Are you familiar with the so-called Prosperity Gospelhttp://www.apologeticsindex.org/139-prosperity-teaching (also known as Prosperity Teaching)?
This teaching is used by preachers, evangelists and others to squeeze as much money as possible from their followers.
Here is how it works:
You are told that God wants you to be rich (and/or healthy), but that He can not bless you unless you first send money (also known as a "seed-faith offering") to whichever televangelist or teacher tells you about this scheme.
They tell you that by 'sowing' your seed (yes, your money), you are showing God that you trust him -- that you have faith in him.
I have personally written several big-name evangelists who teach this trick, suggesting that if they truly believe what they teach on this subject, they would never again do any fundraising.
Needless to say, I did not receive any replies, and to this day these preachers are still begging for donations.
That means the Prosperity Teaching Scam -- for that is what it is -- does not work, except of course for those who are devious enough to have people send their 'seed' to them.
At Apologetics Index we have a collection of research resources on the Prosperity Gospel.
