Christianity, the Capitalistic Religian

Professor Karen Swallow Prior has taught at various Christian right universities and writes interesting blogs. Her recent one took to task a micro industry within Christianity that brags up "Biblical Manhood." Swallow Prior calls the Biblical Manhood industry a scam.

Biblical Manhood sells publications, holds profitable seminars and takes donations. The scam label comes from making money on the use of "Biblical" which, Swallow Prior says, does not exist. Passages from the Bible claiming to justify male superiority over females are taken out of context. 

I applaud Swallow Prior's effort the call out this exploitative industry. It's a shame any men, or women, think men are superior to women or visa versa. 

While Swallow Prior is right to condemn taking money from the gullible by playing to their preconceived notions or fragile egos, her effort is futile. The "Biblical Manhood" industry is a business model that represents the entire vast industry called Christianity. Money in Christianity comes from donations of those in the pews or on Pay Pal. People donate because they like what they hear. If they hear something they don't like it disappears because no one gets paid to say it. When money pours in, like it may be pouring in to Biblical Manhood, it becomes Christianity or a part of Christianity. 

It is always helpful to remember the basic business model of Christianity. Those in the pews drop money into the collection plate. That money pays the preacher. The preacher's sermons must conform to what those in the pews want to hear or they get another preacher. Those in the pews write the sermons of the preacher behind the pulpit. 

Hardly a day goes by when I don't see on Christian sites either articles or comments about articles which say, "The problem with Christianity today is that preachers are not hammering home the gospel." It's as if preachers can stand behind the pulpit and call those in the pews sinners. Sinners will get another preacher. 

That the message of Christianity comes ultimately from the pews is not altogether a bad thing. When the public in general sees the light and develops approval of good deeds and good views the church improves. This happened with civil rights and gay marriage. Ultimately it will happen with trans and whatever other bad ideas get run up the sin flagpole.

That said, I wish Swallow Prior well in her Don Quichote quest to improve Christianity. My advice to her is to simply follow the money.