Growing strain of evangelicalism preaches 'hostility' towards poor Americans: Report

[TomCADem]

You thought you knew the bible? Remember the well-known passage: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. - Matthew 5:3-5.

For Republicans this can be a bit awkward to accuse Democrats of being godless while pushing policies that coddle the rich and oppress the poor. But no need to worry, the right wing has come to the rescue with some paid-off preachers who are willing to preach that the aforementioned passage means the exact opposite of what it appears to say.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/growing-strain-of-evangelicalism-preaches-hostility-towards-poor-americans-report/ar-AA1iHT8E?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=a2d8682bac924297b649aa96eff87b42&ei=20

The so-called "Prosperity Gospel," a strain of evangelical Christianity that argues material wealth is a direct sign of God's personal favor, has long been a controversial doctrine among more mainstream American conservatives.

Now The New Republic's Elle Hardy reports that there's a new strain of Prosperity Gospel that takes things a step further by not only seeing wealthy people as God's chosen, but singling out poor people as deserving of "hostility."

This "antisocial" new Prosperity Gospel, writes Hardy, gained more prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic when believers were forced to go searching online for Sunday worship services and they were algorithmically steered toward churches that preached more extreme doctrines.

"Those who ended up getting their Christianity from Facebook rather than the pulpit found it all too easy to fall down into some extreme theological rabbit holes," Hardy explains. "And without anyone to bounce new ideas off, they had no mooring — there was no congregation to moderate radical ideas."

[dalton99a]

1. Because Jesus said "Kill the poor and put them out of their misery ASAP"

"And don't forget to steal what they have"

[TomCADem]

4. If Jonathan Swift's Classic Satire, A Modest Proposal Was Published Today...

...I am sure a lot of modern conservatives would embrace the idea of eating poor children, rather than seeing the satire for what it is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

Swift's essay is widely held to be one of the greatest examples of sustained irony in the history of the English language. Much of its shock value derives from the fact that the first portion of the essay describes the plight of starving beggars in Ireland, so that the reader is unprepared for the surprise of Swift's solution when he states: "A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout."[

[dalton99a]

6. +1.

[Chainfire]

2. I guess that Musk must be the right hand of god. Get out of the way Jesus.

[haele]

53. Not just Musk, but Meta sites like Facebook.

The algorithms to advertise includes emotional impact rankings to attract eyeballs - the "Aww or Arrrgh" factor. It's not going to send the casual user to a thoughtful, logical approach site, it's going to send the user to the loudest clickbait site to attract impressionable people that will buy products.
And boy-howdey the Prosperity Gospel and Christian Nationalists love to sell products, as well as their cult ideas.

Haele

[keithbvadu2]

3. Pastor alarmed after Trump-loving congregants deride Jesus' teachings as 'weak'

Pastor alarmed after Trump-loving congregants deride Jesus' teachings as 'weak'

Donald Trump Jr. tells young conservatives that following Jesus’ command to ‘turn the other cheek’ has ‘gotten us nothing’

https://baptistnews.com/article/donald-trump-jr-tells-young-conservatives-that-following-jesus-command-to-turn-the-other-cheek-has-gotten-us-nothing/#.Y0SyKEzMLyQ

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18175078
---------------------------------------------------------------

The "prosperity gospel" collectors seem to do much better in the prosperity than the investors/donors.

Perhaps church attendance would not be declining if 'witnessing' for their faith did not include protecting pedophile priests/pastors, supporting sexual predators like Trump and using the faith to gain riches.

But did include "love thy neighbor" more than 'begrudge thy neighbor'.

Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham and their ilk are CBR - Cash Based Religion.

Judas was an early, modern-day, conservative disciple.

Judas got 30 pieces of silver, but just once, for selling Christ.

Franklin Graham, Jim Bakker, Pat Robertson, and their ilk get millions of dollars repeatedly for selling Christ.

Judas was a fool for doing a one-time sale.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

19. I'd love to know when the religion has not been

Cash-based.

