Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 9/2/23

Posted on by Tom

Happy Labor Day weekend to all of my blogging friends and readers! Let’s continue to labor for the Lord!

Progressive pope Francis periodically takes swipes at the “backward-looking” and “reactionary” conservative Catholic prelates, priests, and laity in the U.S.A. as he did in a private meeting with a group of Jesuits on August 5th. Catholic apologists present the RCC as a united monolith, but conservative Catholics rue the day when Francis was elected pope and some/many privately consider him a heretic. The second article is from a conservative American Catholic who takes umbrage against Bergoglio’s recent chidings. Amidst all of the division, the prime unifying element in the RCC is its false gospel of salvation by sacramental grace and merit.

Pope Francis and his progressive allies will be pushing their reforms (including greater acceptance/affirmation of practicing S&G-ites) at the upcoming October synod at the Vatican while conservatives are already digging in their heels.

Central America was once 100% Roman Catholic (including the syncretization of RC-ism and indigenous paganism). Christian missionaries who journeyed to Central America to preach the genuine Gospel and those who converted to Jesus Christ were persecuted at the behest of Catholic prelates and priests. Praise God that many Central Americans have come out of RC-ism and trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior by faith alone. Regrettably, the health-and-wealth, “name it and claim it, prosperity false gospel has also spread throughout the region.

Roman Catholics claim their popes are divinely ordained and that the Holy Spirit guides them in leading the RCC. A study of RC church history, including the control of the papacy by the House of Theophylact as detailed in the first article, reveals the absolute corruption of the institution. The second article documents more of the same.

There was speculation a few weeks ago, but the San Francisco Catholic archdiocese made it official by filing for bankruptcy this past week, making it the 31st American Catholic diocese to do so. Catholic dioceses file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to shield their assets from victims of priest sexual abuse and cover-up.

Pope Francis is visiting the mainly-Buddhist nation of Mongolia from August 31st to September 4th. Why would Francis visit a country where there are less than 1500 Catholics? As he has been doing with all of the world’s major religions, Bergoglio will be focusing on cultivating greater “interreligious cooperation” between Buddhists and the Vatican.

The health-and-wealth, “name it and claim it,” prosperity false gospel is a bastardization (“corruption” would be a more polite term) of the genuine Gospel. Just about all of the televangelists featured on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) are prosperity gospelers (i.e., Joel Osteen, Joseph Prince, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, T.D. Jakes, Robert Morris, Andrew Wommack, John Hagee, Allen Jackson, Jentezen Franklin, etc., etc.) or are sympathetic fellow-travelers (Beth Moore, Steven Furtick).

19 thoughts on “Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 9/2/23”

  1. Interesting re prosperity gospel that “Methodist (93%) and Restorationist movement (88%) churchgoers are more likely to believe God wants them to prosper financially.”

    Also interesting that “Those with Evangelical beliefs are more likely to agree (80% v. 74%) than those without.”

    Having managed a large marketing research organization, I looked for the underlying data but they did not offer it.

    Thanks for the insight and article.

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    1. Thanks, brother. This prosperity false gospel certainly isn’t limited strictly to a particular denomination/movement, but the vast majority of the TBN televangelists push it. The thought also occurred to me that American Christian nationalism is a form of the prosperity gospel whereby the adherents believe God has a covenantal relationship with America although less formalized than the covenant He had with ancient Israel.

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      2. I’m definitely not an expert on the UMC, except for knowing the denomination has been slipping into liberal theology for a long time. There’s obviously some UMC churches that are still conservative theologically. I imagine most of those are in the Bible Belt.
        The article says that many churches are being impacted by the prosperity gospel. I’m guessing the outreach of TBN and the “Live your best life now” prosperity televangelists is having an impact. Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer’s books sell like hotcakes across denominational lines.

        https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/prosperity-gospel-beliefs-on-the-rise-among-churchgoers/

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  2. On one hand, the cracks emerging in Roman Catholicism may be an unprecedented opportunity for the gospel but on the other hand there are not that many Bible believing churches to bring them in to. Time to go back to house churches?

