20SP_RE201A-CI-Christianity

The shift from hard to soft prosperity is very clear. It is understandable that people would begin to question the integrity of hard prosperity gospel. I do think that soft prosperity gospel just became better at manipulating people, though. It was easier to collect people's money when you gave them more reasons to believe that it worked in their favor.

I believe that soft prosperity is a step in the right direction because it has a greater emphasis on giving because you want to and you feel like that is what God wants you to do. 

For me, I found soft prosperity to me more offensive than the hard prosperity. I think they just got better at doing tricky things with money and bending the already loose IRS taxcode to do what they want legally. The scandals of the 80s seemed to harden them and they adapted with new rhetoric like a virus adapting to its environment to be stronger and spread faster. I think there's important acomparisons to be made between prosperity gospel and viruses actually. They both seek meaningless growth for the sake of growth.

I understand how "soft prosperity" took the place of the previous. In some ideas, it can make sense. Those people who are hurting in certain areas, like drugs or prostitution, will spend their money on those things, and it will bring financial hardship. But, I do not think that religion or faith works that way. Jesus was a poor man, yet the most holy and humble. Soft prosperity is bound to show better results, as logically people will do better later on in their lives. But just because people will do better financially, doesn't mean this is caused only by faith. 

This world, in the Bible, is referred to a but a brief mist. Just a wild roller coaster en-route to eternity in heaven. So, for me I am just appalled that so many people who claim to be believers could get swept away in such a financial wealth gospel. Although let me contradict my statement. The preachers of this gospel appealed to emotions and feelings and when you can grasp ahold of ones feelings and emotions they become your puppets. I think after learning about "hard and soft prosperity gospel" I am reminded that I should not focus on world possessions including money. You cannot take any of it with you when you go so why would I or anyone focus on gaining so much? 

I didn't know the start of soft prosperity. I didn't know soft prosperity involved financial blessings. 

As a kid I used to play recordings of Joel Osteen on my TV to fall asleep simply because his message was always positive and soothing, my mom never seemed as fond of him saying, "he doesn't practice what he preaches". She was referring to his accumulation of wealth and material objects as a preacher, that most do not pair religion and material wealth together. I realize now that Joel Osteen practices exactly what he preaches, soft prosperity is not very different than hard prosperity, only watered down a bit. 

In my opinion I find this method of preaching only to get money is apalling.  I have never heard of a priest basically saying "give us money or else you're not loved by God" and I hate it. that's not the point of religion, so it feels like these preachers are using our need to find God's love in a very shady and sickening way

Everyone is so focused on tithing and money. Again this is my first time reading or hearing about this about this topic and learned a lot of new things. 

It seems like they are so caught up in tithing and money. Even judging people when they don’t tithe or tithe the right amount.

The transition from hard prosperity to living right and tithing just seems to be a disguise of hard prosperity. Soft prosperity seems like a masked version of hard prosperity with the same goals.

This lesson shifted my thinking in the sense that I surely thought that this whole movement would die off and not come back after some of the ways that were being taught. I feel like it was changed just enough for people to think that times changed, when they really did not. 

One thing I noticed about these preachers is they did not bring their bibles to the podium, which is something I am very used to in the south.  The spent less time quoting scripture and more time motivating people.  I also think it is kind of sneaky how they just changed the message to save themselves after the Jim Bakker scandal.  It would have been much more reasonable if this was the message from the start, instead of making people feel like they have inadequate faith when that may or may not be the case.

I did not realize just how subtle and sneaky these teachings can slip into sermons that sound so normal and radical. It changed my thinking because it is important to be able to recognize when a sermon has an underlining message that has some other benefit for the speaker or an organization and I have not always thought that carefully through sermons to hear these hidden messages that are really a toned-down version of something so radical and potentially harmful

The "right living" and "self help" preachings are ones I heard as a child. One thing on my mind from the lesson is Paula White's words. Was she really a "hard prosperity" preacher, mentioning many things just to make tithe giving seem minor? This has shifted my thinking on the motives of some of the "soft prosperity" preachers. 

This lesson really shifted my thinking regarding the resilience of prosperity teaching. After all the scandals that resulted from the hard prosperity gospel, I surely would have thought it would die off. Instead, the preachers merely adapted their delivery of it but kept the main message. It makes sense that the money oriented culture of America would influence aspects of religion.

I have seen people frown upon others when the offering plate passed by and the individual didn't give. But to read that the churches publicized tithing and set givers apart from the crowd, even going as far as having members turn to other members and ask if they gave what they were suppose to give. If the other said no, then they would say they weren't going to sit by you because you're not here for the victory. The focus shouldn't be on money. Are they just as diligent about saving souls?