http://www.kevinathompson.com/dangerous-assumption-gods-will/
In light of discussions I've had recently, I fed led to open a thread concerning this topic.
There seems to be the common teaching and understanding that if we obey God, that He will bless us as WE want Him too, and that our lives will be relatively trouble free. Christian leaders often use the sentiment to manipulate people into behaving a certain way, whether it be giving money, not getting romantically involved before marriage because that makes the marriage better and more pleasurable somehow, or that NEVER missing church to get blessings, etc. Christian leaders often use the God-blesses-the-obedient as justification for whatever lifestyle they want their congregation to lead. Be it taking a fast, or not touching alcohol or tobacco, or not going to the movies or participating in some other "worldly" thing.
This is the Prosperity Gospel, and it has made many preachers very rich, because they cherry-pick Scriptures and certain layman swallow it hook, line, and sinker, because they don't critically read Scripture for themselves, or are some desperate for a change in their life that they ignore things that are in there.
I just wanted your thoughts on this article.
An apprehensive aside:
I know what I am inviting with this thread in light of what I have posted on another thread. I am not going to repeat everything. If you're really interested, don't take other CCers word for what I believe, go directly to the source (the thread) and read it for yourself. That's the problem with a lot of people when they research things. Someone will read a Christian's regurgitation of what atheists believe. Sorry, but that text has been filtered through the Christian's biases, so the only way to have a full grasp of what an atheist believes is to read a book by an atheist. Much in the same way, if anyone repeats what I've said on other threads, what I really think is being filtered through their biases. That's the problem with second-hand sources. I only say this because I KNOW that SOMEONE is going to be like "Well, on another thread she said that..." in effort to discount my whole argument. Again, what to know what I really believe? Read MY posts, not posts about me. God bless.
In light of discussions I've had recently, I fed led to open a thread concerning this topic.
There seems to be the common teaching and understanding that if we obey God, that He will bless us as WE want Him too, and that our lives will be relatively trouble free. Christian leaders often use the sentiment to manipulate people into behaving a certain way, whether it be giving money, not getting romantically involved before marriage because that makes the marriage better and more pleasurable somehow, or that NEVER missing church to get blessings, etc. Christian leaders often use the God-blesses-the-obedient as justification for whatever lifestyle they want their congregation to lead. Be it taking a fast, or not touching alcohol or tobacco, or not going to the movies or participating in some other "worldly" thing.
This is the Prosperity Gospel, and it has made many preachers very rich, because they cherry-pick Scriptures and certain layman swallow it hook, line, and sinker, because they don't critically read Scripture for themselves, or are some desperate for a change in their life that they ignore things that are in there.
I just wanted your thoughts on this article.
An apprehensive aside:
I know what I am inviting with this thread in light of what I have posted on another thread. I am not going to repeat everything. If you're really interested, don't take other CCers word for what I believe, go directly to the source (the thread) and read it for yourself. That's the problem with a lot of people when they research things. Someone will read a Christian's regurgitation of what atheists believe. Sorry, but that text has been filtered through the Christian's biases, so the only way to have a full grasp of what an atheist believes is to read a book by an atheist. Much in the same way, if anyone repeats what I've said on other threads, what I really think is being filtered through their biases. That's the problem with second-hand sources. I only say this because I KNOW that SOMEONE is going to be like "Well, on another thread she said that..." in effort to discount my whole argument. Again, what to know what I really believe? Read MY posts, not posts about me. God bless.
