Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich

FORT WORTH — Onstage before thousands of believers weighed down by debt and economic insecurity, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and their all-star lineup of “prosperity gospel” preachers delighted the crowd with anecdotes about the luxurious lives they had attained by following the Word of God.

Private airplanes and boats. A motorcycle sent by an anonymous supporter. Vacations in Hawaii and cruises in Alaska. Designer handbags. A ring of emeralds and diamonds.

“God knows where the money is, and he knows how to get the money to you,” preached Mrs. Copeland, dressed in a crisp pants ensemble like those worn by C.E.O.’s.

Even in an economic downturn, preachers in the “prosperity gospel” movement are drawing sizable, adoring audiences. Their message — that if you have sufficient faith in God and the Bible and donate generously, God will multiply your offerings a hundredfold — is reassuring to many in hard times.

The preachers barely acknowledged the recession, though they did say it was no excuse to curtail giving. “Fear will make you stingy,” Mr. Copeland said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/us/16gospel.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1250525660-uVzoeAYQvb4FP0MIliH9Ow

The nerve it takes to beg from the poor.

and the preacher ends up getting very, very rich.

That's what prosperity theology is really all about.

I'm surprised they're still able to push it after the brick walls of the stock market bust and the housing bust have fallen on the heads of the gullible.

One way to assuage any conscience they just might have.