The Christian Money Theory—Part 2

Dear reader,
From ages, deception has been with mankind and the church. As the crowd fantasy swings so does deception to satisfy this fantasy. The sad fact is that the deceived that funds the greed of and (even unwittingly) encourages the deceiver to deceive more, is as culpable as the deceiver. Are you a deceived or a deceiver?

Napoleon Bonaparte bemoaned antithetical lifestyle of the 18th century priests: "I am surrounded by priests who repeat incessantly that their kingdom is not of this world, and yet they lay their hands on everything they can get." Apologies to Napoleon because, whatever the future holds for us today, Christianity as a religion has never looked uglier; Christianity is now a religion tainted by lust for money, power, social acceptance and absence of a moral code at many different levels. If Napoleon saw duality in 18th century priests, what will he think of us today?

The masses excessive lust for prosperity have cleared the way for some of us to glean everything from the bible that has a semblance of money and throw them at the masses as condition they ought to fulfill for them to prosper.

This is the disposition that enthroned tithing and first fruits lies, which are created on the pulpits to meet the pocket desires of bosses. Few weeks back an honest brother cited another high impact passage in Proverbs 11:24 to back up his own fancy for first fruits and tithing, which he may not have noticed does not work for the masses.

That passage reads: “there is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty." This passage has been variously used to design multiple channels of wealth dispossession by various pulpits. Possibility is some of us who use it this way do so inadvertently, either because we learnt it from another pulpit, or because of complete ignorance of the meaning.

Proverbs 11:24 is in agreement with the command of Christ concerning selflessness-Mark 12:30-31. This is not about the pulpit; it is not about anyone; it is about giving to everyone who is in need, our neighbours: strangers, widows, destitute, orphans and our enemies we are under command to love and feed-Proverbs 25:21; Romans 12:20; Matthew 5:44. How often and how much do we give to the pulpit and how often and how much do we give to our neighbours? This should be for the conscience.

As soon as American Dollar (a famous preacher) cited Luke 7:22, I suspended what I was doing to see how it will end. Taking the position of John's messengers, brother CD asked his listeners: The blind did what? Congregation: see! The lame did what? Congregation: walk! The lepers did what? Congregation: cleansed! The deaf did what? Congregation: hear! The dead did what? Congregation: are raised! The poor did what? Congregation: the Gospel is preached! CD repeated 'the poor did what' three more times; as the crowd maintained their position though a bit hesitant now, I gave my thumbs up. Victory!

Remarkably, while the congregation was adjusting their seats following this exercise, CD somehow, railroaded the passage back to tithe-money, a supposed reason for the repetitions perhaps expecting his brethren to think that if the blind receive their sight; the portion of the poor should be prosperity. But this passage has nothing to do with money.

Wrong interpretation of the scripture allows me to design one giving formula after another and enforce them on you; yet the next Sunday I design more formulas without you holding me to account for the earlier unfulfilled contracts. Yet whenever you dare ask, why you have got no results (as the contract says) I blame you for lack of faith, quote Proverbs 11:24 for you and task you the more, while I swim around with the masses money (because only my faith works).

It is sad in that this has been the case for a long time. The benefit of the pulpit is that we get away with a massive fraud against the masses. All I do as a preacher, whenever I need to increase my account or execute my unending projects, is to design a need and pass the need to the masses; garnish this need with faith and stay aside as the masses fight over one another.

Let the sister or brother become insolvent and present their bill to the pulpit. The brother or sister will be tasked to put that need in prayer. The more lenient bosses will task the masses to fund the brethren's bill, while the bosses' own money remains untouched! While the sisters may obtain some compassion from some bosses, the brothers are usually the hardest hit. If this is the part of the Christian experience, who then is to blame – the pulpit or the masses?

Our father in Heaven, give us this day our daily bread; forgive us our trespasses, we forgive all who trespass against us; lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil. The kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever! Amen.

Eze Uduma