Megachurch Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Criticism == In 2005, [[Baptist]] Pastor [[Al Sharpton]] criticized megachurches for focusing on "bedroom morals", statements against [[Christianity and homosexuality#Evangelical churches|same-sex marriage]] and [[Christianity and abortion|abortion]], by ignoring issues of his beliefs and support of [[social justice]], such as the immorality of war and the erosion{{clarification needed|date=November 2023}} of [[affirmative action]].<ref>Associated Press, [https://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Megachurches-have-wrong-focus-black-leaders-say-1894628.php Megachurches have wrong focus, black leaders say], chron.com, July 2, 2006.</ref> A study by the Hartford Institute published in 2020 found that 60 percent of American megachurches were members of a Christian denomination.<ref>Bird, Warren; Thumma, Scott; [http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/2020_Megachurch_Report.pdf Megachurch 2020 : The Changing Reality in America’s Largest Churches], hirr.hartsem.edu, 2020.</ref> In 2018, American professor [[Scot McKnight]] of [[Northern Baptist Theological Seminary]] criticized nondenominational megachurches for the weak external accountability relationship of their leaders, by not being members of a [[Christian denomination]], further exposing them to abuse of power.<ref>Wellman, James Jr.; Corcoran, Katie; Stockly, Kate; Ficquet, Éloi; ''High on God: How Megachurches Won the Heart of America'', Oxford University Press, 2020, p. 212</ref> Some megachurches and their pastors have been accused by critics of promoting [[prosperity theology]], where the poor and vulnerable are encouraged to donate their money to the church rather than saving it, in the hopes that God will bless them with wealth.<ref>{{Cite news| last=Biema| first=David Van| date=3 October 2008| publisher=Time magazine| title=Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess| url=http://content.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1847053,00.html| access-date=March 30, 2021| issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=1 December 2017 |title=How Megachurches Blurred the Line Between Religion and Riches |url=https://people.howstuffworks.com/do-megachurches-preach-that-prayer-will-make-rich.htm |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=HowStuffWorks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Worst Ideas of the Decade |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/opinions/outlook/worst-ideas/prosperity-gospel.html |access-date=March 30, 2021 |publisher=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> This in turn increases the wealth of the pastors, with some revealed to wear designer clothing during sermons and own luxury vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Niemietz|first=Brian|title=Megachurch preacher buys wife a $200,000 Lamborghini, tells parishioners 'Don't confuse what I do with who I am'|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ny-news-john-gray-mega-church-lamborghini-20181216-story.html|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=nydailynews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=17 April 2019 |title=Let He Who Is Without Yeezys Cast the First Stone |publisher=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/nyregion/preachers-sneakers-instagram-account.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Stevens |first1=Alexis |author2=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |title=Creflo Dollar's ministry says he will get his $65 million jet |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local/creflo-dollar-ministry-says-will-get-his-million-jet/Z1Oa81oGK9BYz1LO4KswAK/ |access-date=30 March 2021 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page