Uniquely American origination , megachurches have grown by leaps and bound , particularly since the 1980s . These huge houses of worship , boasting thousands of phallus , oftencontain multitudes : meeting infinite , kitty , moving picture theater and roll rinks . By taking a more laid back , routine approaching to religious belief , these congregationshave advance massive popularityeven in today ’s increasingly temporal human beings .
But the megachurch motion , and its tie with successfulness creed and televangelism , has its glowering side too . And that ’s what Stuff They Do n’t Want You To Know hosts Matt Frederick , Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown explore inThe Sordid , Secret World of Televangelists and Megachurches .
Many megachurches are lauded by their following as being welcoming , bringing religious belief to hoi polloi on an approachable level . Services often become daze show with euphony and perfervid speeches . Many minister of religion preach a gospel that is as comfortable and well-off to splay on as an old sweatshirt , stressing positive thinkingas the way to the Lord ’s heart . It ’s this kind of theological system that make its agency into countless self - help books , admit the sensation of " The Secret . " Will yourself to have something , and you will have it ; picture yourself in a beautiful business firm , andGod will provide .
On its face , there is n’t much faulty with that — who among us has not deal a feel - good meme from authorDavid " Avocado " Wolfe ? But the real trouble is the dour side to these erectile cathedrals . Many megachurches preach aprosperity gospel , the idea that God wants us to be rich , and if you are n’t , it ’s through some fault of your own . By tithe to the Christian church as muchmoneyas potential , you show your faith in the Lord and it — fit in to the church — will regress to you , the parishioner , a hundredfold .
Of naturally , only the pastorsseem to be getting rich ; many of them claim one thousand thousand of dollars a year in salary , as well as perks like secret jet or houses the size of hotel . The prosperity gospelhas been blamedfor the lodging crisis of 2008 and criticized for prey on the poor , encouraging them to give to the church before paying rent or bills , tell them that the$65 million jetsthey’re helping the pastor to buy are God ’s will . Hashtag bless .
Televangelism does this too , managing to reach many more thousands of parishioner due to their idiot box comportment . And even though illustrious televangelists likeJim Bakkerin the eighties spent years in jail for fraud , people continue to give them money . And let ’s not forget that these church aretax - exempt , despite taking in millions of clam .
According to many evangelicals , this gospel bears no resemblance to the didactics of Jesus , and are just a way for opportunists to take advantage of believer . So what do Matt , Ben and Noel believe?Listen to the integral podcastas they gestate witness to the dark underbelly of this religious earth and decide for yourself whether these churches are all about God or all aboutfraud .
