Name it and claim it

{{christianity}} {{Bronze}}
{{cquote|… make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.|||{{Bible|John|2|16}}}}
'''Name it and claim it''' is a "[[theology]]" taught by some [[televangelist]]s, [[faith healing|faith healers]], [[megachurch]]es, and [[Pentecostal]] preachers.  Some such teachers regard the "name it and claim it" label as derogatory and prefer to call their doctrine "'''Word of [[Faith]]'''" or the "'''prosperity gospel'''".<ref name=falsani>Cathleen Falsani, [https://archive.is/gf17q The Worst Ideas of the Decade: The prosperity gospel]. Archived from ''The Washington Post'', 4 August 2014.</ref> Less kind detractors also call Word of Faith theology "blab it and grab it".

The movement has its roots in the griftier parts of [[New Thought]].<ref name=burton>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/08/01/self-centered-religion-shared-by-marianne-williamson-president-trump/ For Marianne Williamson and Donald Trump, religion is all about themselves: The conviction that you can shape the world with your mind is an American tradition.] By Tara Isabella Burton (August 1, 2019) ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/allsrightwithwo01newcgoog/page/n5 All's Right With the World] by Charles Benjamin Newcomb (1897) The Philosophical Publishing Company.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/thoughtforceinb00atkigoog/page/n4 Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life: Being a Series of Lessons in Personal Magnetism, Psychic Influence, Thought-force Concentration, Will Power & Practical Mental Science] by William Walter Atkinson (1901) Sydney Flower, 18<sup>th</sup> edition.</ref> The movement itself became popularized through the operations of Kenneth Hagin {{lived|1917|2003}}, a [[Pentecostal]] preacher from [[Texas]] and later based in Tulsa, [[Oklahoma]]. He taught [[faith healing]] and founded the Rhema Bible Church and Rhema Bible Training College.<ref>[https://www.rhema.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=137 Founder's memorial.] rhema.org (Kenneth Hagin Ministries).</ref> His church was moderately famous around the state of Oklahoma for the ''insanely'' large and expensive [[Christmas]]-light display but not really notable for anything else. Hagin authored scores of booklets teaching how the [[Holy Spirit]] could make you rich, healthy, and "[[anointing|anointed]]" with spiritual gifts if you would just have enough faith to "name it and claim it".

==What it is about==
The gist of "name it and claim it" is that the [[Bible]] contains numerous promises from [[God]] to [[Christianity|Christian]] believers, but that believers have to first "claim" the promise before it can become effective. These "promises" may include healing from disease, [[exorcism]] of evil spirits, power to engage in [[spiritual warfare]] against [[Satan]], or various [[supernatural]] gifts supposedly from the [[Holy Spirit]]. {{Bible|Romans|10|13}}, which runs:

{{cquote|For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.|||}}

is tortured to breaking point in order to suggest that anything the flock are in need of, not just [[salvation]], can be earned simply by claiming it in the name of the Lord. Passages such as {{Bible|Deuteronomy|28|1}}-14, {{Bible|Isaiah|53|5}}, and {{Bible|Psalm|91}} are taken  hilariously out of context in an attempt to back up this theological howler.

This basically means that all you need to do is to engage in [[magical thinking]] (in a Christian version of ''[[The Secret]]'') and/or [[sympathetic magic]] (see the “seed” example below) to have the Good Lord shower you with worldly goods and success.

Unsurprisingly, "name it and claim it" is highly controversial among the many shades of Christianity and tends to be especially disliked by those of the left-leaning variety.

Note that God's promise of salvation is normally viewed as requiring acceptance (i.e. you can’t be saved against your will), and hence it is ''not'' in itself a distinguishing feature of "name it and claim it" theology to highlight the necessity of acceptance for salvation.

A variant of the "prosperity gospel" preached by figures like {{wpl|Mike Murdock||,}} [[Kenneth Copeland]], [[Creflo Dollar]] (no, seriously, that's his ''real name''), Todd Coontz<ref>[http://rockwealth.org/abouttoddcoontz.html Todd Coontz] at rockwealth.org.</ref> (currently in prison over tax fraud<ref>[https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/appeal-denied-former-charlotte-televangelist-convicted-tax-evasion/EAO233CCA5C7JJI5MQX6AAFRQ4/ Appeal denied for former Charlotte televangelist convicted of tax evasion]. WSCO TV, 17 April 2020.</ref><ref>[https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2021/04/07/a-prosperity-gospel-preacher-found-guilty-of-tax-fraud-is-finally-behind-bars/ A Prosperity Gospel Preacher Found Guilty of Tax Fraud is Finally Behind Bars]</ref>), and James Payne,<ref>[http://jamespayneministries.com/ James Payne] at jamespayneministries.com.</ref> involves gulling their more desperate audience members into 
bribing God
 sending "seed money" directly to the televangelist with the promise of divine rewards in the form of wealth gains proportional to the size of their "seed". This was parodied by comedian [[John Oliver]] on an episode of his show.<ref>[https://youtu.be/7y1xJAVZxXg Televangelists: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver], [[YouTube]], 16 August 2015.</ref>. Another variant, despite its proposers attacking practicioners of the former and prosperity gospel preachers, is to claim to give [[tithe]] is ''not'' mandatory, but with the usual backing up of Biblical verses and [[Pious fraud|personal experiences]] mixed in if you cough up that dough God will give you extra perks as prosperity and protection from a [[demon]] named "Devourer". Of course you must not donate the monies to the poor and/or other churches, you must give it to ''your'' church only<ref group=note>It goes without saying that the money is not stored or thrown in a place of impossible access for even the claimants, used to help anothers even if church members only, or even destroyed outright (even if that's illegal in many jurisdictions) despite the pastors who say that claiming (at least the love of) money is the root of all evil or that they'll not use it for their needs.

