tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post7250910605068839475..comments2023-09-29T05:32:04.308-07:00Comments on StrangePegs: Fallacies of the Church (part three) -- God Rewards the Good (or The Prosperity Doctrine)Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-23617880626037057252015-10-12T08:18:47.706-07:002015-10-12T08:18:47.706-07:00The definition of prosperity and personal happines...The definition of prosperity and personal happiness needs to be defined better by each individual. The television version aligns more with modern society and wishful thinking that the reality that is presented in the Bible.<br /><br />The church that I belong to is not heavy on the giving message and yet we seem to manage to pay our bills and serve the community without expecting anything from them. Even though I'm on the admin council and regularly see the balance sheets, I'm amazed at the funds that come in to keep us going considering the small number of our congregation. God does provide, but not always in the way we would want.<br /><br />Arlee Bird<br />A to Z Challenge Co-host<br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a><br />Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-80498466448490672462015-10-08T19:48:50.747-07:002015-10-08T19:48:50.747-07:00Rusty: I don't even scratch my head anymore; I...Rusty: I don't even scratch my head anymore; I just shake it and go on.<br />You are right, though; it's a long standing (horrible) tradition.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-86191363729816691902015-10-08T10:04:51.601-07:002015-10-08T10:04:51.601-07:00I learned that Casting Crowns and Counting Crows l...I learned that Casting Crowns and Counting Crows look really similar when just glancing at the text. So imagine my shock when I thought that you were saying the Counting Crows were a Christian band. <br /><br />But there is a very long history of people picking scriptures out of a text and then saying they are relevant in ways the original author clearly never intended. The prosperity doctrine is a more recent example. But I'd argue the New Testament writers did this on many occasions when using Old Testament scriptures to argue for a fulfilled prophecy or to make a theological point. I've often scratched my head at how people use any holy text to support their 'new' revelations about how God thinks or acts or expects us to think or act. Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-22446172463069654642015-10-08T09:42:41.493-07:002015-10-08T09:42:41.493-07:00Shannon: I've been involved in many a "mo...Shannon: I've been involved in many a "modest" church that was just as money-focused as the mega-churches, maybe even more so.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-19683996293913283952015-10-07T23:16:08.801-07:002015-10-07T23:16:08.801-07:00If I were a church goer, I would likely go to a ch...If I were a church goer, I would likely go to a church that was modest in appearance. The big mega churches make me uncomfortable. Is that where the tithes go at those churches? The modest ones that do community projects and help those who need are the ones that seem "genuine" to me. Shannon Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934641808195675935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-63343469267707118302015-10-05T21:56:31.049-07:002015-10-05T21:56:31.049-07:00At least if you're playing the lottery you'...At least if you're playing the lottery you're doing something where there's an actual statistical chance of winning. Putting the money in, at that point, is *related* to the chance of winning, no matter how astronomical.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16208411347934458436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-58243071445871325592015-10-05T14:06:12.998-07:002015-10-05T14:06:12.998-07:00Jeanne: Sort of, yeah, but worse: Just give and Go...Jeanne: Sort of, yeah, but worse: Just give and God will pour out his riches on you! That's about like playing the lottery or watching little, old ladies at slot machines. Or Bingo.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-65795602408872510012015-10-05T14:04:58.522-07:002015-10-05T14:04:58.522-07:00ABftS: And, yet, for centuries people who "ha...ABftS: And, yet, for centuries people who "have" have just assumed that they have been somehow empowered by a higher power to do whatever they want as demonstrated by the fact that they "have."Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-63068586766645414922015-10-05T14:03:56.467-07:002015-10-05T14:03:56.467-07:00Alex: I think there's a difference between giv...Alex: I think there's a difference between giving to a need and tithing. And most churches do nothing for their communities.<br />And I just want to point out that God never asked us to give anything back to him, not in the New Covenant that Jesus initiated.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-46995094465631888802015-10-05T14:01:39.835-07:002015-10-05T14:01:39.835-07:00JKIR,F!: Because, you know, those royalty checks c...JKIR,F!: Because, you know, those royalty checks certainly wouldn't have come in otherwise.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-75186702642628854972015-10-05T13:50:21.448-07:002015-10-05T13:50:21.448-07:00Somehow it doesn't surprise me that televangel...Somehow it doesn't surprise me that televangelists were part of the rise of that whole fad. They are, after all, people looking for money. What better way to get it than by convincing people they're bad Christians if they don't give it?J E Oneilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09780097298061829471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-29046446161810916582015-10-05T06:50:35.410-07:002015-10-05T06:50:35.410-07:00I love how this sort of logic also glazes over the...I love how this sort of logic also glazes over the success of others who aren't good people. Like, since my brother-in-law is a millionaire businessman, I know plenty of assholes that are worth millions, live in gigantic mansions, drive a fleet of Lambos, and spend their days doing blow and hookers and haven't stepped foot in a church in decades. So nice of God to reward them for being faithful servants, right?A Beer for the Showerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17029139745335325356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-14540197182420006262015-10-05T06:34:15.224-07:002015-10-05T06:34:15.224-07:00Just because we are Christians, saved and doing th...Just because we are Christians, saved and doing the right things, doesn't mean we won't have hardships. Actually, in doing that we've just made ourselves bigger targets for Satan. <br />I do believe in tithing though. Our church does so much for the community through our tithing, through what we give back to God. (That was already His anyway.)Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-31480103534933375442015-10-05T05:03:07.886-07:002015-10-05T05:03:07.886-07:00True story: the last time I attended a particular ...True story: the last time I attended a particular church a member of the congregation got up to speak about the importance of tithing. He said how he was down on his luck, couldn't pay his mortgage etc. So he told his wife they needed to increase their tithing. She thought he was crazy but the very next week, royalty checks from a movie he had a bit part in started rolling in like crazy. It was a miracle. Since then he has received all kinds of work!!!! Tithing brought him great riches and prosperity baby!!! Just Keepin It Real, Folks!https://www.blogger.com/profile/02691470259291755580noreply@blogger.com