Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The Virtuous?



We keep being told that the religious right are good people, righteous people, more ethical people than us godless (goddessless?) lefties. Hence I am always confused when I see evidence of something quite different amongst the faithful. Like this ad in the wingnutty Newsmax:




Does God Want YOU To Be a Success?

When God wants something done, He always gives it to ONE PERSON to do—a Moses, a Peter, a Paul, a David, a Gideon, a Mary. Had you noticed?

In Pray and Be Rich, Dr. Richard Gaylord Briley reveals a startling Biblical truth that has great implications for your life:

One person, committed to a goal, is all God needs to change the world.

He's done it many times. And if history turns many more pages, He'll surely do it again. At the very least, you and God together can change your world.

The new audio program – Pray and Be Rich – is about one person—YOU—and the success plans that God has for all who believe, pray and act on the message of the Bible.
...
It astonishes many that Jesus spoke more about wise use of our possessions (our wealth) than any other subject. Riches are extensions of whatever we make of ourselves. Wealth is extra power to use for good or evil.

All babies are born poor. But as you'll find out in Pray and Be Rich, five percent of them, in free societies, grow up to be richer than the rest.

This widely-ignored fact gives extra hope for success to anyone with a clear goal in life.

Pray and Be Rich reveals the Biblical secrets that will enable you to become a member of the five percent of people who rise to the top and succeed.

Funny that. I have read the Bible, more than once, and my impression is that on the whole it's not too hot on the chances of the rich to get into heaven. Blessed are the poor, for example. But never mind. The new wingnut religion is not exactly the same thing as Christianity, anyway. For one thing, the Republican party is not mentioned in the Bible (unless the pharisees remind you of our radical clerics).