Word of Faith movement

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I have a question. My in-laws are involved with the “Word of Faith” movement. They listen to the many televangelists on TV including Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn and a host of others. I am curious to know from a Catholic point of view what is said about what these people preach and teach. I’m familiar with their “health and wealth” doctrines and have found lot’s of information from the Protestant sector about their false teachings, but I would like to know what a Catholic apologest says about all this. I have not found any information from the Catholic point of view. Is anyone familiar with these teachings and does anyone know where I can find solid Catholic apologetics on this subject?
 
Nobody’s jumping in on this. There may not be much that a Catholic can add to the plenteous Protestant sources that you have (apparently) already located.

If those teachers are unscriptural, that should be enough for both a Catholic and a Protestant.
 
I don’t know what anyone could say, other than that this kind of teaching is completely unscriptural. I think it is closer to New-Age than to Christian.

Have you checked out the material over at the CA home page??? They have material on all sorts of things, including subjects that don’t appear to have articles. Just use the search feature; if there is anything, it’ll pull it up for you.
 
I can’t give you the “Catholic” answer on this, but can tell you a little more about it maybe because that is what I’m converting from.

My wife is a member in a WOF church so when I met her and eventually married her, I went there as well for about 2 years. Members of these churches(not all by any means) are generally are struggling financially, have health problems, and are less educated. At first glance, everything that is taught sounds so wonderful to you because you are promised great health and a bunch of money.

This is when common sense kicks in. You start noticing scripture being used and twisted to fit what the pastor wants to claim. My favorite has been “be fruitfull and multiply doesn’t mean have babies, it means to be blessed financially”. Anyway, you see people on television like Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn and they talk about all the financial blessings you will be getting and how much God has given them.

Now, they are millionares, but their money comes from donations from people without the means to become the same millionares, but firmly believe money is going to drop out of the sky.

Now, to the most important part, WOF can and has caused thousands if not millions to fall away from faith in Christ because you are taught that you just speak what you want with faith and it will always come. If you don’t get it, you don’t have enough faith.

This may have confused you, and I’m sorry if it did, but I hope it helped.
 
This is something that I am passionate about, mostly because I know so many who are involved in it. This movement, unfortunately is finding its way into Catholic circles–mainly, it seems to me, in the Charismatic Renewal.

I was at Mass once outside my own parish where the Priest urged parishionners to attend an upcoming Benny Hinn “crusade”. This confused me a lot. When I asked my Priest about it, he said “I don’t want to judge, but why would he do that. Jesus is not a commodity.”
Personally, I think these teachers are bringing the false gospel warned of in Scripture. That’s just my opinion.
 
The way I look at it, the Catholic Church has the fullness of truth and is the only Church founded by Jesus Christ Himself.

When we hear teachings from those who are not Catholic, we are missing out on so much of the Fullness of our faith – the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; the communion of saints; our Mother Mary; praying for the souls in purgatory; the teaching of redemptive suffering, etc.

So to listen to others teach we may hear some truth, but we’re not getting the WHOLE TRUTH, and we’re most likely getting a lot of untruth as well.

The so-called “name-it-and-claim-it” groups that say that God wants us to have whatever we want and to be rich in material goods are teaching a message that is far from what Jesus says in the gospel. He says we must take up our cross, give up all and follow Him. He says the road will not be easy, but He will be there to help us. He says we must be last to be first, we must serve others.

I feel bad for those who are misled by some of these preachers and who lose all faith when they don’t become rich and prosperous.

Our riches are not on this earth; they await is in heaven. So, like St. Paul said, let’s keep our eyes on the prize and run this race to the finish!
 
:eek: I cringe when I hear the words Benny and Hinn put together. Vile man.
 
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jesusluv:
I can’t give you the “Catholic” answer on this, but can tell you a little more about it maybe because that is what I’m converting from.

My wife is a member in a WOF church so when I met her and eventually married her, I went there as well for about 2 years. Members of these churches(not all by any means) are generally are struggling financially, have health problems, and are less educated. At first glance, everything that is taught sounds so wonderful to you because you are promised great health and a bunch of money.

