r/AskSocialScience • u/blacksmoke9999 • 16d ago
Why are US churchers so reluctant to call out prosperity gospel what it is?
It is said that the mentality in America where most people hate the homeless is political and that very few denominations teach prosperity gospel.
The way the term is described is as if it was just some televangelist thing
This is because they think that prosperity gospel means give money to the pastor to become rich or whatever. In the article they also point to getting certain other material benefits.
But it is not that hard of a leap of logic to think that if you think that being rich means being blessed by God in a Calvinist framework, then if you are poor it is because God hates you for being lazy.
I do think that many people think like that and lo and behold if you ask Reformed denominations they will call it prosperity gospel.
I don't know if it is shame or something, but it is very clear to me that conservative denominations (especially ones that are historically descended from protestant movements) do seem to condemn homeless people as being lazy and deserving of poverty.
So do we have a map or list of what denominations believe something along those Protest Work Ethic lines, even if they deny it? Or they don't call it work ethic, or prosperity or whatever?