The marketing manipulation that is used to promote a form of Christianity is the same method marketers use to get potential consumers to become acting consumers. It is called the AIDA Model. This model consists of four stages: Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. Student in marketing, learn about this concept and are graded on their ability to bring about the desired action. One can easily see the application of this model to promote a new idea of Christianity is the same model used to promote a new brand of box cereal. Follow me for a moment.
The application of this model does not require a college degree, it merely requires a gift of ‘gab’, the ability to sell others on your idea and a desire to manipulate others. Manipulation seems to be such an ominous word, yet there is a good side and a bad side of manipulation. There is harmless manipulation such as being led to believe that a Honda is superior to a Cheverolet vehicle. Dangerous manipulation was to convince the public that smoking was ok. Money is usually a common factor of all types of manipulations, in the church, in the community and in business. Yet, the church was not to be founded on the same level as an everyday business.
What happen? The church realizing that its core membership base was eroding, therefore it implemented the AIDA Model as a means of expanding its membership base. Reverend Ike trumped the idea of, “The pie in the sky by and by”, and introduced a whole new concept of Heaven here on earth and by doing so he open the door to a host of others that would improve on his concept, many with false messages. To bring about the permutation of Christianity the ancient idea of God had to be changed. The statements of, “God is good” or “God has got a blessing waiting for you”, is enough to implement the first two steps of the AIDA platform, awareness and interest. The desire for a little Heaven here on earth is a sellable but undeliverable attribute of Christianity.
The manipulation of desire is caused by knowing what is wanted or need and offering it. What do you want become the prime question. If you want money, God will give you money. Here again The Reverend Ike, my model for the fleecing of the sheep mailed out thousands of letters in the early sixties that said, “ SOMEBODY, reading this letter will receive a financial blessing from God, all you have to do is plant a seed of faith. The call for action was heeded by many, especially poor blacks who had become aware of this newly created God, and now they were lined up and clamoring for the blessings. A touch of common sense from God would render that type of promotion baseless.
Problems have begun to manifest themselves when God refused to be manipulated. “If he did it once, he will do it again”, became the cry of the indoctrinated without the validity of scriptural support. Standing on the creek bank waiting for God to put the water became a lesson in futility. The redefinition of the works of God became commonplace, in that the starting of a flooded car has now been described as a miracle. The scripture is taken out of its context and the righteous are being indoctrinated into believing that if you speak it it will be so. If this were true, what a beautiful world we would have. A sick person in the hospital is often decreed heal, yet often that person passes on from labor to reward.
A cloak of fear is used to intimidate those who eyes have been open to the false doctrines that is prevailing. How many people have left the altar wondering why they didn't get the blessing that was promised to them. The man who gave his last dollar and went out looking for the blessing that was promised, found himself wondering if he and his family had been forsaken by God. But, these are things you can't talk about because the problem is not in God, it is in you. Through fear the indoctrination holds. The ancient prophets of the old testament urged the people to speak up and cast aside the false prophets. Jesus, John, Peter and Paul as depicted in the first part of this study urged the followers of Christ to cast aside their false Gods. Jeremiah 23:32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.Revelation 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. The angry God concept as depicted in the Book of Revelation is not a sellable attribute. When we reference God in the grocery store checkout line and in the social media, we reference a God who is laid back, arms folded and smiling as his creation dance and prance in the sunshine, with with uplifted hands begging for the blessing. But when I hear of the strange weather patterns enveloping the globe, the never ending wars being fought, the storms that are tearing our communities apart, I am reminded of an old spiritual song we once sang. “Dark clouds are rising. Poor sinner stands trembling, he is trying to hide his face from an angry God, I haven't got long to stay here. But the angry God concept is no longer sellable.
Against my better judgement, I chose to watch several video's of worship services on YouTube. I sat mesmerized and filled with awe staring at the computer screen. The messengers of god perfecting the art of making people fall down, plucking angel feathers out of mid air and teaching all sorts of strange doctrines. A strange correlation between voodoo and Christianity has begun to emerge and is played out in many churches. Strange powers are being manifested and are promoted as the power of God. Many of these powers claimed by these messengers are nothing more than a deviant form of mind control. Again, I pose the question, if a drunk stand before a crowd of, say fifty, and say, somebody in here have a headache do that make him a messenger of God?
Much of what we see emulating from the Christian communities are considered by many to be nothing more than self serving platitudes. Sound bites that sound impressive and create the illusion that one has God on speed dial (so to speak) is not an effective method of drawing people to Christ. I know the well indoctrinated will say, if we lift him up, he will do the drawing. Another point in favor of misinterpreting the scripture. In John 12:32, Jesus said, " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." This verse had nothing to do with the worship service. The next verse explains what he was talking about. John 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. Who is talking, what is being talked about and who is being spoken to is important when seeking to understanding the word of God. Failure to do so and we end up with a polluted mess that is being sustained through false teaching.
Students of the Word of God should study the lives of those who were inspired to write the Word of God. Doing so will give us a deeper understanding of the Word of God. Look at the Apostles, they walked and talked with Jesus, compare their lives with what we are taught and expect from God. Why did they languish in Jail and die horrible deaths when all they had to do was speak the word? Matthew 14:10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. In a moment of weakness I sometime wonder why John didn't say, "get behind me Devil, you can't have my head." Are we greater than John? If Jesus could have own a stable full of donkeys, why did he borrow one to ride into town? God got it and we want it, this is the sellable concept of God.
In todays Christian environment, we are taught to amplify the blessing concept of God and downplay the Wrath of God. Are we being blinded by our wants? On any given day there are events taking place that should cause us to turn to God with fear and trembling, but fear and trembling are not sellable attributes of God. Planes fall from the sky, but God is blessing, Wars and violence are a daily staple of the news media, but God is blessing. Our community and our homes is being wrecked by violence, but God is blessing. Our young and old people are dying with incurable diseases, yet God is blessing. Families are struggling to get by on very little money or food to eat yet God is blessing. Is God selective blessing the rich and famous, the well prepared? Come now, let us reason together with the common sense of God. Have we not provoked the God of Heaven to wrath?
Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.
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Living under the wrath of God
