Why Does the Prosperity Gospel so Easily Spread

Interest

Televangelism and Social Media

Televangelism may or may not be a familiar term. If it’s not, it simply means evangelism through religious channels found on television. Though many today would not turn on the cable to watch television, it was a huge source of entertainment found in the later 20th century and early 21st century. Many prosperity teachers would be found and still be found today by promoting the prosperity gospel through television. In the later 20th century, televangelism grew from 10 million to 110 million worldwide. Today, the main source of entertainment can be found in people’s pockets. Social media grew in the mid-2000s allowing the prosperity gospel message to be available anywhere at anytime. Since then, prosperity gospel preachers have adapted to this new form of technology in order to make their false teaching easily available worldwide.

Indulgence

The Desire for Satisfaction

When I say this, I do not mean the kind that Roman Catholics once sold during the Middle Age. Instead, I am talking about satisfaction. We as humans do not like being told about our wrong doing. Our human heart is not naturally drawn towards repentance, a significant part found in the true gospel. The prosperity gospel lets people stay the same on the inside but only asks that they give money in order to be blessed. By this, satisfaction comes through ignoring the need of spiritual change in one’s life while still being able to obtain the material items of this world along with physical health. This is gratifying as people often itch their ears towards a message they want to hear in order to find a pleasure that is so popular today.

Interchangeable

The Worldwide Spread

The prosperity gospel is interchangeable across the globe. Though there may be different points of emphasis in one part of the world compared to another, the message is the same, health and wealth. For example, some people in India might be convinced to believe in the prosperity gospel so that a family member dying of illness would be healed. Some farmers in South America may believe in the prosperity gospel so that rain will come and that they will have an abundance of crops. Some businessmen in Europe might believe in the prosperity gospel so that their business will be successful and they will be rich. The list is endless but these points all teach the same message, give to God in order to be blessed. The prosperity gospel is not a one size fits all but can be used to convince people of all cultures of a lie, to give to God so that they would be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous.

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