A televangelist made headlines recently by asking his congregation to buy a 54-million-dollar private jet for his “missionary” work. He already owns three.
This mixture of avarice and religion is not just the result of one excessively greedy individual. It has its roots in the so-called prosperity gospel, a strand of Christianitythat dates back to the 19th century, which teaches that earthly riches are a sign of God's favor.
This is one way it works: If a Christian goes wayward of his or her Christian values and becomes destitute, he or shecan be redeemed through a belief in the teachings of prosperity theology. Not only will he or she overcome destitution, but miraculously gain riches — enough to offer a generous tithing to the pastoral source of such good fortune.
Read Full Article »