Because it's sort of difficult to claim that the religion isn't about money when stuff like this has been going on since it's earliest days:



?1646217250



Kinda tough to make claims about helping the poor when so much of the religion extorts from its membership, including the poor, to spend it on luxury like that instead.

[TomCADem]

23. Is that the religion or the adherents?

Are there folks who donate to certain causes that in practice they oppose? For example, I am sure there are a lot of people who believe they are environmentalists who love to eat beef even though beef production is much more harmful to the environment than other forms of protein. Does that mean that the idea of protecting the environment is corrupt or dishonest?

I find that it is helpful to educate about the impacts of various activities on the environment, rather than to reject wholesale the idea of protecting the environment.

Likewise, have people who profess to be Christian and purport to adhere to biblical teachings engaged in excesses of wealth? Absolutely. Indeed, as the various efforts to reform the church have shown, such efforts have often been based on the distance between the practices of the church and its leaders and the actual text of the source documents on which the religion is based.

[DonCoquixote]

24. a little quote they ignore

Matthew 19:24 — The New King James Version (NKJV)
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

and of all the example of those who go to Hell, why is the ONLY example a rich man, one that is literally made to eat salt, which was MONEY in those times

Luke 16:19-31

[LastDemocratInSC]

32. Wow, I've been getting that verse wrong for years.

I thought it was "It's easier for a rich man to stick himself in the eye with a needle than for a camel to enter the kingdom of God."

[stuck in the middle]

33. There are a number of things...

...that we've gotten wrong.

In my wife's religion (Catholic), laughter is valued, as are cattle.

In fact, after her ancestors ran away from their masters centuries ago, they established a palenque, and turned around and rustled cattle from their former masters.

Apparently, every family grouping was allotted a cow a week. (They weren't vegetarians.)

In her religion, cattle obtained in this manner were pretty much considered as a gift from the devil that gives them identity, or something like that.

See here:

"The devil makes me laugh" (History of Catholicism)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217619196

[hurl]

40. To help their benefactors

Republican lawmakers are drafting tax subsidies for the manufacture of very large needles.

[CrispyQ]

58. Also, even though my knowledge of the Bible is limited & from a long time ago,

IIRC, the only time Jesus got really angry was in the temple with the money changers.

[CrispyQ]

54. I literally LOLd at that graphic.

Yeah, the alarmed pastor story, WTF? Have they been living under a rock? No. They turned a blind eye to all of it. The gun love. The hatred of others. The arrogance that only they are true Americans. I should add you can almost tell what kind of Christian someone is by how far right they are.

I like this one, too, cuz I'd never thought of it this way either.

[underpants]

5. 👀

This looks like good read.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. Most people are hostile to the poor. Why would Christians be any different?

[TomCADem]

9. There is a difference between an ideology and alleged adherents.

For example, most people eat meat. Some people state that they are Vegans or Vegetarians. But, if said Vegan or Vegetarian loves to eat beef barbecue, and espouses the benefits of eating beef as being conducive to keto, then are they really a vegan or vegetarian?

Who knows? It is is possible the definition of what constitutes being a Vegetarian could begin to encompass people who prefer meat.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. no true scotsman, eh?

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

20. It's all they have.

nt

[stuck in the middle]

34. Well, to be fair, ...

...Holy wars were fought over some of this stuff, which, as keyboard warriors, we sometimes forget in our 21st Century bravado.

It's all they have.

My wife's ancestors, for example, were famous for their macheteros.

[Arthur_Frain]

8. To be fair he did specify poor in "spirit".

Thus paving the way for the prosperity gospels I suppose.

[redqueen]

12. That's one passage - there is a lot more about helping the poor

and also not oppressing them

[Arthur_Frain]

25. Sure

But I was cherry picking like a rethuglican.

[Emile]

10. Got to love evangelical christians they make shit up as they go.

They sin like there's no tomorrow and ask for forgiveness to do it all over again and again and again.

[gratuitous]

11. My stock response

I call it the Hawkeye observation (folks familiar with the first Avengers movie will get it): "You and I read the Bible very differently."

