Or if you're too lazy, the main idea is that I disagree that we receive blessings because we do good and suffer because we commit evil. (Overly summarized, should read the post!)
Then on Twitter, one of my friends posted a link to this article that really disgusted me.
Most from megachurches see wealth as sign of blessing
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Picture taken from asiaone.com[/caption](You can read it here or just read on, I will be quoting stuff from it anyway)
Absolutely harmless looking headline. Well, I don't disagree that wealth is potentially a form of blessing that God can bless us with. No issue there.
However, as I read on, I got more and more appalled.
Some quotes from the article:
67 per cent of respondents from megachurches felt that God will bless them with tangible rewards, such as money and material goods, if they give to their church.
Exactly what I argued against in my previous blog.
85 per cent of those from megachurches agreed that they will be blessed with prosperity if they are faithful Christians.
Yes and if you are not a faithful Christian you will be stricken with poverty and live in obscurity... oh wait.
71.7 per cent of the same group felt that the financial growth of the church is a sign of God's blessing.
I don't quite know where I stand on this, but probably more towards agreeing with it. The Bible does tell us to 'Go, and make disciples of all nations', and that would correspond with expanding the church. The problem then is whether 'financial growth' of the church equates to 'growth' of the church. Another debate for another day.
While I enjoy the positivity and infection of the megachurches like New Creation (which I go fairly frequently to accompany my gf), I'm just against this prosperity gospel of 'Perform all of God's commandments and you will gain wealth and prosperity and blessings!'
To reiterate my stand from the previous blog:
No, my friends. God does not bless you BECAUSE you did something good. God blesses you because he loves you.
Stop viewing your relationship w God as some kind of trade exchange where you trade doing good for more blessings. Stop doing good things in eager anticipation of the returns you’re going to get. Start doing good because that characterizes the kind of person you want to be. Start doing good without expecting anything from anyone. Start doing good because you want to be a better person.
Hahaha...this has been such ancient news. Check out 'The Protestant Ethic and the Rise of Capitalism' on Wikipedia. Ancient Sociological Thesis that still continues to generate debates today. Basically Weber argues that after the schism of Protestantism from Catholicism, their new ethic and way of life led them to see success in life as a sign that they are blessed by God and destined to go to heaven. So everyone naturally worked the best they could to achieve such a confirmation and relief from the 'salvation anxiety' they faced. Their ethic produced the exact kind of workforce that Capitalism needed (hardworking, ever reinvesting and not spending on luxuries).
ReplyDeleteIt's a little different but the essence is the same as your post. Wealth, success = chosen/blessing by God. Except in their case they didn't encourage conspicuous consumption. =)