Prosperity Gospel = Oxymoron.

Morning light today, back garden

This morning, over at TC, there was a discussion about the current heresies of this age. The prosperity gospel (or “health and wealth”) was mentioned in the first comment. However, today’s lectionary has a text used to prove the prosperity gospel. Incorrectly…

Psalm 15

1   O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2   Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
3   who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4   in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the LORD;   who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5   who do not lend money at interest,  and do not take a bribe against the innocent.    Those who do these things shall never be moved

This text does talk about economic justice, probity, honesty, and  what the Romans called dignitas, taking serious thing seriously. The Prosperity people look at vers 5, and say “never be moved” implies material wealth.

Jesus himself corrects us here.

Matthew 10:24-33

24“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

26“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

32Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.”

From my reading, we are not promised ease, happiness and comfort. We are instead promised persecution, slander, and trials — in front of courts, in front of our peers. We can expect to be called evil

(Oh, and FreeJingerites: I have had multiple bosses. The ones that caused me the most grief,,, have all been women. So, in my experience, women bosses suck).

The prosperity gospel is not new. It is Judaism — it is also Stoicism. The Wise have always thought that doing good is a reward of itself, but prosperity generally follows wise living. What it is not is the Gospel. For the Gospel is more radical. It is about us glorifying God when broken, exhausted, anxious, and under oppression. We cannot perceive when we give God the greatest glory…

We honour the martyrs and saints, most of whom suffered. But Dives is seen as a warning to us. The prosperity gospel is no gospel. It is an oxymoron.

Photo: taken with webcam, no processing.

Mobs suck. Rule by Mobs sucks more.

This morning the news is full of riots in Greece, and suicide bombing in Kabul. The are demonstrations, becoming violent, in Cairo.

I am not going to call the mob demonic, but I agree with Ann Coulter when she said this:

Liberals despise the rule of law because it interferes with their ability to rule by mob. They love to portray themselves as the weak taking on the powerful. But it is the least powerful who suffer the most once the rule of law is gone. (Dominique Strauss-Kahn is about to discover that the most defenseless, penniless immigrant has the same legal rights as he, in an American court.)

Liberals’ relentless attack on the judicial system is yet another example of their Jacobin lunacy in opposition to calm order. You will note that they never ask: Who did what in this case? All they want to know is which class of people are on trial. Social justice is the only justice that interests the Left because it’s the only justice that can be delivered by the political agitation of a mob.

Today’s lectionary contains Jesus’ condemnation. This year, as I read it, I foound myself in sympathy with Pilate and Herod. The two men were by no means holy. They had been actively against any expansion of Judaism.  In fact, on most issues, the Pharasees had the right belief and the right actions.

But Jesus condemnation had nothing to do with either Mosaic or Roman Justice. It was a pure, Jacobean, power play, It was pandering to the mob.

Luke 23

8Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” 19This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder. 20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.” 23But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

via Daily Lectionary Readings — Devotions and Readings — Mission and Ministry — GAMC.

What we have had, over the last 50 years, is a belief in an old old lie, vox populi, vox dei. (the voice of the people is the voice of the gods). The Tribunate used the mob from the time of the Gracchi.  But letting the wishes of the mob rule is a recipe for disaster. Was in Roman times. Was in Weimar Germany. Is now.

As an example, Alte and Welmer posted yesterday Thomas Sowell arguing that socail welfare would destroy black families. Back in the 1980s. Her analysis of this is novel and important.

Women should understand that marriage is an investment, and that it’s wise to diversify. If most women marry (i.e. invest) in the same entity (the gov), then if that entity goes belly-up, they’re all left widows. And widows have a lower marriage-market value than the never-married. All mothers marry. Some marry men, some marry the State.

This is, after all, one of many reasons that sensible women eschew polygamy. You don’t all put your eggs in one basket, so to speak. If you marry a man, and he dies or abandons you, you can turn to the State. If you marry the State, who do you turn to if it abandons you? The men?

The problem with that is that there will be a massive number of women turning to a smaller number of marriageable men because the anti-family policies have eroded men’s ability to financially provide for their families. Own goal, ladies. You can’t suck men dry, and then turn to them for income. They have no income. You already took it, remember?

The feminists have been teaching us all that marriage is “just about love”. No, it’s about love, and making sure that you and your children can eat. White women have been in the stronger position, as they had their (ex)husband’s income, with the state as a fall-back. These black women are going to be totally and completely abandoned, when this is all over. Well, at least they’ve been empowered to make choices.

White women will be in a tough position, as well, as the state will struggle to manage the debt collectors and debtor’s prisons they need to maintain the childimony system. Those women who have tried to act in good faith and maintain an amicable relationship with their ex-husbands will be much better-off, of course.

This bought out the trolls at Freejinger. In fact, for the last two days this has happened. They want to swamp the board. I was an own goal (the entire comment thread was funny, watching the standard freminst talking points get swatted out of the park by the usual inhabitants of Altespace).

The difference is that in Altespace people want an argument that expands or elaborates on theology, economics, and ethical behaviour in these times. The Freejinger and Jezebel crowd is about groupthink.

And Groupthink degenerates into a mob. It is the duty of all thinking people to stand for justice. Against the mob, and against groupthink.

Update:

Comment from FreeJinger

Sugar, if you’re a misogynist dipshit, we’ll get round to you in good time. But you have got to have something good. Anyway right now we’ve got a waiting list so would you like us to add your name?
Here’s the post on his blog he is referring to. Not breaking the link because he knows about us and seemingly can’t wait for us harlots to get started on him.

Ladies, I will say this once. If a person is right on a point, It does not matter if she is a misogynist. If she is wrong, It does not matter. Your argument is emotive, abusive, and without data. Argue from the facts, not from the scraps of ideology you pretend is a philosophy. Or are you substituting the echo chamber of group agreement for thinking issues through?