This is when common sense kicks in. You start noticing scripture being used and twisted to fit what the pastor wants to claim. My favorite has been “be fruitfull and multiply doesn’t mean have babies, it means to be blessed financially”. Anyway, you see people on television like Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn and they talk about all the financial blessings you will be getting and how much God has given them.

Now, they are millionares, but their money comes from donations from people without the means to become the same millionares, but firmly believe money is going to drop out of the sky.

Now, to the most important part, WOF can and has caused thousands if not millions to fall away from faith in Christ because you are taught that you just speak what you want with faith and it will always come. If you don’t get it, you don’t have enough faith.

This may have confused you, and I’m sorry if it did, but I hope it helped.
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I think they are making a “gospel” out of “The American Way” - out of the “almighty dollar” in particular.​

Jesus did not say “Give me, give me, give me”, or “I want, I want, I want” - He did nothing but give Himself.

This message reverses that.

He did not call men to follow Him so that they could become wealthy & healthy - He told them they could not be His followers unless they took up their crosses, left self behind, and followed Him.

I suspect they take the view that He suffered so that we don’t have to - this is one of main differences between certain forms of Evangelicalism, and, Catholicism. Our view seems to be that He suffered so that we would be able to do so fruitfully - provided always that we are united with Him and incorporated “in Him”. For them, suffering is taken away - for us, it remains, but is “transvalued”.

If people think He is to be found only with the rich and healthy - how will they deal with suffering ? He is as present in adversity as in prosperity, in the sick as truly as in the healthy: but this message tends to the denial of that, by going back to some of the cruder OT ideas about suffering which interpret it as a sign of God’s displeasure with the sufferer. ##
 
Gottle of Geer said:
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He did not call men to follow Him so that they could become wealthy & healthy - He told them they could not be His followers unless they took up their crosses, left self behind, and followed Him.

I suspect they take the view that He suffered so that we don’t have to - this is one of main differences between certain forms of Evangelicalism, and, Catholicism… ##
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What you said pretty much hits it on the head. What was constantly said to me was “He was made poor so we would be rich” which is scripture, but to a “name it and claim it” teaching, it only means financially, not spiritually.

I just praise God everyday that I have discoverd the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church and long for the day I can join it, which should be next Easter Vigil.
 
I dont know if the answer of an atheist means much to you, but the fact that you mentioned Benny Hinn makes me want to do my Lost in Space impression:

"DANGER Will Robinson!!! DANGER!!!"
 
If the “name it, claim it” teaching were true. Benny Hinn would have more hair and a better stylist!:hmmm:
 
I really despise the wof heresy. I ask them: did Jesus come and was crucified in order for you to drive a bmw?, to have a backyard pool?, to vacation in France? etc. Is that all Christianity is? It’s all about money…for the tv evangelist. Then if you don’t get it they blame you because you didn’t have enough faith. So send more money to the ministry, amen. It is a horrible heresy from hell.
 
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jesusluv:
. . .because you are taught that you just speak what you want with faith and it will always come. If you don’t get it, you don’t have enough faith.
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Sounds a lot like once saved always saved.
 
It’s worse. They believe that you determine what you need or want. Then you tell God and he has to obey! Does that sound a little backwards? It does to me. God is God and I’m not!:yup:
 
Actually, you are taught to demand God to give you things you want by using His word. They twist scripture to mean what they want, then tell God they want it because He said they could have it.

The best example I have is the pastor at my wife’s church telling them to yell if they have to to get what they want from God. One woman came telling everyone she stood in a chair in her kitchen and screamed at God for something.

Now, let us look at this in purely human context. We are the children of God. With your own children, you don’t allow them to scream at you demanding something, you discipline them if they do that, I think God would do the same. If you allow your children to run all over you and get whatever they want or they will throw a tantrum, then you are just setting them up for dissappointment when they get out on their own. God doesn’t want us to pitch big fits or we will abuse what he has given us and that is where I think the Word of Faith movement comes in.

If I confused you, I’m sorry, because I know I confused myself, lol.
 
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