantially overstated).
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