Con artists for Jesus, anyone?

10/29/2008 | 11:44 PM | Evolved Rationalist

Someone sent me a link to an old article about Christian con-artists through IM, but somehow I am finding it really hard to feel any sympathy for this self-deceiving believer who was conned by 'prosperity' preachers. When you're so fucking gullible and ready to be a sheep for your religion, what else did you expect to happen?

The message flickered into Cindy Fleenor's living room each night: Be faithful in how you live and how you give, the television preachers said, and God will shower you with material riches

Bullshit. The Christian god is a myth, and the prosperity con artists are just out to get your money. Grow up, wake up, and stop being a gullible pushover.

"Prosperity theology" is an example of circular reasoning. God blessed some people of his choice with economical prosperity and good health, etc. So, if you enjoy economical prosperity and good health, you are blessed by God. If you do not enjoy them, you are not blessed. So, we live in a perfect world: blessed people are happy and "unblessed" people are happily punished. Totally Panglossian (and theistarded).

*rolls eyes*

Perhaps the worst part of this kind of circular reasoning is the role of "intermediate partners" between God and you (Church, independent ministers, spiritual councillors, etc.). Why the hell are intermediate partners needed? If God has chosen to bless you, you will be happy no matter of your faith or behaviour. If god has chosen to put you in hell, you are damned anyway. What the flying fuck, theistards?

Didn't the Bible also mention something about how Christians are not supposed to love the world? Alas, in Christianity as in all other religions, hypocrisy pays.

Only the blessings didn't come. Fleenor ended up borrowing money from friends and payday loan companies just to buy groceries. At first she believed the explanation given on television: Her faith wasn't strong enough.

This is the reason why Christian con artists are vile and despicable. After duping their sheep of of their money, they put the blame on their sheep for not having enough faith. Christianity is all one giant guilt trip, and the disgusting televangelists are simply making the most out of it.

"I wanted to believe God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them," she said. "I'm angry and bitter about it. Right now, I don't watch anyone on TV hardly."

Run! Run away from your religion of myths and lies as fast as you can, and don't look back.

"More and more people are desperate and grasping at straws and want something that will alleviate their pain or financial crisis," said Michael Palmer, dean of the divinity school at Regent University, founded by Pat Robertson. "It's a growing problem."

If they want something to rely on and are unable to cope with their problems themselves, how about getting help from other people? Why put so much blind faith in an imaginary sky-daddy the way children put their hopes in the tooth fairy? Deluded and brainwashed much?

The modern-day prosperity movement can largely be traced back to evangelist Oral Roberts' teachings.

Oral Roberts is the con artist who claimed that god would kill him unless his sheep gave him six million. The worse part of it all was that theistards actually fell for it.

Any wonder why I call them theistards?

One of the teaching's attractions is that it doesn't dwell on traditional Christian themes of heaven and hell but on answering pressing concerns of the here and now, said Brian McLaren, a liberal evangelical author and pastor.

Most Christians are worldly hypocrites. No surprise there.

The checks and balances central to Christian denominations are largely lacking in prosperity churches. One of the pastors in the Grassley probe, Bishop Eddie Long of suburban Atlanta, has written that God told him to get rid of the "ungodly governmental structure" of a deacon board.

How could his flock be so deluded as to not notice this blatant lie? The only way he could be honest about talking to god is if he is a schizoid who hears voices in his demented head.

It appalls me how willing people are to be fleeced, and how shamelessly and amorally people like Hinn, Roberts, Tilton and the rest of them all line up to fleece them. And when they're exposed for the filthy crooks they are, the sheep are still in awe of them as "men of God," and dutifully line up to be sheared. Nothing brings the stupid like religion. And nothing exposes religion for what it is — a money machine — like these slimeball evangelical hucksters.

[sarcasm] Praise the Lord for modern Christianity! [/sarcasm]