The charismatic movement is arguably the most significant things that happened in the Christian Church during the entire Twentieth Century. It has resulted in radical and global changes in almost every denomination.
But being significant and being good are not always synonymous. We honestly believe that the charismatic movement will be remembered in God's history book as one of the most destructive spiritual events in the history of the church. In fact, it is so significant that it was predicted in the Bible. (2 Thessalonians 2:8-11)
These criticisms are not being made by a conservative who condemns anything that is different. They come from the growing ranks of those who have sampled deeply of what charismania has to offer and have come away deeply disillusioned at the blatant greed and dishonesty that riddles the entire movement.
Saint Peter spoke of greedy prophets full of adultery, who disappointed those who came to them looking for genuine truth. "Wells without water" he called them (2 Peter 2:14-17), and so they are.
There are sincere individuals in the charismatic movement, and undoubtedly there have been genuine miracles, especially in the early days. But built as it is, on the demands of an evil generation (Matthew 12:39), it was only a matter of time before demands for signs and wonders would give way to demands for wealth and sexual promiscuity.
Even the non-Christian third world is waking up to the false promises of western so-called healing evangelists. It gets harder and harder to fill the tents of these crusaders with little black faces to be used for promotional films to raise funds back home.
As more and more people have seen through the lies and gimmicks, the shift has been away from healings to promises of prosperity. If you cannot trick God into doing real miracles, you can at least use him to excuse your greed and the greed of the masses.
Charismatics did not invent the prosperity gospel, nor did they invent the false grace teaching; but they have developed both of these heresies into multi-national money-spinners that earn them billions of dollars every year.
Jonestown, Jim Bakker, and the Children of God are a few extreme examples of the charismatic gift for rationalising any kind of sin. But a sellout to the lusts of the flesh is pandemic in the movement and can be found even in the tiniest clusters of charismaniacs. Divorce and remarriage rates are consistently higher than those in the unchurched world. And greed is not only tolerated but actively encouraged in the name of God.
There comes a time when the Spirit of God says, "Come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing... Come out of her, my people!" (2 Corinthians 6:17, Revelation 18:4)
We believe that time has just about arrived.
(See also Rip-Off Merchants.)
Register or log in to take the quiz for this article
