The Almighty Made Me Do It

ht John Piper
Time Magazine has spoken to scholars who trace at least part of the current financial crisis to the so-called prosperity gospel.

God caused the bank to ignore my credit score and blessed me with my first house.”

Prosperity theology works up worshippers into an irrational optimism that is supposed to translate eventually to material goods.  In other words, a believer’s faith and donations are a divine contract for upward mobility.  The article says that magical thinking is what made many homeowners vulnerable to predatory lenders.