Trump's Peculiar Form Of "Christianity"

[dales]

I don't find it surprising in the least that that cretin would be drawn to this apostasy.

God bless the wealthy. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)


Jesus Christ famously said in the New Testament that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24). Prosperity theology is a strain of Christianity that preaches the opposite: they believe God makes the faithful rich, and that poverty is punishment for lack of faith.

Today (Jan. 20), at US president Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony, two of six clergy members in attendance were prosperity theology preachers. Reverend Paula White is the first female clergy member to participate in an inauguration and a televangelist. Bishop Wayne T. Jackson is an African-American pastor who preaches prosperity at his Detroit church, Great Faith Ministries International.

In September, before Trump was elected, The Washington Post wrote about Trump’s prosperity posse, relatively unknown pastors using the candidate to sell themselves. It starts with an account of Jackson laying a talit, or Jewish prayer shawl, on Trump in a half-empty church in Detroit. It was a symbol of Jackson’s support and a good example of the religious fusion that is prosperity theology, also known as the gospel of success.


The gospel of success is a sort of melange of Judaism and Christianity. Like Judaism, it preaches a contract, or covenant, with God, and it borrows symbols like the Jewish prayer shawl. But the gospel of success differs in the details of the God-human deal: prosperity theology says it’s God’s will for people to be happy and that he rewards the faithful with health, wealth, and happiness. In Judaism, the contract with God is that He protects the Jews and they keep His laws—no prosperity or happiness promised. And like Christianity, the gospel of success is concerned with Christ (though it ignores his warnings about wealth and worldly success, turning these things instead into proof positive of blessings).

What is perhaps most striking about prosperity theology is that it teaches that sickness and poverty are curses that can be broken by faith—and that faith is best expressed through donations to preachers, visualization, and positive confession. This is remarkable not only because it’s starkly different from the teachings of Jesus, but also for what it signals politically. When a president’s spiritual attendants adhere to a faith that says our financial and physical circumstances are a blessing or a curse from God—adjustable with payment, imagination, and apologetic talk—it probably doesn’t bode well for that president’s social systems.

Apart from these success preachers, Trump invited four other clergy members to the ceremony—three Christians and a Jewish rabbi. The New York Times wrote today that he was “laying it on thick” in the religion department. But it must have felt like a thin showing to the nation’s Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other unrepresented faiths.

[Burning Petard]

Nothing new here. It is basic Calvinism, that 'the elect' are a minority of human souls who are already predestined by the very nature of creation to eventually be in the presence of the Creator for eternity. Those individuals can be identified by their special material blessings during their life on this earth.

See wikipedia for a brief discussion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestin ... _Calvinism

snailgate

[dales]

Yes, indeed but says nothing about God "wants you to be rich".

This is a very recent apostasy that has crept into Christianity in the past 30 or so years.

[Crackpot]

I believe it goes back farther than that but it's gone from "fringe" to relatively "mainstream".

[dales]

I believe you're right, CP.

I forgot about this charlatan:

[BoSoxGal]

Prosperity theology is a longstanding sickness that has permeated the American ideal since my ancestors came on the Mayflower. Even many non religious people in this country often take the view that the sick and poor among us are somehow entirely at fault for their woes; often this attitude doesn't change until/unless they or someone they love is stricken.

This is why in my anger over the cowardly midnight votes to dismantle Obamacare and CHIP, I suggested that those who voted thus should suffer the tragedy of watching their children/grandchildren be struck with terminal illness. Of course I wouldn't actually make that happen even if given the power to do so - but I wouldn't cry over any such tragedy befalling such people, because they clearly aren't crying for the people who already ARE in that position.

[Crackpot]

I believe Armstrongianism (DBAs old church) is a variant of the prosperity gospel. In fact IIRC tithe prosperity gospel has its roots During the Great Depression.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Nothing new here. It is basic Calvinism, that 'the elect' are a minority of human souls who are already predestined by the very nature of creation to eventually be in the presence of the Creator for eternity. Those individuals can be identified by their special material blessings during their life on this earth.

See wikipedia for a brief discussion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestin ... _Calvinism

snailgate

As dales pointed out, hard Calvinism has nothing whatsoever to do with prosperity gospel.

