Customer Reviews

God's Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters

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I first became acquainted with Sarah Posner's writing in the American Prospect, October, 2005 article, With God on His Side. Living in Ohio, among Parsley and his "Christocrats," witnessing the very real influence that Parsley, Russell Johnson and their "Patriot Pastors had on the '04 election, I found her writing perceptive, accessible and entirely on target. The biggest challenge posed by this cultic movement is getting people to believe in the long-term threat it continues to pose. Since that first article, I have devoured every word she has written, only to finally be rewarded with God's Profits.

In this well-researched book, she clearly and compellingly explains the what's, who's, and why's of how religious huckster-ism has successfully manipulated a frightened, lonely, and despairing populace.

Ms. Posner has done it again, only this time, the prize is bigger: it's a book. There is no writer out there who knows more about the subject, none who has gone more often into the belly of the beast, as she clearly has. As the bar regarding church-state separation continues to be lowered, it is time to take note of this serious journalist's insight and the skill with which she presents it.

Would that I could, I'd give this book ten stars.

"God's Profits" by Sarah Posner presents a timely expose of the Word of Faith (WoF) movement and a discussion of its significance within American culture and the Republican Party. Ms. Posner writes with the immediacy of a seasoned journalist who has backed up her story with solid documentation and onsite investigative reporting. The result is an important book that helps us understand how the "pray, pay and vote" movement has played a crucial role in steering our democracy in an increasingly fanatical and dangerous direction.

Ms. Posner demonstrates that the WoF movement is particularly obsessive about its fund raising efforts even as its most visible proponents enjoy lavish lifestyles. Although the WoF's "prosperity gospel" may be disputed by reputable scholars, it has proven to be enormously effective in coercing the faithful to tithe their earnings in exchange for the promise of God's material blessings. Marketed aggressively through megachurches, mass rallies, religious schools and a vast media empire that includes book publishing, DVDs and movies as well as television networks, the WoF message reaches tens of millions of people who are eager to support their leaders' causes. For example, Ms. Posner contends that WoF supporters were encouraged in 2004 to support a ban on same-sex marriage and cast votes that may well have made the critical difference in George W. Bush's re-election in the crucial swing state of Ohio.

Ms. Posner makes clear that the WoF movement's relationship with the Republican Party is one of mutual interest. Ideologically, the WoF's self-help message dovetails with the rugged individualism of economic neoliberalism, where success or failure in the marketplace is determined by one's own efforts and not by government policies. Although George H.W. Bush paid lip service to the 'thousand points of light' of the faith community, he was punished at the polls when he did not deliver meaningful legislation or support; not wishing to repeat this mistake, George W. Bush has granted WoF leaders with unprecedented access to the White House. On this point, Ms. Posner describes how specific WoF positions on topics such as support for Israel and war against Islam have gained sympathetic ears within the upper echelons of power, bringing new insight to the influences that have shaped the Bush administration's foreign policies.

Thomas Jefferson warned that religion can result in "the last degradation of a free and moral agent" whose ability to engage in critical thinking is essential to the exercise of democracy. In that light, the WoF's emphasis on revelation against rationality poses a danger to us all, and it is one that in Ms. Posner's opinion will not diminish in the future. To that end, the vivid reporting and astute analysis presented by Ms. Posner empowers us to challenge the religious hucksters who have made their fortunes profiting from our insecurities.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

This does not strike me as a muckraking work. The religious leaders Posner describes are multi-millionaires who are invited to the White House. Even their scandals, trials for corruption and the like, are matters of public record -- not to mention jokes on late night television. Posner is a great expert, but she is just assembling available information, as a good reporter ought to do. I don't think she makes one risky or undocumented statement, and as a result her book is a little fact-packed and tedious. On the other hand, she does know more about these people than anyone else; she writes frequent columns about them for PROSPECT and other magazines. And these millionaires are openly doing their best to turn our country into a theocracy, so it certainly doesn't hurt to have their activities all brought together in a thoroughly reliable book like this.

Posner has followed both the money and the beliefs of a crew of the nation's sleaziest snake oil salesmen to produce a horrifying but important story. "God's Profits" is a book anyone who wants to understand how good and honest people are seduced into movements led by theological sham artists needs to read. Of particular value is Posner's reporting on Rod Parsley, a rising star of "populist" fundamentalism. This is fast-paced, fearless muck-raking of the first order.

