God wants you to have a lifetime of fulfillment

Remember Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof," pleading with God to make him a rich man? A poignant song that certainly struck the hearts of many of us, but, of course, he remained financially poor. Yet, things have changed, according to Pastor Joel Osteen and hundreds of other Prosperity Theology ministers across the nation.

"God wants you to be rich!" he preaches. Indeed, who would want to join a religious group who prophesies drudgery, sacrifice, poverty and misery? And if God is our father, our daddy God, surely He will give us the best of treasures: a life of fulfillment and riches.

What does the Bible seem to say about wealth and prosperity? Read Deuteronomy 8:17-18 or Ecclesiastes 5:18-19. Jesus in John 10:10 says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." And doesn't the parable of talents emphasis that "Jesus holds up savvy business practice as a metaphor for spiritual practice?" Is it not true what you give to God shall come back threefold or even more? (At least to the pastor.)

Of course, many other pastors denounce with outrage what they call this "false" theology. God becomes more like the Godfather doling out favors to those who follow his bidding. Instead of questioning the foibles of our culture, Prosperity Theology becomes a conduit for the greed and ugliness it breeds.

And in the Bible? "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:24-26) Also check out Matthew 6:19-21 and James 5:1-3.

Well, I could go on parsing Bible verses pro and con, yet my interest lies in the sociology of the subject. Let's suppose that two-thirds of Christians in the United States decide to totally turn their lives over to Jesus, knowing he wishes them to be rich. They also tithe not on their after-tax income but their gross income. What might happen?

I believe that the Creator (God) does not discriminate on the basis of color, gender, physical handicaps, etc., so we are all involved in this new venture.

Now, before the prosperity begins to flow, I hope God consults a committee of economists, sociologists and psychologists to sort out the implications of these blessings. At present, our capitalistic society requires the strata of upper, middle and lower classes, with far more people at the middle and bottom. What happens if we become loaded down with multi-millionaires? Who will haul away our garbage, pick our crops or clerk at Wal-mart? And won't our dollar plunge on the market? I see nothing but chaos ensuing from this gift.

But wait, studies show that many of us "economically-challenged" people who come into large sums of money don't know how to handle it and end up back in the same financial dilemma. So perhaps I don't need to worry. The top echelon will simply get fatter. What a relief.

Nevertheless, I am upping my church pledge, shopping for a financial adviser, and have started reading Money magazine. I want mine, too.

Sylvia Falconer is minister emerita of Greeley Unitarian Church. She attends Family of Christ Presbyterian Church in Greeley. Her e-mail address is safalconer1@msn.com.