[Econoline]

"Blah blah blah. God this, Jesus that. When's he gonna talk about ME?"

[Big RR]

I think the idea of entitlement and prosperity for those "ordained by god" goes back a lot further. Once christianity became the religion of Rome, the church sided more with the haves than the have nots, and for much of christianity this has continued. Yes there are some notable exceptions that try to follow the teachings of jesus, but much organized religion realizes it only enjoys its position while the "haves' allow it to be there.

[Burning Petard]

Thank you Big RR, that is exactly why Dietrich Boenhoffer advocated for a religionless discipleship in his later writings.

snailgate

[Big RR]

Some of his writings are eye opening; his strongest arguments, IMHO , are that Christianity should not worship power, but should follow jesus and fight injustice and stand with those who are being mistreated. given his experience with the Nazi authorities and the german Lutheran church, he clearly knew what he was speaking about in this regard.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I think the idea of entitlement and prosperity for those "ordained by god" goes back a lot further. Once christianity became the religion of Rome, the church sided more with the haves than the have nots, and for much of christianity this has continued. Yes there are some notable exceptions that try to follow the teachings of jesus, but much organized religion realizes it only enjoys its position while the "haves' allow it to be there.

Of for the sake of goodness! All human organizations of power appeal to the haves for their power. Even the World Wildlife people. The Roman church still does. But AFAIK not even the Romans have a consistent doctrinal history of declaring that God's purpose is to make believers wealthy.

It is not Biblical; it is not why Christ died; and those who preach that poverty, sickness and riches depend upon the degree of one's faith are fakirs and those who believe them are Biblically illiterate.

Plenty of it about, sadly

[Lord Jim]

[Big RR]

But AFAIK not even the Romans have a consistent doctrinal history of declaring that God's purpose is to make believers wealthy.

No, but they do usually cooperate with those in power and often say god put them there, from the kings of the middle ages who ruled by divine right, to those currently in power. Look at who the (mainly RC) chrch sided with during the Spanish Civil War (hint: not the republicans) or the Mexican revolution (again, not the common people who were most of their members). This easily translates to justifying the status quo, and keeping the rich in their positions. Certainly it is not what jesus taught or died for (nor would jesus have taken those sides), but then his message was perverted, was it not, to tell the poor to persevere and accept their place and that they would be rewarded in heaven--making much of christianity indeed and opiate of the masses. And this is the message that has come from, and continues to come from, many churches claiming to be Christian. It's a short jump to say that god rewards the most faithful here and in the hereafter, and that plays well with the haves that the churches court for their power and money.

And IMHO, that is why this belief, contrary to the teachings of jesus (unless you think his statement to Pilate that he would not be in the governor's chair had not god ordained it to somehow teach this), abounds.

The biblical verse is John 19:11, in relevant part "Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above..." which I have heard many use to justify the right sof the have--from the divine right of king sonward.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Are we arguing? I'm not sure. Power, divine right of kingship (and queenship of course), suppressing the revolting peasants - all a very far cry from Prosperity Gospel.

but then his message was perverted, was it not, to tell the poor to persevere and accept their place and that they would be rewarded in heaven-

Was it? Who are these churches preaching your quoted phrase? (I don't doubt that some did - there were whole herds of the faithful who seemed to believe it applied to them and they shut themselves up in monasteries etc.)

It sounds very like some 18th and 19th century gentry (and ladytry) with livings at their disposal. I doubt that Mr. Darcy would hire a churchman who recommended setting Pemberley afire and redistributing his wealth, far less would Lady Catherine de Burgh.

But re the OP, I am not surprised that a person such as Donald Trump would have a peculiar form of "Christianity". To me, it is not Christian but is just another "magic god" thing that distinguishes itself from (say) tree-worship by tossing the name of Christ around.

[Big RR]

But re the OP, I am not surprised that a person such as Donald Trump would have a peculiar form of "Christianity". To me, it is not Christian but is just another "magic god" thing that distinguishes itself from (say) tree-worship by tossing the name of Christ around.

[wesw]

what about dales' peculiar form of spelling it?

[dales]

Thanks for noticing, wes.

Just call me old fumble fingers.

[Econoline]

This is at least marginally relevant here (especially if you believe that God wants us to be happy):