Religion and the Economy

I read David Van Biema's article, Foreclosures:Did God Want You to Get That Mortgage?, in TIME.
Biema's introduces us to the Pastor's who are preaching the Prosperity gospel which basically says you can save your soul and be prosperous now. You don't have to wait for your rewards until you get to the pearly gates. These pastors, like Joel Osteen of Houston, says you will get back ten fold (in dollars) what you give now (to theses pastors and their churches).
Biema lets us know that some people believe this is an encouraging message and that it has inspired the poor to do better...get better jobs...and obtain more wealth now. That these are the things that are important and that God wants you to be happy and happiness comes with wealth. Others like Rick Warren, who wrote The Purpose Driven Life, whose books have outsold Osteen's 7 to 1, that these teachings are "baloney".
What does all of this have to do with the economy? Biema believes a number of the congregations of these Prosperity gospel churches have taken on mortgage's they could not afford and a great number of them are now in foreclosure.
This brings up a number of interesting questions and only time, of course, will answer these questions. Once a large number of the members of these churches lose their homes, will they blame the pastor or believe God has abandoned them? Or will they believe it is the fat cats of Wall Street that has crushed their dreams and God will provide again. If it is the latter, they will remain with the church and continue to give their hard earned money to these greedy self-serving pastors in the hopes that "God wants me to be wealthy...he will provide once more." Biema believes the flocks will stay because it is easier to believe they will be provided for, than to think they have to wait until they are having their interview with Saint Peter to be rewarded for being a good Christian.
Biema doesn't take a position in this matter but merely lets the reader know what is happening in these churches and the preachings (read message) to their congregations and the link between those teachings and the affects during this current financial crisis. I found the article to very very interesting and informative.
The Bible speaks about money thousands of times, as Biema mentions in an attached article, but these Prosperity gospel churches stay away from a sermon on the true rewards of being a Christian which has nothing to do with monetary rewards.