Brother Jeff Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 My thoughts on a recent article in Reader's Digest magazine. They didn't mention religious con artists (probably for fear of offending religious readers), but I saw the connection immediately. Glory! I would cut/paste my article here, but a lot of linkage would be lost. So, please give my glorious site a visit, and share your thoughts! Glory! http://religionisbullshit.me/america-loves-religious-con-artists/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted September 23, 2014 Moderator Share Posted September 23, 2014 Excellent Jeff!! One thing I was thinking of as I was reading this article was about the hundreds and hundreds of dollars that I spent in books about christianity before I had a computer, they were everywhere in my house. Self help, study books, etc. I think I owned every Joyce Myers book. Book shelves filled with books about god and how to better understand him. How to have 'better faith' books....they were everywhere... including under my bed because I ran out of room. I am still clearing out these books. I could have taken a trip for the money I spent on tithing and books alone!! Authors making millions on us. I ask myself today, ''Why would I have needed all those books if the bible contained EVERY answer to EVERY problem, like they used to tell us at church?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 I was struggling financially back in my Christian days more than I am now, but I too still had lots of Christian books. Everything from books on prayer and spiritual warfare to Charles Finney's Systematic Theology (many consider him a heretic today), to books on our identity in Christ and how to live victoriously over the devil. All kinds of stuff... including "prosperity gospel" bullshit. And, of course, none of it did me a bit of good because none of it has any basis in REALITY. And, absolutely, if the Bible contains all of the answers for every problem and challenge in life, why would we need any other book? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlindersRemoved Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Margee, I also had a book case full of books. I remember that I had to read one on the Holy Spirit to understand what the hell it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven77 Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Excellent Jeff!! One thing I was thinking of as I was reading this article was about the hundreds and hundreds of dollars that I spent in books about christianity before I had a computer, they were everywhere in my house. Self help, study books, etc. I think I owned every Joyce Myers book. Book shelves filled with books about god and how to better understand him. How to have 'better faith' books....they were everywhere... including under my bed because I ran out of room. I am still clearing out these books. I could have taken a trip for the money I spent on tithing and books alone!! Authors making millions on us. I ask myself today, ''Why would I have needed all those books if the bible contained EVERY answer to EVERY problem, like they used to tell us at church?? I always wondered why we needed so many books, classes, DVDs, video lectures, CDs, etc to be good believers. My mentor was an older lady (50s) who had homeschooled her kids. Her whole basement was essentially a Christian library. She would give me books to read, talk about various authors and the proper interpretation of said perspectives found therein. If the Bible were perfect and awesome, why do we need 5 bajillion books to teach us what to believe, how to believe, who to believe, when to pray, and so on? The Bible isn't perfect and awesome. If it was, we wouldn't need so many different takes on the Word and it's many (im)practical applications. People like Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen would be SOL. No one would buy their shit if they weren't desperate to have someone draw the lines for them to follow. That leads me to the conclusion that Christianity and it's many variants are a bunch of garbled nonsensical feel good bs. No one really "gets" the Truth. There really isn't any Truth to "get". It's a hot mess and the people behind the scenes scramble around trying to make everything sound good. There are thousands of books about how much God loves you, how to be blessed, how to heal yourself, your kids, your marriage, how real heaven is, how to love God, how to find your calling, His plan....but where are the books about the Hard shit, the confusing stuff, the OT, the millions that Mr/Ms. BigNameAuthor makes off of their loyal lemmings and how they vacation in rich resort towns in third world countries where they walk by starving people? Where are the courses on how to sell your daughter into marriage? The lecture that explains why Cain killed Abel and how Abraham almost killed Isaac? The book on why tithing isn't a financially sound practice for people who are living paycheck to paycheck or living on fixed incomes? Not on this plane of existence, apparently. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duderonomy Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 At one point I realized I was reading more books about the Bible than I was reading the Bible itself. It was when I started reading the Bible for myself and without the books/Scofield commentaries/preacher's spin/tapes/Christian radio, etc, that I found out what it really said, and I lost my faith. Great post brother Jeff, and I'll peruse the website with enthusiasm. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesco Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 the con pastor is able to exploit: 1. fear (afterlife) 2. greed (wealth and health) give the members what they want to hear and boom, they give you the money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 You also have to add in that religion has legal protection and the con men (pastors) can call "Persecution!" when they want, and their income is protected from taxation. And it does make you think when you see those big xian stores in malls selling books and videos and horrible tchockes. When I was a xian, I at least respected jesus as a person who put forth a lot of effort in walking around, talking to groups of people for free (as far as we know in the bible, but they must've got food or money or lodging from people where they were staying), and rejecting the accumulation of wealth and extolling a lifestyle that put a greater good on ideas rather than things. Even then, I was pretty grossed out by the plastic figurines and windchimes with "god" quotes on them, and that stupid made-up, not from the bible, "Footprints" thing. As an ex-xian, it's just ridiculous to see, and "a sucker is born every minute" is my main thought. "Buy this to get to heaven!" is NOT something jesus ever said. I will give jesus (whether he was real or made up is another story) that much credit. Ok, so he came up with the "if you follow me you might end up hating your family" thing, but at least that's an IDEA to ponder, and an ideal to live up to, NOT a THING to BUY. It's funny to think of Jesus (a real Jesus) showing up today. I can't imagine he would end every talk to a group of people with, "If you want to hear this message again, go to the booth at the entrance and buy my DVD from my disciples! And pick up a t-shirt while you're there!" But who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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