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July 24, 2009 [LINK / comment]
Prosperity Gospel thrives
Do you every come across televangelist Joel Osteen while changing channels on Sunday morning? I sure do, he's hard to avoid. "Crunchy Conservative" social critic Rod Dreher recently discussed the "Prosperity Gospel," a neo-Pentecostal offshoot that has faint theological origins in Calvinism. It takes the idea that material wealth is a sign of God's favor, and then perverts it beyond all recognition: "God wants to make your life easier"??? One might think that economic hard times would lead to a drop in attendance for such churches, as a reality check, but that does not seem to be the case. Is it any wonder that many of the feel-good TV "clergymen" look like used car salesmen than devout men of the cloth? To Dreher, "These preachers are pimps of false hope and salvation by materialism." Link via Andrew Sullivan. Rev. Donald Sensing referred to this materialistic syndrome exemplified by Osteen as "Comfortable Christianity." (See February 2007.)
Green acres is the place to be!
On my way out to help with Dave Rapp's garden last Saturday, I saw this spectacular view of the countryside and asked my friend Matthew, who was driving, to stop so I could take a picture. Is this God's country, or what?
An idyllic horse farm west of Weyers Cave, Virginia. Click on that image to see the full-size version.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide,
Keep Manhattan, just give me that country life! 
Posted (or last updated or commented upon): 24 Jul 2009, 4: 35 PM
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blog highlights
January 5, 2009 Illegal immigration: no problem
January 10, 2009 Bush's fiscal profligacy: a recap
January 20, 2009 Inauguration Day 2009
March 13, 2009 Tax revolt in Augusta County!
March 14, 2009 Mexican Army counterattacks
March 27, 2009 Facebook: resistance is futile
April 5, 2009 RPV chair Frederick is removed
April 8, 2009 Fujimori is convicted, again
May 3, 2009 (Very) Big Spring Day, 2009
June 12, 2009 Tiger Stadium memorial update
June 16, 2009 Home runs in New Yankee Stadium
June 28, 2009 Obama's health care proposals
June 29, 2009 House votes to regulate climate
July 7, 2009 R.I.P. Michael Jackson, Superstar
July 9, 2009 Conservative defeat in Mexico
August 16, 2009 Great Baseball Road Trip 2009
August 23, 2009 Road Trip 2009: The Birds of August
August 27, 2009 R.I.P. Edward M. Kennedy
September 7, 2009 Two clutch homers end Nats' skid
October 10, 2009 Republicans reunite in Verona
October 16, 2009 Health care polemics heat up
November 4, 2009 Republicans sweep Virginia races
November 5, 2009 Yankees are the 2009 champions
November 21, 2009 Senate votes on health care
December 23, 2009 Musings on health care "reform"
December 30, 2009 Decade of creation, and destruction
December 30, 2009 Whither the Republican soul?
December 31, 2009 A (half) decade of baseball in D.C.
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