False Profits
MLMers like to cloak themselves in religion almost as much as they like to wrap themselves in the flag. They claim their business is a great one for religious (especially Christian) families and individuals. As Athena Dean notes in All the Glitters is not God, this claim is very far from the truth.
In fact, it is hard to think of anything less religious, indeed less Christian in particular, than the worship of money and profits in the MLM circuit, and the way they see worldly poverty as a sign of God's curse. That is even before going into the enormous deceit and misuse of others in one's "downline" that is endemic to MLMs.
Had Jesus, Isaiah, or Moses suddenly showed up in an MLM meeting, they would be seen as dreamy, unrealistic, crypto-communist weirdos for saying things about rich men finding it hard to get into heaven, or on the need to take care of the poor. Surely these folks should know that those who don't have money just had other people steal their dreams and are therefore broke losers like they deserve to be? So much for "blessed are the poor".
But one can ask: how can MLMers even think that what they are doing is what religion in general, or Christianity in particular, commands? The answer to that comes from a particularly annoying type of (pseudo-)religion known as prosperity theology. It was promoted in the USA first mostly by the aptly-named Oral Roberts and Jimmy Swaggart. The idea behind it is that God will give material riches to those he loved, based on such verses as John 10:10.
"Prosperity theology" makes it far easier for people to become MLMers, for two reasons. First, if you believe God himself wants you to be rich, you are less bothered with the deception, lying, and exploitation of others that is inherent to the MLM business. After all, you're just doing God's will -- trying to get rich -- and therefore, all is forgiven. (We have, alas, seen just this behavior by many other religious fanatics throughout history). Second, you don't need to actually check the economic feasibility of the MLM "plan" -- after all, with God, all things are possible. If you will just want to be rich strongly enough, He will find a way.
posted by Avital Pilpel @ 6:14 AM
4 Comments:
It sounds like you really nailed it with the prosperity theory! I like some of the book reviews you put because that's what I came on this site to look for.
Thanks! I aim to please...
Hi. I wanted to drop you a quick note to express my thanks. I've been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up a ton of good information as well as enjoyed the way you've structured your site. I am attempting to run my own blog but I think its too general and I want to focus more on smaller topics. Being all things to all people is not all that its cracked up to be.
On the painting by El Greco and the Scriptural basis for it, both Old and New Testament verses could be cited on the corruption of the sacred through greed. 1Timothy 6 is notable in this case, as well as 2Peter 2:3--"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you..."
In the minor prophets there are warnings about those who falsify balances: "Saying, When will the new moon be gone...and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?"(Amos 8:5)
Leviticus 22:15 speaks to the desecration of the sacred: "The priests must not let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought to the LORD...
They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel..."
The solution to such corrupt dealing is educating the public, complaining to the relevant oversight authority, and letting the government, ministry oversight boards. licensing authorities do their jobs.
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