Believers in bling: Behold, the prosperity 'Preachers of L.A.'

Money. Women. Fame. Church.
That's a day in the life of “The Preachers of L.A.,” a new reality show centered on the lives of megachurch pastors of the so-called “prosperity gospel.”


The show, which premiers Wednesday night on the Oxygen Network, is a chaotic mix of prayer, "house porn," and neatly orchestrated dust-ups between senior pastors and their “first ladies.”

In some ways, the combination of the prosperity gospel with the “Real Housewives” format is a match made in Oprah-produced heaven.

Men of the cloth cruise Southern California in lavish cars weighed down by their gold watches and tiny dogs.

As Ron Gibson, a bishop in the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country, explains: “P. Diddy, Jay Z. They’re not the only ones who should be driving Ferraris and living in nice houses.”

Sorry I can't post the pic from the article but it looks like a concert more than anything.CNN

Even if I still had cable I wouldn't watch this show. This must be a all time low for religion but those preaching it would probably disagree. My real question is how can anyone believe in them? Who would donate money to them?

Isn't this something that the bible says it is against? I know it happens to some extent and sometimes lavishly in other churches but they don't try to flaunt it like this. This just doesn't make sense unless it's completely staged for TV purposes only but the article says otherwise.

Please help me understand this one!!!!!

reply to post by Grimpachi


Sounds bad...but
I have seen ministers more interested in teaching and preaching the gospel for little wages and still be as far from God as these men and women.
There is no real love in their lives, no compassion and concern for others.

Its a sad, broken world.
Jesus had to die for sin or we would all be screwed

The answer is Jesus, we are the problem, you and me both.

The answer is love, dont stop seeking and searching for a Christ like heart like those we admonish.

Greed is good, greed is the American way. Worship the dollar like these poltroons - I mean poverty is scary man! Bling shows how much God has blessed you so you must be doing something right?
Prosperity theology has been around for at least 30 years but wasn't popular in the minority churches who clung to the older interpretations of the bible. Faith in money is the biggest scam the government has going for it, no wonder they'd want to keep spreading the message.

reply to post by Grimpachi

Please help me understand this one!!!!!

The prosperity gospel is a false gospel. They tell the people to just "Name It and Claim It" or "Sow Seed Money" and they will get all they desire. The only one doing the naming and claiming is the wolf at the pulpit that lies and fleeces the flock. Doesn't matter that the preachers god is mammon and that the goats have itchy ears, he knows how to scratch them and tell them what they want to hear.

Now toss in hard times and people are looking for any way out of their plight. So the wolf tells them to say a prayer and put $10, $20 or $100 in the offering plate and the lord will give them 10x what they gave. The is a bold faced lie but desperate people buy into it hook, line and sinker. Then when they don't receive, they are told it's because they have a lack of faith, more lies.

There will always be a member that puts in $100 and then a few days later receives a check or something for $1000 whereupon the next Sunday the wolf has them up front giving a testimony of how they planted the "seed money" and received $1000. You can hear the wallets and purses pop open as the plate passes by. It's a scam.

If you want to find out how the Lord will bless you in abundance and all that you do, them read Deuteronomy 28 and Malachi. However, they never tell the flock to do this as that would mean no money for them. I really wonder when the people will ever read the book. It's just easier to have someone do that for you it seems.

I guess it's only fair to inform you that you are living in a place that is Sodom, Gomorrah, Egypt and Babylon all rolled into one. The warning has already been given “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." Revelation 18:4. Not hard to understand, it's where you live and what they do, you are just seeing it with opened eyes.

reply to post by pstrron


I sort of follow what you are saying. My eyes always glaze over some when passages are brought up but I get through them. It's just hard to believe that their are so many people who fall for this. It's the worst kind of get rich scam IMO.

Look I am not religious but even I admit from time to time religion can do good for others but not this. Will people really believe anything they are told because it certainly seems like it.

Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple. He did not offer to sell them a franchise. Jesus gave freely of himself and never charged anything for it. These preachers must think they are better than Jesus. Nothing makes me madder than somebody pimping the Son of God like a crack whore for money and fame.

reply to post by Grimpachi

Will people really believe anything they are told because it certainly seems like it.

Sure they will, just tell a big lie over and over again and people start to believe the lie is the truth. Remember GWB Jr. kept telling the world that Saddam Husein had WMD, now that was a whopper and known to be a lie but he kept saying it over and over...well you know the rest of the story. There are several other super sized lies that the public has bought off on and refuse to change their beliefs due to the implications. Yet the same lies continue being told even when known to be a lie. I believe Joseph Goebbels said it best;

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. If you repeat a lie long enough, it becomes truth. Joseph Goebbels

''On that day many will say to me 'Lord, Lord'...''