The Prosperity Message Pitfall

Here is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to my brother when we were discussing the prosperity message and it’s implication for how people in the church do business sometimes.

Enjoy!

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Scripture gives a lot of great advice about handling money (don’t go into debt if you can help it, work to earn your money, etc.) but I think that’s just a gateway as far as the “prosperity gospel” is concerned.  Prosperity has grown up to be it’s own theology with proof scriptures, a devoted following, etc.  You don’t see it very often; it’s more at just a few select mega-churches than anywhere else.  But part of the rub is that the rich and powerful tend to hang with the rich and powerful.  And the sentiments of prosperity gospel tend to resonate with the conservative radio crowd.
 
Yes, illness and misfortune are often incorrectly linked to sin.  It begins with the message, “Come to Jesus and He will make you prosperous, heal you of all your diseases, give you a long life, ‘expand your tent’, etc., etc.”  Then whenever anyone gets sick or dies young (like Keith Green) it’s because, “Oh, the Lord just loved them so much He wanted to take them home to be with Him.”

Prosperity and dominion are closely linked theologies.  God gave Adam and Eve authority to rule over the earth, Satan stole it, Jesus (the “second Adam”) won it back, etc.  “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”  Well, that’s all true and good, but it’s a spiritual reality.  And in any case it doesn’t provide justification for wrong acts like failing to pay fair wages (James 5:4).  I’d lump actions which many of my fellow church mates might call good stewardship into the category of failure to pay fair wages.  Things like releasing workers before they can reach full tenure and be eligible to collect retirement, downsizing locally and then outsourcing to places without workers rights, and making 40 billion dollars in profits and then channeling all of that profit except 5 billion directly into shareholder pockets - then telling congress that you are spending billions for R&D (true, but the R&D money is accounted for in the regular budget, not from the profits.) Etc.
 
But I can see how very easy it would be for someone who’s been surrounded by the message of prosperity and dominion for years, and has traveled in circles where any talk of politics gravitates to conservative talking points of free-market-good, government-and-regulation-bad, to believe that they are actually doing a good thing and God’s work when they downsize and outsource because they think they’re ultimately bringing prosperity to our country and blessing everyone and oh, yes, the money doesn’t hurt either.

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Now, put someone with that kind of mindset in charge of a nation.  How are they going to govern?  What kinds of factors will be driving their decisions?

Asleep on the Right

The most eye-opening thing about this season of soul-searching and unbiased looking at right and wrong in the different parties is just how biased the conservative media has become through years of towing the party line.

 A striking - and disheartening - example came yesterday after listening to Obama’s “A More Perfect Union“ speech.  I heard the speech during lunch yesterday and was struck by it’s clarity and truthfulness.  It was the best commentary I’ve ever heard regarding race relations.  My wife is pregnant with our first child, a daughter, and I’m already thinking every one of my children needs to eventually hear this speech. 

Then I’m driving home and turn on KTTH “the truth” AM.  David Boze is on and he’s agreeing with this caller who’s saying Obama isn’t sincerely religious, that it’s all an act of political expediency, and that Obama made up the speech because he’s caught in a bind by the pastor’s offensive words.  Excuse me?  I have to believe Boze had at least listened to the speech or read it, but he and the caller must be blind or dead inside to believe the speech wasn’t sincere and directly on target.  By the way, if you’re reading this right now and you haven’t read the text of the speech, please stop and take a moment to read it right now.

Then I flipped to KVI and The Commentators with John Carlson and Ken Schram.  John admits the speech was brilliant but is still skeptical because Obama’s not outright disowning his pastor.  Schram, who I find myself agreeing with more and more these days, was absolutely correct in his observation that the speech was brilliant and sincere.

Then this morning I read the conservative commentary and blogs at www.realclearpolitics.com and I’m shocked by what I’m reading.  To only listen to the commentaries - which sadly most conservatives do and I would have done six months ago, too lazy to read or watch the speech myself - to listen to them you would think the speech was bland and delivered in a shallow, off the cuff manner.