[pansypoo53219]

14. no beatitudes in the repulikkan bible, but they think he's a pussy now.

[scarletlib]

15. Calvinism recycled for today.

[Hekate]

30. Well spotted

[TomCADem]

39. Is it? I Remember Calvinism...

… relating to predestination and questions of whether there really is such a thing as free will. Also, that would create tension with the idea of salvation, because there really is no path of redemption, since you are either damned or not, thus acting pious was just a means of faking it until you make it.

[scarletlib]

42. That is all true. The question asked and answered by Calvinist theology was how could one determine who was elected.

Last edited Thu Oct 26, 2023, 08:59 AM - Edit history (1)

They came to the conclusion that wealth and prosperity were sure signs of being one of god’s elect. It wasn’t a one hundred percent form of proof but was a determining factor. In other words God was blessing you as elect. You were deserving of his blessing.

Definitely a form of prosperity theology in early America.

[Tansy_Gold]

16. It's well worth the time to click through to the original

And read the entire essay:

https://newrepublic.com/article/176117/prosperity-gospel-christian-war-poor

[barbtries]

17. it's more or less commonly understood

that being "religious" is equal to being "good." that is so not true.

been studying the cult of scientology for several months now. it's fucking horrific, and they get away with crimes because they are purportedly a religion.

[hunter]

38. Same as being "moral." Check out the "morality police" anywhere.

They are all evil.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

18. The Prosperity Gospel

Is merely Calvinism 2.0.

Sheesh. All those keystrokes wasted, when the shorter explanation does the job.

[SouthernDem4ever]

21. Suckers

That's the word to describe idiots that feed money to the gold jewelry preacher crowd.

[JoseBalow]

22. Republicans have decided that rich people can now enter heaven

[CrispyQ]

26. I saw this on FB recently & it really resonated.

[Snackshack]

27. Okay

Religion has pretty much always "preached" hostility to one group or another. Open up the bible to any random page and chances are you will find this exact situation being espoused.

Didn't this "Prosperity Gospel" actually used to be called "Domination Gospel" or something like that? I know when I first heard about this it was not "Prosperity Gospel" the name it was called implied dominating every aspect of life from the imposition of dogma to material items.

No matter, it is one more take on what is a horrid concept / dogma. That on balance has been very detrimental to our species but was needed to keep chaos at bay so I get it but, now that we have standing armies and law enforcement departments across the country the threat of burning in a lake of fire for eternity is no longer needed as a compelling reason to act in a human / civilized manner.

[no_hypocrisy]

28. Jon Calvin on steroids.

He advocated that God was punishing sinners by making them poor.

[Attilatheblond]

29. Preachers who ALWAYS have their hand out for money hate the poor who have little to give.

In my many years, I have seen/heard/read some clerics who truly walk their talk. But most ... nah, they took the job because it was easy work and pays better than actual productive labor.

[stuck in the middle]

31. All Hail the Holy Algorithims!

This "antisocial" new Prosperity Gospel, writes Hardy, gained more prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic when believers were forced to go searching online for Sunday worship services and they were algorithmically steered toward churches that preached more extreme doctrines.

[live love laugh]

35. Religion is just another area to divide people. They thrive on division.

.

[Autumn]

36. By it's very nature religion is hostile to the poor. IMHO nt

[stuck in the middle]

41. No, it's not.

By it's very nature religion is hostile to the poor.

[Autumn]

44. I believe it is. Prove to me it isn't. nt

[stuck in the middle]

45. It's not my job to disprove your beliefs and stereotypes.

I believe it is. Prove to me it isn't. nt

My wife comes from a Catholic culture, going back 5 centuries here in America, for example.

If I want to try to understand her religion and culture, I prefer to use science.

As a militant atheist, I find your faith-based argument unconvincing.



Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science

[Autumn]

48. Another thing incompatible with religion. Science.

You can't prove anything about religion because it's all old stories presented as fact. I don't believe in any religion and I'm not an atheist either. I've read the bible, several times front to back and I've read the Quran a few times. Both are good stories with too many gaping holes. Harry Potter was a good book too.

[stuck in the middle]

49. Your opposition to science is noted.

Another thing incompatible with religion. Science.

I'm not sure it's even worthwhile to discuss the topic if you don't believe in science.

[Autumn]

55. Opposition to science? Might want to read that again. I oppose religion. Any religion

[stuck in the middle]

56. Your religion opposes science.

Which make it difficult for me as an atheist to even discuss it with you.

[Autumn]

57. I have no religion. I do not believe in God or his followers.

The god from the bible has been endowed with the most horrible human traits there are. I wouldn't care to know or be friends with someone like that and I certainly wouldn't worship a SOB with those traits.

[Marcus IM]

59. It's a circuitous infinity loop.

To some religion is their science.
To others science is religion.

It never ends.

[stuck in the middle]

60. Religion is a part of culture...

...that can be studied using the tools of science.

Whatever happened to stuff like History and Anthropology?

I don't understand the aversion that fundamentalists of all stripes (even atheist fundamentalists) have against science.

[ancianita]

61. Carl Sagan believes they're compatible. And that they will be more so in the future.

[Autumn]

62. I would sooner worship Science than religion but there is a big difference between

spirituality and religion. Science can be awe inspiring so I get what he's saying.

[stuck in the middle]

63. If you want to understand...

...the theology of cattle rustling, for example (let's say that, like me, you never grew up), one approach would be to do as you have done and read the Holy Bible from cover to cover. (Did you find anything? Nah, I didn't think so.)

But another approach would be to consult what the sciences of History and Anthropology have to say about the topic.

Vaqueria

Esta actividad , propia de los habitantes del Municipio de Patia, hacen de su tradicion y cultura una riqueza incalculable para el Departamento del Cauca

[Johnny2X2X]

37. Here in West Michigan we have the CRC

Christian Reformed Church. It's a take on Calvinism's version of Christianity. Betsy Devos and the Amway family are huge members. We have top level private colleges for the CRC named Calvin and Hope. I know many people who go to their churches and have arttended these colleges. The one belief that trumps all others for them can be simply stated as this, "Rich people are rich because they are virtuous and god favors them, poor people are only poor because they are sinners." I've actually gotten a student at Calvin to say that that is in fact the core belief that governs everything about the CRC.

This is the version of Christianity the Devos and Princes believe in. Poor people are sinners and need to reform to not be poor. It;'s sick and twisted and the cause of so much pain and sufferiing in this world.

[ancianita]

64. I'm surprised to see this come up here. My recently deceased husband of 35 years graduated from Calvin. But he was

Last edited Fri Oct 27, 2023, 09:27 PM - Edit history (1)

not raised in MI or Grand Rapids. Just Chicago. Still, Dick was raised in the Christian Reform Church, went to CRC school, and his father was co-founder and president of Trinity on Chicago's south side.

But Dick always was, like his parents before him, a liberal Democrat. They detested the Prince/DeVos clan, as did the rest of the family.

Dick told me that Grand Rapids' Calvin College, and Hope College in Holland, MI, are religious schools, but not uniformly Calvinist in the TULIP sense, by any means.That kind of study was for future seminarians. I'm just saying what I learned about CRC as taught and experienced by Dick and others of the family who still live there -- and they're not at all about some "prosperity gospel." They could be the exceptions, but based on the way they've lived, I've never gotten the idea that they are.

[hatrack]

43. A further necrotic devolution of the malignancy known as Calvinism . . . .

Plus, new people to hate, and a license to hate them!!

I can't think of anything 'Murcan KKKristians would enjoy more.

[sarcasmo]

50. RpubliCon Jesus followers are a bunch of nasty ...........

[GreenWave]

51. They need to have a name pinned on them.

How about anti-God evangelicals?

[Blue Owl]

52. Talk about losing your way....

Today's evangelical party is so far off the path they need to be smote down.....