51 – Prosperity Doctrine – what is it ?
Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success or seed faith) is a belief among some Christians who hold that – money wealth and health can be achieved through donations of money to the church, visualization, and positive confession similar to the Power of Positive Thinking as espoused by
Norman Vincent Peale … 1898-1993 .. a Freemason for sixty-seven years, he served rather proudly as both a Grand Chaplain and Grand Prelate and Knights Templar in his ninety-five year lifespan. and
Carl Jung … 1875-1961, a prominent psychiatrist/psychologist/philosopher. His works influence people studying those topics until this day.
Rick Warren … admits he is A member of the Illuminati-Masonic CFR, his ideas are a mixture of Peale and Jung
Prosperity Theology first came to prominence in the New Thought movement which began in the 19th century. The prosperity teaching is adopted and promoted by the televangelists, Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, and has spread throughout the world. Prominent leaders include Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer and many others who each have accumulated $millions in net worth.
Prosperity theology has been criticized by leaders from various Christian denominations, and even within the Catholic organisations including their Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, who maintain that it is irresponsible, it promotes idolatry of money and possessions. Secular observers have also criticized prosperity theology as exploitative of the poor.
Individual conversion is a noble and necessary goal in Christian poverty alleviation efforts, but arguing that simply “believing harder” and investing $$ in the “church” will fix their problems, ignores many possible systemic evils or the need for skills and resources. James 2:15–16 states, If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
In order for true poverty alleviation to occur, Christians must seek to eliminate social evils and empower the poor with the necessary resources as well as encourage personal faith.
The prosperity gospel can make the poor and sick feel guilty.
For adherents of the prosperity gospel whose businesses have failed or who have gotten tragically sick, the feeling of personal failure can be overwhelming. The reality is that God “makes the sun shine on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) There should be no shame in poverty, because shame can become a barrier to human flourishing.
God still intends for people to work for their sustenance and wealth creation (2 Thessalonians 3:10–12).
Paul wrote of his own contentment, even in harsh circumstances (Philippians 4:11–12). With the prosperity gospel, however, faith must be continually demonstrated by a new abundance of wealth from God. The health-and-wealth gospel teaches that more is always better; there can never be enough. The continual desire for more brings about a form of spiritual poverty (1 Timothy 6:6).
There are other reasons to reject the prosperity gospel on theological grounds, but the main point is to demonstrate the differences between a biblical perspective on faith, work, and economics and the prosperity gospel.