How's That Name It and Claim It Working for You?
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (68897)
United States
January 12, 2018 9:29am CST
I want to apologize in advance. First, this is religious. Secondly, it's a horrid philosophy that I think is ruining people and US religion. If you believe in this, don't take this as a "personal attack" on you. You probably have a lot of friends who voted for someone other than who you voted for, and yet you get along. I'm not attacking you personally, but the people who prey on others by teaching this. I just have to rant...I guess because I've seen too much of toothy ol' Joel Olsteen lately.
"Name it and claim it." That's the way most people refer to the so-called "prosperity gospel" that plagues American religion today. What is it? It's a teaching that you can get anything and everything you want in life just by doing what the title implies: naming what you want (e.g., a mansion and a Rolls) and claiming it.
The only people who are getting rich off of "name it and claim it" are the ministers. Olsteen is worth an estimated $40 million...and he charges admission to his "shows." (Contrast that with Billy Graham, who never charged admission for the thousands of evangelical revivals he held throughout his career.) I mean, when was the last time you saw a "name it and claim it" adherent win the lottery? We had two half-billion dollar lotteries won last week...neither by a "prosperity gospel" person. In fact, it seems that most of the "name it and claim it" followers are pretty poor...just the ministers are rolling in the dough.
This isn't in the Bible. In fact, it's contrary to the Bible. One of the Ten Commandments tells believers not to covet anything that someone else has. And what is "name it and claim it" other than coveting?
God is the Ruler, the Almighty. He is not our wait staff, where we snap our fingers, demand a new car, and He calls Ford and has them deliver a new one to our driveway. If anything, we are supposed to be His servant.
Rant over. Sorry.
Here's a different "Take the Money and Run" than what you're probably used to...and lyrically more appropriate for these "preachers":
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9 people like this
8 responses
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
12 Jan 18
that used to be called "positive visualization"..another thing stolen from pagans..
but no matter your beliefs,if you want it that bad, get off your butt and work for it.
right now i'm visualizing a burrito..and i think i'll get one
5 people like this
@FourWalls (68897)
• United States
13 Jan 18
Yum! I was visualizing that myself, but the roads are icy. I’ll keep that visual and go get one tomorrow.
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
13 Jan 18
I hate, hate, HATE Joel Olsteen. I wish someone would smack that sleazy, toothy grin right off his face. That man is the epitome of privilege. I know too many Christians who just eat up every word he says, and it sickens me.
And as @scarlet_woman pointed out, this whole "name it and claim it" thing is positive visualization stolen from us pagans.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (41692)
• United States
12 Jan 18
Olsteen's getting his rewards here on earth. I'd rather have mine (true treasures) in heaven. I think preachers who teach the name it and claim it will have a lot to answer for when they stand before Almighty God on judgement day.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Jan 18
Osteen charges? That's not very Christian to those that can't afford it.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (68897)
• United States
12 Jan 18
When Olsteen was here in Louisville it was $20 (plus fees) for the Yum! Center. In contrast, Billy Graham's last appearance was at the football stadium and he charged nothing...and the attendance for the Graham revival was 57,000 for one night, and nearly 200,000 for the entire series.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68897)
• United States
12 Jan 18
@JohnRoberts -- I think the Eagles are better looking, have better music, and are at least honest about being money grubbers. (Henley was quoted as saying he was worth all the money he's making.)
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Jan 18
@FourWalls Who does Osteen think he is, the Eagles on a budget price?
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
13 Jan 18
@FourWalls Hey, it was a very good rant, and I agree with you on many things you said.
I've never liked that kind of message, it may give false hope.
I worked for two weeks at Daystar during one of their pledge marathons, keying in the information the people took from the phone calls. I felt terrible the entire time, because we could hear what was going on in the studio there, and it was all false type hope that God was going to cure their cancer, if they called in a love donation.
Of course, that's not what they said exactly to the viewing public, but that was the gist of it all.
I'm not saying God can't cure cancer, but I don't think it contingent on love donations.
I was so glad that was over, and if I hadn't been laid off and desperate for money, I would never have stayed.
See, I had my own mini-rant.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80635)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Jan 18
I just keep to my faith. Say a morning and nighttime prayer and rely on the Lord to get me through each day. I never really liked evangelists and such that spew hell and damnation.
1 person likes this
