Pat Robertson with a constipated look on his face at Oral Roberts' fu-
neral. Pat and fellow clergy John Hagee, Ken and Gloria Copeland,
and many others, preached at the funeral promoting the financial scam
known as "seed faith". (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)
The Christian Post reports that Christian televangelists Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Ken and Gloria Copeland, and many others preached at deceased faith healer Oral Roberts' funeral on Monday, December 21, 2009. Many of the Christian clergymen arrived in stretch limos, Jaguars and Cadillacs.
The main topic of their preaching seems to have been what Oral created, seed faith. Based on this scam, people are taught to believe that what they give to the preachers will be given back to them by God and often up to 100 times what they originally gave. This sounds like something Bernie Madoff would come up with, but actually another member of the "chosen ones" tribe (Deuteronomy 7:6) beat him to it - Jesus Christ!
The biggest selling point of Christianity is the promise and belief that Christians will have eternal life in heaven. Another big selling point is the belief in the promises the Bible makes, promises such as faith healing and getting whatever you want from God through prayer. Sincere people who mistakenly believe the Bible is the Word of God are easy prey for people like Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Ken and Gloria Copeland, John Hagee, ad nauseam. These charlatans, and many others like them, can point to many Bible verses which prove their point. For example, do you want the power to heal the sick? It's yours, according to Mark 16:18! Do you want to be able to pray for anything under the Sun and get it? You can according to Matthew 21:22! A famous quote used by these con-artists is Luke 6:38 which says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
When sincere Bible believers are shown these verses they genuinely believe it is God who is telling them these things and making these promises to them because they really believe the Bible is the Word of God. The clergy take advantage of the credulity of the people and by doing so take millions and millions of dollars from them for themselves.
Some Christian clergy believe that the seed faith teachings are wrong and they focus more on what Jesus said about giving all you have to the poor and then following him. These preachers believe more in a Bible verse which appears just a few verses up from Luke 6:38, quoted above. That verse is Luke 6:24 which says, "But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." These verses clearly demonstrate the ambiguity of the Bible. And, of course, if the Bible was really the Word of God there would be no ambiguity in it.
As the American Revolutionary leader and Deist Thomas Paine wrote, "the Bible decides nothing, because it decides any way, and every way, one chooses to make it." This is why during the American Civil War both sides used the Bible to prove their opposing positions on slavery, since the Bible can be used to back-up whatever position you take on the issue. For example, Leviticus 25:10 says, "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof", while 34 verses latter in the same book in the same Bible, at Leviticus 25:44-46, the Bible god teaches that Hebrews can own outright and for ever Gentiles/heathens and their children and can leave them to their children to be inherited as any other piece of property!
If we truly want peace of mind and progress we must let go of the ancient ambiguous and unreasonable teachings of the Bible, Koran, etc. and replace them with our God-given reason. This is Deism.
Comments
So if you believe in God, why don't you let Him tell you how to worship Him. God told us how to worship Him through Messengers and Books. Who says that the way you worship Him is the right way? All though I respect "some" of what you write, some of it though does not make sense.
Wow, I'm really sorry that "religon" has given you such a negative outlook. You know, if you had Jesus in your life and a personal relationship with him, you would see just how amazing He is. Granted there are "tele-evangelists" and other notable Pastors that have given "christianity" a bad name, but that doesn't mean God is any less present in people's hearts. I actually pitty you and will pray for you that God would take hold of your heart and show you all the GOOD He does. He doesn't look at the carnal man, but the heart. Do you KNOW Jesus?
Hello Bob,
I must say, you wanted to knock down a Strawman, and you certainly did a good job of building him up!!!! You write well, but your reading/understanding skills need quite a bit of honing!
You note two seemingly contradictory verses about 'riches', but you don't seem to understand either of them. The Luke 6:38 citation is clear proof of this. Paraphrasing it in modern English, it can be read "What goes around, comes around." If you'd bother reading onward into verses 39-49 of chapter 6, you would see that IN CONTEXT, Jesus isn't talking about material wealth, He's talking about seeking God through following Him, the Promised One, the Christ.