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    1. Thanks, A.
      RE: not that many Bible believing churches to bring them in.
      I agree. Ecumenical compromise is spreading.
      RE: house churches
      I’m not all that familiar with the home church “movement.” I read Frank Viola’s book, “Pagan Christianity” in which he promoted house churches, but he suggested some type of nebulous oversight. My question was who selects, trains, and oversees/holds accountable the overseers?

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      1. It’s a good question. I wrote a series of posts awhile ago proposing biblical reform of church structure and operations. Probably would be controversial posts in terms of my assessment end solutions offered but I did make some suggestions based on what I saw in Acts.

        The persecuted church has no choice about how they operate, mainly house churches, and I’m sure there are challenges but they seem wildly effective. I thought their model was more retro to the first century. I also thought the western church would end up back in the same model one way or the other. Our current model in the west must change in my opinion.

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      3. This is incorrect. Viola doesn’t promote “house churches” he promotes “the organic expression of the church,” which is not the same and it’s what all NT churches were. They were organic, the living body of Christ in a locale.

        He and Barna wrote Pagan Christianity back in 2008 and it’s not a stand alone. It only shows where Protestant church traditions came from. The follow up which addresses leadership in the NT church is in “Reimagining Church” the sequel and also “Finding Organic Church” which is on the apostolic traveling church planting ministry. The books work together. Pagan Christianity is not a stand alone work. It only deconstructs where the sequels build and construct.

        Neither Viola nor Barna believe in a nebulous oversight, but the kind of oversight provided by elders/shepherds/overseers, which doesn’t and never has operated like a paid professional pastor. Viola’s best books are for all Christians like “God’s Favorite Place on Earth,” “Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,” and “48 Laws of Spiritual Power”, these are all newer and they are amazing. frankviola.org/books to see them all.

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  3. 1. The Central Americans coming to Christ is encouraging; and of course RC doesn’t like that.
    2. Seems the SG+ agenda keeps going foward…
    3. Wow surprised SF archidosce took that long to go declare being bankrupt!
    4.

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    1. Thanks for the good comments!

      RE: Central America
      It’s encouraging to see many come out of the RCC and accept Christ but many are also being drawn into the “health and wealth” scam. I’m curious if you’re encountering people being drawn into “health and wealth” in your overseas outreach/teaching?
      RE: S&G steamroller
      Only God can stop it and He will someday.
      RE: SF archdiocese bankruptcy
      The archbishop gave the pew-sitting members a heads up a few weeks ago because he didn’t want to blindside them. So gracious of him. Yuch. There are 194 Catholic dioceses in the US and I’m certain there was priest abuse and cover-up in every one of them, although only 31 have declared bankruptcy to date.

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      2. I remember some undiscerning ecumenical evangelicals here at WordPress commenting how the SF archbishop was such a great guy because he barred Pelosi from receiving the Jesus wafer.

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  4. I hope you had a good Labor Day as well, Tom!

    I read the article:

    “Prosperity gospel on the rise among US churchgoers, survey finds”

    Those who have corrupted the gospel abound in our day. The TBN prosperity preachers you mention are certainly some of the worst out there. Another “name it claim it” teacher is the notorious Kenneth Copeland. Mr. Copeland has managed to own five airplanes at the same time (2008), and he’s not close to being done yet! One can only speculate about the number of pricey jets he’s owned. Of course, that doesn’t include the hanger and upscaled runway that is meticulously maintained.

    I have no issue with those who are able to obtain these things honestly, but he, like the others you’ve mentioned, advocate that if you have enough faith bad things will not happen to you and you will prosper. And nothing will increase your faith like sowing lots of “seed” into his ministry!

    It is a grievous offense against God and those who support Mr. Copeland.

    Thank you for another informative Roundup, Tom.

    I wish you and your wife a blessed week!

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    1. Thanks for the good comments, Chris, including your mention of Copeland. I purposely didn’t mention him because TBN chose to drop him from their programming and I had referenced TBN televangelists. I understand TBN dropped him because they wanted to move away from the “ old school” Pentecostals like Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, and Benny Hinn, who they had axed previously. Yup, Copeland is bad. I’ve briefly listened to him several times while channel surfing and landing on his show and by his messages and demeanor he struck me as almost demonic.

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