Members 'brainwashed' by mega-church into donating thousands

Karlysymon

Superstar
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
Messages
6,722
Afew thoughts on this:

  • One of Christendom’s problems. People like these often exist in recognizable denominations and complain about the structure/running of their denomination. They splinter off to start their own thing and proceed to exploit their followers or do the exact same thing that they were complaining about before, possibly being worse than the leaders they were complaining about in the first place.
  • If I were in this church and I was aware of the pastor’s wealth. I’d stop tithing. Clearly, iam just basically buying a yacht or a mansion for the guy.
  • These guys are sometimes intelligence operatives (think California’s Jesus cults), so with all the mindcontrol/brainwashing techniques out there, is it really beyond the scope of comprehension that these guys can employ these techniques on their followers to get what they want out of them, whether or not the leaders are spooks?
  • This is what I find terrifying when I think about the looming economic collapse. I believe that these incidents will further be amplified. Tragedy and Privation tend to drive people to churches. Guys like these will exploit masses of desperate, poor people to the full inorder to sustain their livelihoods. (think Creflo Dollar and his demands for a $65m private jet)
I was watching a telecast of some guy, apparently a prophet but similar to the one in the OP, and all these people with serious problems (debt, illness etc) were coming to him and he’d tell them what he knows about their problems. I thought to myself: come on, this is the surveillance age. You just need an accomplice in the NSA (gives you all the details about your flocks’ private lives) to get your “ministry” up and running…
 

DavidSon

Star
Joined
Jan 10, 2019
Messages
2,006
This is only an outrage because of the size and success of the C3 church and the corresponding wealth of the man who built that success. The reality is that almost all non-denominational churches operate on the same tithe model. C3 just happens to be more successful at it than most churches. The average non-denominational church does not get criticized the same, because the pastor isn't living a visibly wealthy lifestyle like Phil here. However the same teaching about tithing is used to manipulate and guilt members into giving 10% of their income to pay for a building and people who make their living off preaching.

Tithing is not a new testament biblical teaching. Tithing is part of the Old Testament temple/priest system. The same system that Jesus preached against and abolished with the new covenant. The reason most Christian's cannot hear from God accurately themselves is because they are paying a priest or pastor to be the "go between" God and themselves. By following and accepting the terms of the old priestly system, were the priests were the only ones who could enter the presence of God, they are preventing themselves from hearing God for themselves and hindering their ability to enter the presence of God on their own.

By accepting the false teaching of tithing, Christians are metaphorically re-hanging the temple veil that was torn in two at the crucifixion of Christ.

Yes there are many "Pastors" who teach tithing to the church, but do not make themselves rich off it. But it still does not change the fact that tithing is part of the old temple/priest system that has been done away with.
You make a solid point that the C3 is no more outrageous than most churches. It hit me what you're saying about the New Testament, how Jesus' concerns were far advanced beyond the motif of Levitical codes. He was denouncing the temple system as an obstacle to faith. It is great to be reminded of the first Apostles who traveled to spread the word without care for clothing or money. The essential teaching was to repent and prepare for the Kingdom. Details of how future assemblies would pay for themselves were clearly too insignificant to mention!

I think @phipps brings up some good arguments while rationalizing the near universal practice of tithing in modern congregations. If an individual is thoughtfully choosing to set aside 1/10 of their earnings, or a group is mindful about deciding to pay to support a full-time minister, it seems reasonable. I've witnessed very small groups who agreed on something similar, to collect a % of their incomes to use for whatever was deemed worthy. I know of groups who've tithed their incomes to pay for an elder to live comfortably and focus on their spiritual pursuits.

Is your main contention that people are being pressured/coerced to give tithes?

I agree with other comments that Pringle's display of wealth is a mockery of Jesus and the congregation he's feeding off of.
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2017
Messages
3,578
It might be obvious to some, but I think it's good summary of what the mega churches are about. As Joshua says, "It all begins in the heart":

How The Megachurch Destroyed Christianity (34:08 mins)
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2021
Messages
2,408
What about Jimmy swaggart broadcasting? Anyone have any info on them? They have a round the clock TV channel.
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2017
Messages
3,578
What about Jimmy swaggart broadcasting? Anyone have any info on them? They have a round the clock TV channel.
I thought Jimmy's face looked familiar. I never watched him myself, but I do remember his face covered with tears in the late '80's:


Has he redeemed himself and is his son preaching the gospel, rather than making it about the greenback? I don't know.
 
Last edited:
Top