Is this blindness on the part of the right?  Is it apathy?  To display such a jaded inability to see truth is entirely unbecoming for a movement which claims to be built up on morality and religious conviction. 

I guess that when you silently allow corporate interests to shape your media and don’t take the time to research things for yourself, this is what happens.  If you have any questions about corporate interests shaping conservative media do a search on Fox News, Investigators and Bovine Growth Hormone.  You’ll be shocked if you actually take the time to research this.  (Did I mention that KTTH is owned by Fox News?)

This is the same type of phenomenon wich leads to compassionate, rational people defending things like torture, holding people without due process - or any process at all - and using phone companies to abridge the 4th ammendment privacy rights of US citizens.

I found out that Obama is pro partial birth abortion

Obama is very much pro partial birth abortion.  He expains it by way of saying that if you make an exception for an almost born “fetus” you are making an admission that it’s a child, and in that case, if it is a child, abortion would be wrong period even while the fetus is in the womb. 

He’s very sincere and if anything this is just one more thing which speaks to the depth of his clarity and integrity of purpose.  But he’s deeply decieved.  It’s wrong to take the life of a child, out of the womb or in the womb.  It’s not “a woman’s body”.  It’s a woman’s body and another seperate person’s body.  An innocent person.  One thing Jalene says over and over again is that it’s so wierd because she can “feel this thing inside of me, and it’s not me.”

 So I’m swinging over to support McCain.  Even though Barack is sincere he’s decieved, and something is broken inside for him to support partial birth abortion.

 Here’s a letter I wrote last night to McCain on his senate site.  This being an election cycle I stand a chance of receiving back a form letter, and who knows if my comments might be picked as one of the slim handful which he will actually get to read at some point?

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Dear Senator McCain,

I know you are a patriot and a man who loves your Country dearly.  I’m thankful for your long public service. 

My name is Ted Cooke and I’m a life-long Republican who despairs for his party because I see it increasingly captive to big money special interests.  When I hear that 4 million dollars worth of lobbying money is being directed towards each member of the House and Senate it disillusions me because I know that bribes work and they pervert the course of justice.

I read Senator Obama’s Blueprint for Change and was deeply moved by his simple and straightforward approach to dealing with lobbyists by making transparent the money involved in the lobbying system.  I thought, here finally is a real chance for substantive change.

When I pay $3.59 per gallon for premium gasoline, when my wife and I have to scrape and save to buy a $200,000 home which is smaller than the house my parents started out in for $13,000, when I see my best friend and brother both get downsized and half of my friends lose their jobs in the home industry, I think:  We must have change and it must start with policy makers in Washington breaking free of the cycle of big money lobbying. 

I briefly supported Obama after doing some in-depth research.  I figured no matter how much he screws things up, if he really brings reform to lobbying in Washington we can fix it in four years.  But one thing I hadn’t known about was his ardent support for partial birth abortion. 

My wife is pregnant right now with our first child.  Four days ago we went to the hospital and had the second ultrasound.  It’s a beautiful baby girl.  18 months and 8 ounces.  “Half pint”.  She was beautiful and perfect.  After seeing a complete person moving and living, I can in no way vote for a candidate who would support taking innocent life.

I pride myself on doing research and being independent thinker.  At heart I am a Republican, but I also believe that leaders must be compassionate towards the people they lead.  I never want to be a litmus test voter, but this experience has been a bit of a wake up call that I dare not leave my conservative roots.

I know that you are a supporter of ethics and money reform in Washington.  I’m asking you to redouble your efforts on this front and make this a central message in your campaign. 

Everywhere I go I talk to fellow Republicans like myself who are disillusioned with the system, who think no change can come because of big money, who are desperate for someone on our own side to stand up and fight against corporate influence on energy policy and regulation decisions concerning the housing industry, the insurance industry and the health care industry.

I know that if you present the vision of a Washington free of the corrupting influence of unregulated lobbying it will only serve to strengthen your position with Republicans, moderates and even disillusioned Democrats.

Thank you so much for all that you have already done for your country.  I look forward to voting for you on November 4th and I look forward to the continued great work I know you will be doing on our behalf.

