Vatican-OK'd journal strikes out again at US evangelicals

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Nicole Winfield, Associated Press
Updated 1:19 pm CDT, Wednesday, July 18, 2018

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- A Vatican-approved journal has dismissed "prosperity gospel" as a pseudo theology dangerously tied up with the American Dream and President Donald Trump's politics, launching its second major critique of American evangelicals in as many years.

Two of Pope Francis' top communications advisers -- an Italian Jesuit and an Argentine Protestant pastor -- penned "The Prosperity Gospel: Dangerous and Different" for the current issue of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, published Wednesday.

In the article, the authors note that the "prosperity gospel" and its belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy has spread throughout the world, particularly in Latin America and Asia, thanks to its charismatic proponents' effective use of TV and media.

But they point to its origins in the U.S. and its underpinning of the American Dream, and say its vision of faith is in direct contrast to true Christian teaching and Pope Francis' emphasis on the poor, social justice and salvation.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Vatican-OK-d-journal-strikes-out-again-at-US-13084738.php

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[DURHAM D]

1. Sing it Fran. nt

[sandensea]

2. It preaches prosperity alright - to the televangelist.

[Princess Turandot]

3. Here's the actual article from La Civilta Cattolica (in English)

It's long, but interesting:
https://laciviltacattolica.com/the-prosperity-gospel-dangerous-and-different/

BTW, Trump and his first wife were married at the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Norman Vincent Peale, an early-ish preacher of the 'prosperity' gospel and author of The Power of Positive Thinking, did the honors. Trump's parents joined Peale's church in the 1970's, and Trump often throws out his name when asked about religion.

He said this about Peale, among other things:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-trump-got-religion--and-why-his-legendary-ministers-son-now-rejects-him/2016/01/21/37bae16e-bb02-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html?utm_term=.e3e3aa18cd58

“He would give the best sermons of anyone; he was an amazing public speaker,” Trump said. “He could speak for 90 minutes and people were upset when it was over.”

Trump said he was drawn to stories the minister told in the pulpit about successful business executives “overcoming difficulties.” “I found that very interesting,” the billionaire said, adding that he and Peale became friends.

“He thought I was his greatest student of all time.”

Trump, who has described himself as a Presbyterian, has cited Peale and touted “The Power of Positive Thinking” during interviews when asked about the role of faith in his life and whether he has ever sought God’s forgiveness.

[Midnight Writer]

4. So, I reckon the Vatican Bank is toast? The Church will distribute its billions to the poor?

[3Hotdogs]

5. No more lottery tickets for me.

[sandensea]

10. I've heard they cheat.

The only way anyone wins the jackpot, so I was told, is when all possible combinations are played in any particular drawing; then they actually pay up (the big, $100+ million prize).

Anything short of that, however, and they have a computer program that deliberately selects a drawing that matches no more than 5 out of 6 numbers in each ticket.

Oh, well. 5 out of 6 is still a million bucks.

Not bad for a two dollar investment.

[robbob]

12. Are you serious?

Last edited Thu Jul 19, 2018, 10:49 PM - Edit history (1)

There is no need to cheat, any more then there is a need for casinos to cheat. The odds are so ridiculously high against winning that the house always wins. Let’s flip a coin 100 times: if it lands on heads I’ll pay you 10$, but if it lands on tails you pay ME 100$. That’s the kind of odds you are bucking.

Or, to look at it another way, go ahead and buy every possible combination on a given lottery. Now you are sure to win, but guess what? In order to buy every possible combination you will spend 10X more then you end up winning. No need to cheat: the system IS a cheat...

[sandensea]

13. They were losing money, and needed to lengthen the odds somehow.

Lottery tickets are different from casino tables mainly in that, since millions of people buy the same lottery ticket prior to any given drawing, the chances that someone, somewhere got all six numbers (the five, plus the mega/powerball) are actually much higher than the chances casino gamblers have in any one game.

Another tactic, of course, was to expand the selection of numbers from each play sheet. You may recall that each sheet used to go up to number 55 or so, and now it's 75 or so.

That last part, of course, isn't outright cheating - though it does suck.

[ck4829]

6. K&R, a fitting response to something that very well could be declared heresy in every religion

[Scurrilous]

7. K&R

[Archae]

8. This from the same people who have their own BANKS.

Not to mention gold-plated decorations, ritual stuff including lovely robes, gold cups, etc...

"...But he loves you, and he can't handle money!" -George Carlin on God

[Joe Chi Minh]

9. Old Albert knew a thing or two, didn't he, Judy ? All

that time ago and, indeed, in the mean time, the situation has continued to deteriorate.

[Judi Lynn]

11. He absolutely did. He hit it squarely on the head.

I have a feeling there were creepy people who wanted it to remain unseen!

[Joe Chi Minh]

14. You have to love the depth and scope of

Einstein's humanity.

It's nice to know he was not too absorbed by his scientific work to follow what was going on in the world at the geopoliticla level, though Nazism would have traumatised European Jewsih and part-jewish scienitists enough, I suppose. But he did seem to have that sort of mind.
Incidentally, his belief in and admiration for the historical Christ, seemed boundless, at least for a deist, yet it is so little known :

'Interviewer: “You accept the historical existence of Jesus?” Einstein: “Unquestionably. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.'

Socialism was cribbed from Judaeo-Christianity, but thanks to the sorry scandals arising from the fallen nature of all of us, but specifically, here, of the church and church-goers, socialism's movers and shakers plagiarised God's word, without acknowledging Him ; and little reaslisng that if they ever found a church without hypocites, they should on no account join it.... as they would surely spoil it. As they have done alas to the party in the UK, by secularizing it. Although it had been founded by Keir Hardie, a Scottish lay-preacher and ex-miner.

Quite bizarrely to European ears, Socialism seems tantamoount to a swear-word in the US ; as if you were all 'rednecks'. Though, of course, the MSM in both our countries (US and UK) are wall-to-wall propaganda vehicles. Even so, that they have managed to keep it going for so long is amazing.