Prosperity theology continues: Detroit church buys multi-million dollar parsonage for its pastor. They also bought him a Cadillac Escapade. "God's empowerment is to make you have an abundant life," according to one of the church's elders.
"God let's good things happen to good people." Who said that? It was Antonella Barba's friend during the American Idol try-outs. The two basically styled themselves after Paris and Nicole. That statement perfectly summed up the upper reaches of the girl's mental span. But she's just a teenage girl. She can be forgiven for failing to juxtapose her statement against Christ's life and passion. But for adult Christians who ascribe to the thought of Norman Vincent Peale? I'm simply stunned. Then again, when you realize that most of its adherents are in love with money, the theology makes sense. It's as understandable as the Christian adulterer who says God couldn't possibly want him to go without this delicious slice of sex.
Passion distorts thinking. It's the "principle of connaturality." You see it all the time. A lot of self-described Christian men read Playboy or watch porn. If pressed, they'll justify it somehow. Their justification is simply the overriding of thought with passion. How rational are you when you lose your temper? Now imagine living your life in a constant state of at least mild emotional agitation, whether it's sexual, monetary, drunken, violent, or any other inclination. You're not going to think clearly.
Change of topic:
There goes a chance for a vaccine. From the Atlantic:
A worldwide outbreak of bird flu that followed the pattern of the 1918”“1920 influenza pandemic would kill between 51 million and 81 million people, according to a new study–but if history repeated itself, very few of the dead would be Americans or residents of other wealthy nations.
That's it for now. Blogging will be light the next couple of days. My gall bladder is being removed tomorrow, so I'll be too drugged-up to write. I realize the drugs might enhance my stumbling prose (Edgar Allan Scheske), but I suspect I won't feel well enough to fire up the laptop.