The citation of Jesus' words you provide concerning riches in Luke 6:24 proves my point: Christ isn't talking about earthly wealth at all, His 'woe unto' wording makes this clear: Spiritual Wealth is that of which He speaks.
Lastly, the 100 times citation is contextually, the same theme as above: Spiritual Wealth....IF reading
CONTINUED....
...IF you are reading honestly and with an open mind, paying attention to IN CONTEXT understanding.
Further proof of the spiritual context of Jesus' meaning is this: "31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Luke 12:31-34
Contextually speaking, it is clear that material gain is not the subject of the text. You try and make it that way, by ignoring the context and redefining the words. The citation as you can see is also from Luke, so the writer is the same as the citations you are using.
I'll conclude in the next post, concerning the 100 times 100 times (hundredfold) reference.
The
Hello again Bob,
Aastly, let me address your exceedingly bad scholarship (willful was it by any chance?) referencing the 100 times ("hundredfold") blessing to which Jesus refers.
Mark 10:28-30 "28Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
Bob, you can see quite clearly that this is NOT a promise of God acting like a Slot Machine, or Santa Claus: Jesus is referring to the Body of Christ: when a person becomes a member of the Body of Christ, they then have brothers, sisters, and mothers, all 'in Christ Jesus'...again, it is a SPIRITUAL reference to associatio
Lastly,
The issue is not material wealth, it is joining the Body of Christ and following Jesus...as noted by Christ at the end of verse 30...and in the world to come eternal life."
Luke, your favorite disciple to quote, said it this way:
23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.28Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 29And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
Stop grinding your personal axes Bob...your bias against Jesus and those who follow him are hindering you.
Agnostics and atheists for the most part started as members in church or a religion, but became so disappointed with life, the world, and God, they end up questioning or doubting God's existence. In the process, the scandalize millions, leaving no real alternative for hope. Granted, there are hypocrites in the christians church, but they were not the reason I became, or stayed a Christian.
The teachings of Jesus Christ are revoltionary, thought provoking and life changing not only for me, but for millions who have expressed faith in him these last two thousands years. it has survived the ceasars of rome, the attacks of Islam, communism, nazism , and logic.
To the Author, I pray that God will heal you from whatever hurt religion, or 'church people' have put on you as a child or Adult. And I am sorry for their behavior. Yet, Jesus is real, he loves you, and has a place for you in his kingdom
Excellent and informative article.
the bible is just scripture .. not evidence.
has anyone of you read the bible its disgusting
Ha, you proved exactly one of the predominant problems this article points out: you can take away whatever interpretation you want of scripture and claim your view is right. And since Christians lean on the Bible as their de facto source for absolute truth, your only support behind your point of view is just that: your point of view. You believe it this way, so of course you are right. What impeccable logic...and Christians wonder why people have a hard time taking them seriously.
That was addressed to JR Bailey.
Will people stop pretending that Jesus wall "all loving", or "the good part" of the bible that makes up for the rest of its insanity. Seriously, the guy promises eternal torture to anyone who commits the terrible sin of not believing in him and doing what he says. If you can call that 'loving', then by the same measure, Ike turner and Joe Jackson also fit the bill. And his followers sound a lot like the abused spouse: "He loves me! Ya'l just don't understand our relationship. Sure, he threatens me with torture, but it's out of LOVE!" It's sad
As an atheist, I encourage believers to read the bible "not scan a verse here and there, read it" it's sick! But consider this, all the love and hope you feel ... it's not from a belief in god! it is you! Yep, it really is! By unloading the god mythologies from your head (not easy) you become an even better person! Yeah, when I was under the xtian spell I thought it was absurd too.
Like the blind man in the bible that once was blind and now he can see. I don't need to read any opinions on healing because sitting on my dinning room as i call on Jesus and praying with another christian on the phone the power of God fell on me in seconds I was heal. After not been able to sleep for a few months. So much opinios and siliness get a life people God is so real!!!!
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