How to counter the "Health and Wealth Gospel" movement?

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The use of these ministers using the Bible passages on sowing and reaping…seem to be doing it to their followers.
 
GeorgeTheWild said:
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus never promised us health and prosperity.
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Exactly: think of all the saints who had terrible health problems or lived in poverty. St. Damien de Veuster comes to my mind, since he contracted leprosy while working with people afflicted with it; she’s not a saint yet, but the Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot, the founder of the Living Rosary Apostolate, lost her money due to bad investments on the part of an accountant she was working with and ended up on welfare during her later years.
 
About how Christian saints suffered…also there has been much growth in health care and medicine in the healing arts. At present in this country, we have had access to alot of good health care.

But the issue, I think living in America, is that alot of our perceptions of what we think a strong faith should be is also propped up by a land of plenty. If we didn’t have all the material goods, the great medical care…how would that then affect our faith?
 
KathleenGee said:
But the issue, I think living in America, is that alot of our perceptions of what we think a strong faith should be is also propped up by a land of plenty. If we didn’t have all the material goods, the great medical care…how would that then affect our faith?
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This is the most important issue. At present, this prosperity gospel is being imported to poorer parts of the world like Africa. In many of these places, prosperity gospel is many times the fastest growing form of Christianity. You can imagine what desperate lengths people there go through to earn God’s favor. But over there it is even more serious, since they have so much less and no social safety net as a last resort.
 
Right, Africa and Islamic countrys. Some of these who convert, never mind in just a poverty stricken area, yet in an area where they are maybe 9% of the population and persecuted?

Powerfull message for sure. I listened to a Bishop from Northern Iraq speak on EWTN. Basically he said we’re not leaving, and he firmly believed the blood of the martrys would purify the land and bring about about a change.

Even here I hear the conviction in the voices of those from Africa. Its inspiring to say the least.

Peace
 
You know, I am honestly somewhat worried about what if (or maybe they already have?) the “health and wealth gospel” preachers move into third world countries or even developing countries. I mean, when these “health and wealth gospel” preachers, who are frauds, move into other countries and sap all of the money from needy families or even from average income families and these families are left destitute due to a fraud using religion to get rich, how are those families going to feel about Christianity? I mean, I would think that if a person converts to Christianity due to one of these frauds and then becomes destitute because of them, they just might think that all of Christianity is a fraud and that is what worries me.

By the way, if I seemed like I was rambling or anything. 😊
 
KathleenGee said:
About how Christian saints suffered…also there has been much growth in health care and medicine in the healing arts. At present in this country, we have had access to alot of good health care.

But the issue, I think living in America, is that alot of our perceptions of what we think a strong faith should be is also propped up by a land of plenty. If we didn’t have all the material goods, the great medical care…how would that then affect our faith?
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Kathleen, about your first paragraph. It is true that we have a lot of good health care in this country but believe it or not, despite that, there are still a lot of people out there who have a tremendous amount of pain and suffering on a daily basis and medical doctors either don’t know how to treat it, the treatment is very complicated and has a very long recovery time, or the treatment is way too expensive. And then there is the fact that many doctors are reluctant to prescribe narcotic pain medicine to people with such tremendous suffering simply because there are so many people out there who abuse them. My point is that even though we live in a great country with a lot of freedom and a lot of good health care, things are far from perfect. Of course, I don’t think things ever will be perfect.

About your second paragraph, it seems that a lot of Christians who live in countries where they are heavily persecuted and have a much lower quality of life than we do also have a much stronger faith than some people in countries with a better quality of life.

For example, I have a Catholic friend named Nadeem who lives in Pakistan. In Pakistan, Catholic Christians and non-Catholic Christians alike are heavily persecuted. In fact, there are people who would like to murder Nadeem for the simple reason that he stood up for the rights of Christians in his nation. He is actually in hiding due to the fear of being persecuted. However, he did say that if someone was ever to put a gun to his head and force him to give up his faith or be murdered, he’d choose martyrdom.
 
Holly,

Yes you are right…I was speaking generally up to the present time, paralleling these health and wellness movements using Bible quotes.

I just wonder how much of our faith is actually based on the fact that we have had it so good here compared to other countries…and as you brought up…the strongest faith seems to be with those who have little.

That also makes me also think that if we go down economically, perhaps this be an opportunity for us to grow in a deeper faith.
 
JustaServant said:
Christianity in Crisis by Hank Hanegraaff

amazon.com/Christianity-Crisis-Hank-Hanegraaff/dp/0890819769

He’s no friend to Catholics,** but this book dealt a knockout punch to the whole movement.**
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:slapfight:
👍

I read all of his books, and ironically in my 20 yrs away from the Church, read his 4 article set on Roman Catholicism. I was primed to come back to the CHurch.

I’m still called a heretic hunter. Thanks Bible Answer Man, you made me who I am today! 😉
 
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graceandglory:
:slapfight:
👍

I read all of his books, and ironically in my 20 yrs away from the Church, read his 4 article set on Roman Catholicism. I was primed to come back to the CHurch.

I’m still called a heretic hunter. Thanks Bible Answer Man, you made me who I am today! 😉

The best thing about that book is meticulous referances throughout the book. There is no way any ‘word of faith’ teacher can deny it because its documented.
And thats precisly why they hate Hanegraaff so much/
 
Well, I am back home now from our Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws who have some into Copeland.

But beforehand, I got mad about something…and I said I don’t like it when people throw bible quotes at me…it got out, things were a little tense…but I got the family into a more interesting and thought provoking conversation covering several topics…It opened the door for me to say that true study of Scripture always leads us to communion with God, our neighbor and creation…it went over and I saw grace at work, and more respect among all of us.

My daughter and I spoke more on the phone when I got home, and she was listening very intently…I also spoke to her about Communion and Liberation that has emerging communities here…and will send her and her Baptist husband a copy of ‘The Religious Sense’ with some of their back up materials…fascinating.

The big problem is not to limit what Christ can do for us intellectually and in culture…that transcends the accumulation of money and goods.
 
I decided to order this book…I read the reviews and comments…and hope to eventually atleast talk with the inlaw–whom I really love-- to see the flaws in Copeland et al…
 
Isn’t Popoff the guy I heard in the early 80’ spout, in his kinetic frenzy to plump up his wallet: “Obey, Jesus, Obey Jesus, now…” what don’t people understand about that?

HELLO! :eek:
 
Pepband_Mom said:
Isn’t Popoff the guy I heard in the early 80’ spout, in his kinetic frenzy to plump up his wallet: “Obey, Jesus, Obey Jesus, now…” what don’t people understand about that?

HELLO! :eek:
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Maybe. He was the one who claimed to be receiving messages about people in his audience from God, such as “I’m getting Martha and arthritis and Louisville, KY” and of course the people would be amazed and sure nuff Martha from Louisville with arthritis would be in the audience and he would tell them that God was going to heal her. Only problem was that he was getting that information from his wife via a radio device. She and staff had gathered the info from earlier conversations with visitors.

He would also place perfectly healthy people in wheelchairs so they could be dramatically “healed” during his services.
 
Benny Hinn always seemed like he was big into the “health and wealth gospel” as well. I haven’t watched any of his television shows since my Protestant days though so maybe he has changed?
 
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