Sincerely,

Ted Cooke
Covington, WA
 

Week 18 Ultrasound: It’s a girl!

Beautiful profile shot of our little one.  18 weeks.  8 ounces.  She was moving all around, sucking her thumb, placing her hands over her ears.  A little bundle of life.  A small person.  Every finger in place.  Little toes.  Wrists.  Ribs.  A beating heart.  A miracle.

Did I mention she was sucking her thumb?

This is the miracle shot.  It’s the most amazing ultrasound image I’ve ever seen in my life.  This is the face of my daughter at 18 weeks.  How could anyone say she’s just a tissue mass?  She moves.  She reacts.  Her heart beats.  I’m not saying if someone has had an abortion they should be judged or there isn’t grace for them.  I’m just saying they should stop and realize this is a life, a person.  The choice was made four months ago.  The child is a blessing.  Always.  Period.

Longer explanation of my decision to support Obama

I’m a lifelong Republican who has been voting along party lines for 16 years *, and for the first time in my life I have decided to support a Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

After Romney dropped out of the race for the nomination I spent some time carefully looking over the issues information provided by each of the candidates, Democrats included.  When I read Obama’s Blueprint for Change I was struck to the core by what I read.  I was impressed by how clear and direct he was expaining the specific actions he was going to take as President.

After reading Obama’s Blueprint for Change I spent a couple of days doing some soul searching and came to the conviction that if real change is ever going to come to Washington D.C., it will only happen as a result of accountability and transparency reforms like the changes Obama is proposing. 

For almost 20 years I’ve watched my Republican party become increasingly captive to corporate special interests.  I’ve seen us pander to special interests in the insurance, investment, mortgage and petroleum industries.  And I’ve seen lots of friends lose thier jobs as a result of the way these industries are being managed.  My brother for one.  My wife for another. 

More recently I saw Exxon Mobile with 40.1 billion in profits last year, and all but 5 billion of this profit went directly to stockholder dividends (3.9 billion) and stock buy-backs to artificially inflate the value of the stock (32.2 billion).  I don’t think they are being over-regulated.  I don’t think they are paying more money to employees because they have more money from tax relief.  I do, on the other hand, think that I’m paying too much money for gasoline at the pump and for products everywhere which have to be shipped using diesel. 

I’ve done the math.  The problem with Washington D.C. right now isn’t progressive or conservative ideology, it’s big money lobbyists.  Even if we elected a new Congresss-person or Senator to every seat in both bodies we would still be faced with lobbyists spending four or five million per individual per year towards each and every legislator. 

When Obama says it’s time for change, he’s not just endorsing change for change’s sake.  He has clearly outlined everything he wants to do on his website under the Issue’s section.  I challenge everyone to go read what Obama has written, and then go to the other candidate’s pages.  See who is being clear and who is touting rhetoric.  See who offers concrete steps and see who is giving generalizations.

For me, after I did the research, my choice was clear:  I’m voting for Barack Obama in 08′.

* I mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve been a card carrying Republican for 21 years.  Actually I became eligible to vote 21 years ago; the first presidential election I voted in was in 1992 when I cast my vote for George H.W. Bush.

I’m officially an Obamican.

I’m a 21 year long card carrying Republican who is supporting Obama, the first time I’ve supported a Democrat in my life. He won me over with his proposed ethics reforms for the White House and the system of lobbying in Washington D.C. Most of my conservative friends think I’m nuts, but if we can get real reform in Washington over how the money flows, that will be the best case scenario for our nation. People could get upset and “vote all the bums out” of Congress and the Senate, and the new legislators would still be staring down the throat of 4 million dollars per EACH Representative and Senator of lobbying money. Nothing will change until we get real ethics reforms in this area.

Politics: Was leaning toward’s Mike Huckabee but he lost me

I was leaning towards supporting Mike Huckabee as the Republican Presidential nominee, but he’s lost me over the course of the past couple of weeks and I’ve swung toward’s Fred Thompson, as you’ve probably noticed if you’ve seen my facebook profile.

