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Let me guess ... even before I visit that page, it features Joel Osteen ...
@Calilasseia,
My mother, who is mostly home-bound, has taken up the habit of viewing these charlatans, specifically Osteen. She informed me that she wished to start contributing to his ministry. I think I managed to convince her to refrain, having to do so without outing myself. I told her to contribute to her local church instead. At least there is some possibility that the money will be used to help the indigent instead of helping to furnish one of Osteen's mansions.
Unfortunately it is not just a religious thing to take advantage of people and taking money from them.
It's not easy to convince people that they are being duped.
IMO people in general are trusting and open to being taken advantage of from scam artists..
We see this in online romance scams, telephone soliciting scams, fake IRS scams and many more.
I have been duped once, even after thoroughly scrutinizing the whole thing. It was a very elaborate scam. I was solicited via phone for a cruise costing $300 including hotel in some island I forget now. I refused to call the telephone number they gave me. Instead I called the hotel directly. Little did I know they had someone at the hotel answering the calls in cahoots with the scam. I eventually got my money back but that is not the point. They duped me and they were good at it.
When we look at all the fraudulent scams that takes people money, I think there is a need to legally take this more seriously, especially where religion is involved.
@ In Spirit
For once you are making sense.
We should start with the charlatans and con artists aka mediums, spiritualists, pentecostal for profit churches; all who claim to have 'psychic powers".
It really is quite simple, everyone who make a claim of any psychic power will have to pass a test pertaining to that claimed power e.g Clairvoyance, conversing with the dead, telekinesis etc.. The test of course would be under strict lab conditions. The claimant would have three goes at the test in any financial year, and not be allowed to practise until they have passed one of them.
The licence fee would cover the cost of the practising certificate and professional indemnity insurance would be compulsory.
Failure to comply with license regulations would result in fines not less than the annual turnover of the business, confiscation of assets and leading up to de-registration and hefty gaol (jail) terms.
I can guarantee the numbers of practising psychics, mediums, tarot readers will plummet within hours of such regulation.
Once the public have become comfortable with that kind of regulation (faded in memory) then we can proceed to deal with the those other purveyors of spiritual flim flam the religious orders and sects. Starting with those independent extreme sects , examining them and exposing them.
Getting the mainstream churches to attack them (there is history here) when the public are sated with that kind of reality TV...turn on the mainstream religions, one by one, using the same techniques. Publicise the pedophiles, the con men, the private jet buyers, wall to wall investigative TV and magazines. Outrageous and spurious claims from fortune hunters will surely follow...and importantly be believed by the same people who once supported their religion.
(Edit for clarity)
@Old man shouts
Thanks Old man. I like you're ideas. I wonder why mainstream churches haven't done as you suggested. After years of Islamic terrorism, many called out to the Islamic leaders to denounce the distorters of Islam. I wonder why we haven't demanded the same from our own towards our own con artists?
"The licence fee would cover the cost of the practising certificate and professional indemnity insurance would be compulsory.
Failure to comply with license regulations would result in fines not less than the annual turnover of the business, confiscation of assets and leading up to de-registration and hefty gaol (jail) terms.
I can guarantee the numbers of practising psychics, mediums, tarot readers will plummet within hours of such regulation. "
I doubt that. They will find another way to market these "services" so as to (just) stay within the law, while still doing business as usual. It will be tagged (in small print) as "for entertainment only" or something like that. Or marketed as religious services or something (just like Scientology did). The naive believers will believe anyway, and fork out the money. And the charlatans will just continue with their charlatanic charlatanery.
The biblical term for this is call simony.
Here is one example of a Bible verse that condemns them.
2 Peter 2:2-3 "Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed."
When Jesus died his sole possession was the coat on his back, that his executioners cast lots for.
Paul made tents instead of taking any money from the churches he had founded.
Not saying it has to be that way, but it was the opposite of private jets and mansions.
I think it is appropriate for a christian to "amen" the people exposing and confronting this evil. We (christians, churches) need to do a better job of speaking out against these christian con artists. It is a shame.
@ Jo
the "prosperity" preachers can pull as many verses from the bible if not more than you can to prove their arguments.
That is why the bible as a guide to moral and ethical behaviour is useless.
@Jo
" We (christians, churches) need to do a better job of speaking out against these christian con artists. It is a shame."
I totally agree. I also believe that by doing nothing it hurts the churches.
Without the riches donated to them, churches and religions would be on life support in a matter of short time.
While some people find guidance and support through organized religion and the teachings of preachers, others may not feel the same connection or resonance. It's important to acknowledge that spirituality can take many forms and manifest in different ways for different individuals. Some may turn to psychic readers or mediums as a means of connecting with higher powers or gaining insight into their lives. Ultimately, it's up to each person to determine what practices and beliefs resonate with them personally and help them feel a sense of connection to something greater than themselves.
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