I think you know where i'm going with this. Aside from the massive over-punctuation, i really do wonder about the theology of it all. Is this god who is being praised, the same God that warned against storing up treasures on earth? The same God to whom we might pray "lead us not into temptation".(Temptations like historically low interest rates which are going nowhere but up).
Having said that, if it was just "God wants us to buy a house" i would have let it slide. But to praise God for this outcome - let alone to suggest it occured through his direct intervention - i think is a very big (and perhaps dodgy) call.
But I think what gets me most is the effect on people who are on a spiritual quest. People who are earnestly looking for answers - looking for an alternative to the fake lifestyle peddled by advertisers - looking for someone to transcend the selfishness of this world. Reading a portrayal of God as some kind of genie-in-a-bottle who grants us three wishes (or more if we want) isn't incredibly helpful for that person.
Sure, following Jesus can be very rewarding, but if we think that God's rewards are as superficial as succesful home loan applications, sunny weather when we're planning a picnic, and the occassional free carspace at the shops; then we're selling God short - by a long long way.
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ps. some other day i'll address the implication that world hunger, poverty, climate change, war, and oppression all continue to exist because this alleged god is too busy finalising a suburban mortgage.
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