TL;DR. Bills don't pay themselves and the pastor needs money to live, so leave those bucks in the collecting plate.</ref>

==Controversial interpretation of the Bible==
Since the Bible includes promises that God will meet the needs of believers, some "name it and claim it" preachers focus on this promise in particular and apply it in ways that would make the actual [[Jesus Christ]] want to vomit. Do you "need" that new car? Just name it, and claim it! Do you "need" a lot of [[money]]? Do you "need" that winning [[lottery]] ticket? You get the idea.<ref group=note>This philosophy doesn't 
always
 work, so some churches urge [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/19/AR2008071901733.html responsibility in managing one's finances].</ref> Often these preachers solicit money for their own lavish lifestyles by encouraging [[tithe|tith]]ing, or giving 10% of one's annual income, to the 
corporation
 [[Section 501(c)|tax-exempt]] church. For example, former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield once gave $3.5 million to [[Creflo Dollar]] after a title fight. Holyfield's house is now going through foreclosure proceedings.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92nvUixQm1c Pulpit Pimpin' + Rich Athletes = $$$! Part 1] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesfdLXMhkU Part 2], [[Youtube]], 19 April 2009.</ref> The US Senate had some (fairly feeble) investigations into several "name it and claim it" ministries.<ref>Rchel Zoll, [http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40960871/ns/politics-capitol_hill/t/televangelists-escape-penalty-senate-inquiry/#.VIQXPabx0tU Televangelists escape penalty in Senate inquiry], NBC News, 7 January 2011.</ref>

===Show me the money===
Popular passages that have been [[Cherry picking|cherry picked]] and abused by the preachers are:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140511153224/http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2014/05/09/ten-verses-prosperity-gospel-preachers-need-stop-misuising/32019 Ten Bible Verses Prosperity Gospel Preachers Need to Stop Misusing: Can you believe your way to health and wealth? Prosperity teachers say yes — and they misuse these Bible verses to convince millions of people that they’re right.] by Corrie Mitchell (May 9, 2014) ''On Faith, FaithStreet'' (archived from May 11, 2014).</ref>
*{{bible|John|10|10}}: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
*{{bible|James|4|2}}: "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not."
*{{bible|Mark|10|29|30}}: "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
*{{bible|Galatians|3|14}}: "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
*{{bible|2 Corinthians|8|9}}: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
*:This is probably the verse that [[Donald Trump#Pretending to be religious|rang a little bell in the deep dark recesses of Trump's brain]].
*{{bible|3 John|1|2}}: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
*{{bible|Malachi|3|10}}: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
*{{bible|Isaiah|53|5}}: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
*{{bible|Jeremiah|29|11}}: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
*{{bible|John|14|14}}: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

==Large-scale economic damage==
This line of magical thinking may have helped to fuel the expansion of sub-prime mortgages which fed into an [[Banking crisis#Great Recession|economic mess]]. Preachers encouraged people with bad credit ratings to take out mortgages on homes that they could not afford because, since they were faithful Christians, [[God]] would take care of the rest. In fact, many of the areas worst affected by the housing bubble also happened to be home to churches advocating "name it and claim it."<ref>
[http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/12/did-christianity-cause-the-crash/7764/ "Did Christianity Cause the Crash?" Hanna Rosin, the ''Atlantic Monthly,'' December 2009.]</ref>

==Roman Catholics==
Some prejudiced reactionary [[Roman Catholic]]s have their own inverted version of this philosophy. In [[Just world hypothesis|their world view]], [[sin]] causes all [[poverty]], and [[Jesus]] only extends his blessings to Good Catholics™ (however, this [[Irony|looks more like]] the concept of [[karma]] and runs counter to the conventional Catholic teachings, which emphasize [[charity]] and compassion). By contrast, [[liberation theology]] defines "sin" as "political oppression and suppressing the poor" and, influenced by [[Marxist]] views on poverty and class struggle, liberation theologians seek to change these prevailing patterns through a [[Revolution|very human struggle]], rather than assuming that [[Goddidit|God will somehow fix things]].

==Prominent promoters==
{{collist|2|
* [[Jim Bakker]] back in the PTL Club days, although in his book ''I Was Wrong'', he says he has come to reject those beliefs. After the book was published, he returned to grifting, so now he's [[wronger than wrong]] because he's additionally selling [[alternative medicine]] garbage like [[colloidal silver]].
* [[Todd Bentley]]
* [[Kenneth Copeland]]
* [[Paul Crouch]]
* [[Creflo Dollar]]
* [[John Hagee]]
* {{wpl|Kenneth Hagin}}<ref name=falsani />
* [[Benny Hinn]]
* [[Bob Larson]] claims not to promote it, but does.
* [[Eddie Long]]
* [[Joel Osteen]]
* [[Rod Parsley]]
* {{wpl|Frederick K. C. Price}}<ref name=falsani />
* [[Apollo Quiboloy]]
* [[Oral Roberts]]<ref name=falsani />
* [[Pat Robertson]]
* [[Jimmy Swaggart]]
}}

==In a nutshell==
{{video|youtube|hTfKpAWkgJY}}

==See also==
{{collist|2|
*[[Cargo cult]]
*[[Law of attraction]]
*[[Liberation theology]]
*[[Magical thinking]]
*[[Megachurch]]
*[[Prayer]]
*''[[Saving Christmas]]''
*''[[The Secret]]''
*[[Will]]
}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{biblebox}}

[[Category:Bible woo]]
[[Category:Prosperity gospel|*]]
[[Category:Scams]]

Categories: Bible woo, Prosperity gospel, Scams