I hope to Gawd this book gets a lot more exposure as we get to the fall elections. John McCain has sought and received the blessings of the madmen preachers profiled in this book. That alone should be enough to make him lose in a landslide. Seriously! Hagee and Parsley scare the crap out of me with all their promotion of all-out nuclear war to bring about "Jesus Christ - The Encore Presentation". Yikes!!!
Great work, Sarah Posner! Thank you for this timely book.

Ms. Posner provides an expose' of the "Word of Faith" movement and the obsession with money.
Lavish lifestyles, exotic cars, and multi-million dollar mansions are trademarks for the preachers and leaders in the movement.
The author demonstrates that the Republican political connection to the religious "prosperity movement" is motivated for mutual need of, and love for- money.

On page 50 she writes- "The seed-faith gimmick is little more than a give-to-get gospel of greed."

She also covers some of the dangers of dominionist theocracy. Of course these leaders are feeding at the trough for money like so many other large Christian entities. Whether some of these churches are dominionist or not, they often employ an authoritarian structure. You must not question your leader or you will go to hell or be labeled "satanic".

This book quotes some media investigations of TBN and well-known ministers.
Some of the more disturbing elements being centered around money and material wealth. Personal jets, multiple expensive homes, ties to disbarred attorneys, lies about education, and electioneering from the pulpit.

All in all a thoroughly documented book and one that should be read by anyone curious about the political connection between the Republican Party and the mega-churches.

The author of this book has done the research and comeup with the first real look into the world of professional evangelism. It is balanced,truthful and an eye opener. She through this writing can open the eyes of the scripturally blind if they would read and understand what she has written. She doesnot write over the heads of readers,it is so simple that a child can understand it all one has to do is read it, It should be in every christian's home library. Many of the people who subscribed to the t.v. evangelists are innocent,vulnerable and ripe for the picking. Many of the t.v. evangelists believe that they are doing the work of God when they are fleecing the flock.

I personally believe there may well be a linkage between conservative protestantism and the current administration - both do share some common characteristics and beliefs. However, I have to say this book does nothing to prove there is a connection (if indeed one actually exists).
Sarah Posner presents a rant on the evils of evangelical protestantism especially with regards to how money is collected and the excesses of (some) spokespersons. This is easy to do with multi-million dollar churches, fancy cars and jet airplanes. So it's rotten, selfish and certainly misses most of the essential messages in the Bible.
At the same time she also presents a rant on the evils of the Bush administration. Also easy to do - these guys are lowering taxes on those who can best afford to pay them while cutting the benefits to those who can least afford to do without them. They are also less than honest with the American public with carefully crafted terminology (compassionate conservatism comes to mind).
Two rants in the same book do not prove either one infuenced the other. I wish she had been able to show some cause/effect linkage - I bought the book in part to reinforce my belief there must be some great evil linkage. (She also does not show an understanding of the history or the nature of conservative evangelicals nor what drives their agenda.) She frequently hints at a conspiracy but fails to show where the evangelical movement influenced the administration and it's decisions. She also does not show how any administration decision has exclusively benefited the evangelical movement. Both sides are telling lies to get their points across. Each seems intent on furthering it's own agenda with little regard for the impacts on people. Sorry, it's a sad indictment of our government and of some religious organizations but that does not prove any linkage between these two essentially selfish organizations.

Ms. Posner goes into great detail about the role of the Republican crusaders. Very well researched. She has in-depth interviews, fascinating insights and does it all in a very crisp and readable manner.

Sarah Posner really breaks this down in simplest terms. Christians have no business meddling with the voting process. Jesus said, "Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's, and to God's what is God's." This is not referring to the tithe, this is referring to the separation of church & state. Christians cannot force morality on the world, that's what the Dark Ages & the Inquisitions were all about. These so called, "Men of God" are literally robbing there members. They are seeking they're treasures on earth. I guarantee a big portion of there members are recieving shut off notices & barely surviving, while these "FALSE PROPHETS" are living high on the hog. Matt.7:21-23, Tim.4:3-4. Sorry to say though people, the wall of separation of church & state will come down, it was prophecied thousands of years ago, "So people get ready."