“It must be acknowledged that equality, which brings great benefits into the world, nevertheless suggests to men (as will be shown hereafter) some very dangerous propensities. It tends to isolate them from each other, to concentrate every man’s attention upon himself; and lays open the soul to an inordinate love of material gratification. The greatest advantage of religion is to inspire diametrically contrary principles. There is no religion which does not place the object of man’s desire above and beyond the treasures of earth, and which does not naturally raise his soul to regions far above those of the senses… Religious nations are therefore naturally strong on the very point on which democratic nations are weak, which shows of what importance it is for men to preserve their religion as their conditions become more equal. Tocqueville, 1840-Democracy in America
There is a brand of Christianity that I simply do not agree with in the slightest. I think they give Christianity, and religion in general, a bad name. Kenneth Copeland comes to mind. I don’t mean to single Mr. Copeland out; he’s certainly not alone, just currently in the news. I think he fits the profile of the rising popularity of Christian rhetoricians. Many of these sophists are filling athletic stadiums by the tens of thousands. Every Christian TV station I’ve seen (except EWTN) provides twenty for hour, seven day a week coverage, of one sophist after another .
What’s the draw? Money. Money for the preacher, and a promise of financial prosperity for the believer. It’s like a traveling Vegas show selling casino chips to heaven. The believer hopes his financial bet will pay off; while the preachers live in mansions, fly around in private jets, and donate money to the Huckabee campaign. Recently I watched Mr. Copeland dedicate an entire hour attempting to scripturally justify his new mansion.
What does any of this have to do with, or for Christianity? In today’s world, where militant atheists are on the rise, this sort of religion acts as fodder for their movement. Not only that, but it places false hope in the hearts of believers. The true happiness of God is not found in material goods. Sure God wants us to have things; but our true delight, our fulfillment of our longing, is in the redemptive power of God.
Implications of the death of God and the eternal recurrence:
There is no freedom
There is no truth
There is no morality
There is no creativity
There is no choice
There is no purpose
There is no hope
What a sad and hopeless set of ideals. Call me a madman; I’ll keep my God. What sort of declaration of independence or constitution would be written with such a preamble? Where can we find this “over-man” that has learned to find happiness in this purer world of science?
See: A Thought From Chesterton
THE MADMAN—-
Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market place, and cried incessantly: “I seek God! I seek God!”—As many of those who did not believe in God were standing around just then, he provoked much laughter. Has he got lost? asked one. Did he lose his way like a child? asked another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? emigrated?—Thus they yelled and laughed
The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his eyes. “Whither is God?” he cried; “I will tell you. We have killed him—you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how did we do this? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night continually closing in on us? Do we not need to light lanterns in the morning? Do we hear nothing as yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we smell nothing as yet of the divine decomposition? Gods, too, decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.
“How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whoever is born after us—for the sake of this deed he will belong to a higher history than all history hitherto.”
Here the madman fell silent and looked again at his listeners; and they, too, were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke into pieces and went out. “I have come too early,” he said then; “my time is not yet. This tremendous event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time; the light of the stars requires time; deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than most distant stars—and yet they have done it themselves.
It has been related further that on the same day the madman forced his way into several churches and there struck up his requiem aeternam deo. Led out and called to account, he is said always to have replied nothing but: “What after all are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchers of God?”
“It must be acknowledged that equality, which brings great benefits into the world, nevertheless suggests to men (as will be shown hereafter) some very dangerous propensities. It tends to isolate them from each other, to concentrate every man’s attention upon himself; and lays open the soul to an inordinate love of material gratification. The greatest advantage of religion is to inspire diametrically contrary principles. There is no religion which does not place the object of man’s desire above and beyond the treasures of earth, and which does not naturally raise his soul to regions far above those of the senses… Religious nations are therefore naturally strong on the very point on which democratic nations are weak, which shows of what importance it is for men to preserve their religion as their conditions become more equal. Tocqueville, 1840-Democracy in America
There is a brand of Christianity that I simply do not agree with in the slightest. I think they give Christianity, and religion in general, a bad name. Kenneth Copeland comes to mind. I don’t mean to single Mr. Copeland out; he’s certainly not alone, just currently 
What’s the draw? Money. Money for the preacher, and a promise of financial prosperity for the believer. It’s like a traveling Vegas show selling casino chips to heaven. The believer hopes his financial bet will pay off; while the preachers live in mansions, fly around in private jets, and donate money to the 
Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market place, and cried incessantly: “I seek God! I seek God!”—As many of those who did not believe in God were standing around just then, he provoked much laughter. Has he got lost? asked one. Did he lose his way like a child? asked another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? emigrated?—Thus they yelled and laughed