Was a distortion of Christian doctrine one cause of the Crash? - The Atlantic (December 2009)

There’s an excellent article in The Atlantic this month about an outgrowth of Christian practice (specifically, an outgrowth of Pentacostalism) which espouses the “prosperity gospel.”
I am rather cynical about preachers who drive rare cars. Is it just me? Preachers who drive rare cars are usually, but not always, the leaders of congregations of the working poor (or the unemployed). This showiness, we are led to believe, is a direct result of our Creator’s recognition that he or she (the minister) is more righteous, and therefore, more deserving, than the tithers in his audience. Er, I mean congregation.
It turns out, and why does this not surprise me, that some preacher of the "prosperity gospel" are, by day, mortgage writers and/or real estate agents. Well, its good they have a real job. But it puts them into contact with the same marginalized people over whom they hold religious authority from the pulpit. And earns them handsome commissions.
I do not believe this was the main source of the housing bubble, the mortage meltdown, or the financial crisis. I do, however, see solid evidence of the main victims of the meltdown. They are, mainly, the most marginalized people in our society. Not the greedy businessman who wanted a bigger house, but the immigrant who got talked into a subprime mortgage, and then rented his house out to three families in order to try to make his mortgage payment.
The title of the article is rather unfortunate. It seems to paint “Christianity” as the cause, while the article itself is explicit about this as a segment of an outgrowth of Christian practice.
You know, kind of like voodoo.


Read the excellent article here: Did Christianity Cause the Crash? - The Atlantic December 2009)

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