(OPINION) Televangelist and prosperity gospel preacher Jesse Duplantis, who has an estimated net worth of around $20 million, has called poverty a “curse” and says his wealth — which includes a private jet and a 40,000-square-foot mansion in Louisiana — comes from being “blessed” by God.
“Let me give you a prime example why I don’t care what people think about me, about what I have. Now look at me. Look at me. I am a very blessed man,” Duplantis said in an online “Boardroom Chat” session with his wife, Cathy, earlier this month.
“Me and Cathy are very blessed. I’m spiritually, physically, and financially [blessed]. I’ve had more people criticize me over that jet. They still can’t get over it. Criticize me over my house. They didn’t pay for it. I paid for it. Do you understand what I say?” he asked.
In 2018, Duplantis faced widespread criticism for trying to raise money from his followers to purchase a $54 million jet.
In the “Boardroom Chat” session, Duplantis argued that most people’s troubles stem from disobedience and claimed “Christian propaganda” makes people think “poverty is a blessing.”
“Most people’s troubles come because people disobey. That is just simply the truth. Wars, rumors of wars, people always mad about somebody,” he said. “It’s usually someone who has enough power to change ‘people’s thinking,’ I call it. Especially in the Church, I call it Christian propaganda.”
The televangelist highlighted what he sees as propaganda in the Church.
“You know that ‘poverty is a blessing?’ That’s a lie. Poverty is a curse. It’s not in Heaven, none whatsoever,” he said, quoting common phrases some Christians use to challenge the prosperity gospel. “‘Jesus was poor.’ When was He poor? Did you ever hear Him say, ‘I can’t eat today [because] I don’t have anything?'”
Duplantis further suggested that people frustrated about not being blessed when they give financially to a ministry are emotionally manipulated into giving instead of giving out of obedience to Scripture.
“If you move on people emotionally to give, and you do that a lot of times with poverty … why don’t you move on people to simply obey God’s glorious word that He will do what He says,” Duplantis argued. “A lot of people raising money on people’s emotions, so they don’t get blessed.”
Duplantis attempted to use Psalm 49:16 to suggest that the Bible tells believers not to worry about how much another person has. The scripture he read and the verses that follow appear to warn against being enamored by financial wealth.
