Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
My sense was that cash exchanged for the gospel seems to use the market forces to spread gospel truth, but actually the market subsumes [the gospel message].
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Any researcher wants to get many data points; this will better "prove" whether the proposed hypothesis is correct or not. My original hypothesis was kind of messy, so I'll try to prune it here, and provide some more data.
Data points:
1. Paul converted the truth of the gospel message into objects, called letters, and they were distributed among the churches. Paul told the Colossians, "See that you send this letter to the church in Laodicea, and read the one I sent to them." Eventually people will pay money for the letters, to cover the cost of paper, printing and distribution. Not evil in and of itself.
2. I buy christian books and CDs on the marketplace. Not bothersome to my conscience.
3. Not everyone that wrote a book about Christ or sang a song praising God is a money-grubber. Most times it's the opposite.
3. On the other hand, you have "Gospel hucksters" out there, just trying to make a million or three. One example is a guy named Jim Bakker. He was an earnest young preacher from Muskegon, Michigan, who fell into the lucrative televangelism gig. I saw a clip of him telling viewers if they sent something like several hundred dollars they would get a souvenir stuffed animal. He started a christian theme park and told people if they "invested" thousands of dollars they would have a permanent time-share condo on this place. Eventually he got convicted of fraud and went to jail. Another huckster, Jerry Falwell, took over his television satellite. The PTL Ministry's "Heritage USA Theme Park" is now a ruin, a home for owls and jackals.
But Jim Bakker is still at it. He's hooked on the art of easy money. It's like a drug. Loot at this:
http://jimbakkershow.com/lovegifts/i-care-club-ii.html
It's like heroin. He just can't let go of the hucksterism business.
4. So, Witness Lee -- Gospel huckster or no?
A. Left the Far east in the late 50s early 60s to get away from angry 'investors'... sound familiar? Sold tennis rackets, plastic chairs, men's suits, World's Fair, Seattle 1962. I don't know the details, maybe someone else can provide them.
B. Daystar. Took saints' money, set up a motor home business with son Timothy as head. A disaster. Advertising had christian 'sisters' from the local church posing in skimpy outfits. A lot of 'investors' from the local churches lost quite a bit of money. 'Training fees' were then established at LSM conferences to raise money to pay off angry investors. If you don't believe me read the story.
C. Placing admittedly 'nonspiritual' son Philip as head of his publishing company, Living Stream Ministry. Lee said "It's a business", in defense of this move. This son caused a lot of problems, was repeatedly caught molesting the help, and was eventually removed. Again, it's well-documented.
D. Instead of repenting when this was exposed, Lee became the untouchable 'apostle of the age', who must be 'covered' like the drunken Noah so that discussion of any wrong-doing became verboten. Anyone who opened their mouth was 'rebellious'.
E. Consolidation and complete control of merchandising: "One Publication Policy" and "One Trumpet". News flash, folks: our one trumpet is called the Bible.
So my hypothesis is that Lee was a Gospel huckster. He got caught in the Far East selling snake oil, came to the U.S.A. and repeated his business, with better results. Even when he got burned with Daystar and Philip Lee he managed to keep his empire, by purging any unwelcome voices of critique and setting himself up as "God's oracle."
And Lee's opinion, and his rudimentary scholarship, became the equivalent of "the teaching and fellowship of the apostles", available online or at your local bookstore. Catalogs are also available.