Here are the two things I’ve noticed about Huckabee that should scare every Evangelical:

 1.  Huckabee, when confronted with his positions, evades by telling jokes and giving very general statements which seem good but don’t have much substance.

2.  Huckabee’s campaign has been doing some really diabolical things.  First there were random calls made in South Carolina spreading an untruth that Fred Thompson supports partial birth abortion, and Huckabee himself responded in effect that, sorry, I can’t tell my supporters not to do that.  Then there was Ed Rollins, Huckabee’s campaign manager, telling the Washington Post that Thompson is just trying to take away votes from Huckabee so that he can bow out and give the votes to McCain.  (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011703440_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008011800105)

 Yikes!  This is such a dismissive and disrespectful falsehood that it makes me think Rollins is also probably behind the deceptive calls in South Carolina.

OK, Here’s what I believe:  As a man’s administration is run, so is the man’s character.  There is no way Huckabee can be an on the level guy and have a campaign that is so devious.

 Do this.  Go to the different candidates’ web sites and read the white papers on thier positions, if they even have them.  I know Fred Thompson is the one that aligns most closely with what I believe.  You can come to your own conclusions.

But for goodness’ sake, look beyond the surface!

New House and a Baby on the Way!

Jalene and I bought a house in Covington, WA!

We closed on it on November 31st, a Friday, and got the keys.  We spent the next day cleaning the house and when we got home I immediately hopped on the computer.  I was there for about 10 minutes when Jalene came by and plopped a tee-shirt down in front of me and said, “Here, it’s an early Christmas present.”  My immediate thought was, great, I left one of my tee-shirts laying around and she wants me to put it away.  But I shook it out and it said, “Mariners - Number One Dad”.  I immediately started going, “Are you serious?  No way!  That is so cool!”  She showed me the test with the two lines.  So we bought our first house on a Friday and the next day we found out Jalene is pregnant!

 We thought we’d have to wait until the middle of January to move in, but the week between Christmas and New Year’s I got a call from Home Depot:  “You’re carpet is here.  And oh, by the way, we can install it tomorrow.”  So I left work and spent 13 hours painting that day, until 3:00 in the morning, and was then up at 7:30 the next day to watch them install the carpet.

About halfway through the carpet install I got a call, “Ted, this is Millie with US Bank, and your wife just got robbed.  She’s talking to the Police and FBI.  Can you stop by in a half hour to pick her up?”  I called a friend, Don Tilly, to come watch them finish installing the carpet, and then I called another friend, Pat Ellis, who is the Kent Police Chaplain.  Jalene is a merchant teller with US Bank, and the bank robber picked her window to pass the note to.  Jalene and Pat and I went out to lunch and Pat did a great job of explainign to Jalene the physical and mental stresses she was going through being robbed, and everything would be OK, etc.  Wow.

The next day we loaded most of what we own in boxes and the day after that I rented a U-Haul and we moved.  Just like that.  Three weeks later we’re still putting stuff away and recovering!

The Weather in Seattle

This is an actual, unaltered image from a local news station showing the weather forecast for Seattle.  You’ll notice that it’s sunny all days of the week except for two- Saturday and Sunday.  This is so typical for Seattle.  When I saw the forecast I laughed.

Wasp Control: Simple Green

So I had to take care of my mom’s animals for three days while she was in Alaska.  She has two dogs, two goats, two ducks, a cat, and a myriad of neighborhood wild squirrels and wild birds which she feeds on a regular basis.

While I was feeding the goats I noticed that the entryway to the small barn she owns was infested with paper wasps.  There had to have been 15 or 20 small nests around.

Not many people know this but the best way to take out a wasp’s nest is with Simple Green household cleaner.

  

Simply wait until late evening or early morning when the wasps are all nested up and then spray down the whole thing (no matter how large) with a strong solution of Simple Green out of a regular spray bottle.  As soon as the simple green contacts them they loose the ability to fly and fall to the ground where you can stomp on them.  The solution ruins thier nest and they generally don’t come back.  They never even get a chance to swarm.  It’s so cool and easy.