Religious Commentary
Oh, God, Gimme da Money!
by James Strong
“But don’t let even a hint of ... greed exist among you, as is proper for saints?” (Ephesians 5:3)
Recently, I searched the AOL Black Voices Web site and came across an article by Angela Bronner titled “The Gospel of Prosperity: Does Wealth Mean You’re Blessed?” It explored the debate raging in the Christian community over whether God wants Christians to be materially wealthy, or at least financially well off.
Bonner quoted a “Blender” magazine statement by wealthy hip-hop soul singer Mary J. Blige: “My God is a God who wants me to have things. He wants me to bling. He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block.” Bonner says Blige is a “born-again Christian.” Bonner also quotes Black televangelist Creflo Dollar, whose famous sound bite is “To be broke means you lack.” She lists a few of Dollar’s exorbitantly rich credentials:
“His World Changers megachurch, founded in Atlanta in 1986, now has over 25,000 members with an annual operating budget of over $80 million,” she writes.
“Dollar, who has a multimillion dollar mansion in Atlanta and two Rolls Royces, flies on his private jet every Saturday to New York City, where in October 2004, he started a congregation. He owns a $2.5 million Manhattan apartment in the exclusive Time Warner Center, and collects over $345,000 a month for the New York church.”
Dollar is a proponent of prosperity theology. (I’m not sure about Blige, but I do get the feeling she’s a fan of some kind of prosperity gospel.)
Prosperity theology advocates believe that God wants his people to financially and materially prosper and that a Christian who is not prosperous lacks the favor of God.
Other promoters of prosperity theology include popular Black televangelist Frederick K.C. Price, pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles, and Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, which according to some surveys is the largest church in the United States.
Some critics denounce prosperity theology as an unbiblical, mean-spirited, diabolical menace, a costume worn by the greedy to camouflage their greed. But to be fair, some prosperity theology proponents insist that their belief includes moral and spiritual prosperity as well, which is in line with Psalm 1:3 where “prospers” seems to encompass the material and immaterial.
But there is a facet of the system, which makes that claim seem menial at best. Prosperity theology emphasizes that if you are rich you’re blessed; but that if you are poor you’re cursed--or you’re not as blessed as fully as one who’s rich. In other words, for Christians, God’s blessing on the rich sings the melody of favoritism, while the curse on the poor scripts a melodrama of sadness. From prosperity theology’s perspective, moving a Christian from poverty to wealth is one of the reasons for the corporation of heaven’s existence. Through tithing, obedience and other means, God ensures the poor of eventual financial and material wealth--at least that’s what prosperity theology advocates assure us.
A balanced view of scripture writes a memorandum with a different outlook. Scripture teaches that if Christians are rich, they might be blessed by God, but if they are poor, they may also be blessed by God. That’s why a few days or weeks after Christ’s resurrection, “There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people.” (Acts 4:34-35)
What a rich instance of rich Christians loving poor Christians! What an indictment against prosperity theology!
Prosperity theology, however, ignores such noble deeds, claiming they are no longer charitable or economic models, because they are socialistic or apply only to biblical times.
Prosperity theology has, in essence, turned scripture against scripture. Verses now fight each other ruthlessly. They wrestle for influence over innocent minds. But the fighters are not evenly matched. Prosperity theology verses are super heavyweights, while non-prosperity theology verses are lightweights. That is, prosperity theology is fat and overweight with verses that emphasize prosperity, while the slimmer, more agile non-prosperity theology verses must move delicately to avoid being pinned.
Moreover, prosperity theology hires greed and materialism to manage and train his fighters. He changes greed’s name to “Blessing” and materialism’s to “No Shame.” He gives his fighters the nickname “God’s Wealth.”
But balance is the key. To adore and abhor the same truths, to grin and frown at the same facts, to both love and hate material wealth is the heart of true Christianity. Hence, though Proverbs says “Be generous and you will be prosperous.” (Proverbs 11:25), we’re also warned not to “love the world or the things in the world.” (I John 2:15). And though we’re told, “King Solomon was richer ... than any other king.” (I Kings 10:23), Christ warns us not to “store up riches for [ourselves] here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19).
Prosperity is deadly when it is ungodly. Happy are those who carry it in their hip pocket. Thus, if you yearn for wealth, you stand between an earthquake and a volcano. To keep the earthquake from hitting and the volcano from erupting, rise to the atmosphere of humility. If God gives you wealth, give as much as is reasonable away. If you don’t have wealth, be thankful for the wealth you already have.
The gospel of wealth is not the Gospel of Christ; the gospel of prosperity theology is not the Gospel of true Christianity. Scripture is no more the dog of prosperity theology than prosperity theology is the daughter of scripture.
Copyright © 2007 by James Strong. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this column, or any part of this column, without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. |
