Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 January 4

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Prosperity theology is a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will increase one's material wealth. Based on non-traditional interpretations of the Bible, often with emphasis on the Book of Malachi, the doctrine views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver his promises of security and prosperity. The doctrine emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God's will for his people to be happy. It came to prominence in the United States during the Healing Revivals of the 1950s and later figured prominently in the Word of Faith movement and 1980s televangelism. In the 1990s and 2000s, it was adopted by influential leaders in the Charismatic Movement and promoted by Christian missionaries throughout the world. Churches in which the prosperity gospel is taught are often non-denominational and usually directed by a sole pastor or leader, although some have developed multi-church networks. Prosperity theology has been criticized by leaders in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, as well as other Christian denominations, who maintain that it is irresponsible and theologically unsound. (Full article...)

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Old postcard of the Rollstone Boulder on Rollstone Hill

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  • In the news

    Magnus Carlsen
  • In chess, Magnus Carlsen (pictured) achieves the highest FIDE rating of all time.
  • At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
  • Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda, and South Korea join the United Nations Security Council.
  • China officially opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, linking Beijing and Guangzhou.
  • Egyptian voters approve a new constitution.
  • A military aircraft crashes while descending toward Shymkent, Kazakhstan, killing all 27 people on board.
  • The victim of a gang-rape in Delhi, which sparked widespread demonstrations across India, dies in Singapore.

    Recent deaths: Rita Levi-MontalciniTony GreigWilliam Rees-Mogg

  • On this day...

    January 4: Independence Day in Burma (1948)

    Ariel Sharon

  • 1885Sino-French War: French troops under General François Oscar de Négrier defeated a numerically superior Qing Chinese force at Nui Bop in northern Vietnam.
  • 1903Topsy, a domesticated elephant with the Forepaugh Circus at Luna Park, Coney Island, was executed by electrocution after she was deemed a threat to people, an event captured on film by inventor Thomas Edison.
  • 1973Last of the Summer Wine, the longest running sitcom in the world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse.
  • 1976The Troubles: Volunteers from the Ulster Volunteer Force shot dead five Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
  • 2006Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon (pictured) suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke, leaving Ehud Olmert as Acting Prime Minister.

    More anniversaries: January 3 January 4 January 5

    It is now January 4, 2013 (UTC) – Refresh this page
  • Today's featured picture

    White-lipped tree frog

    The white-lipped tree frog (Litoria infrafrenata) is the world's largest tree frog. This species is native to the rainforests of Northern Queensland, New Guinea, the Bismarck Islands and the Admiralty Islands. It can reach a length of over 13 cm (5 in), with females growing larger than males. The lower lip has a distinctive white stripe, giving this species its common name.

    Photo: JJ Harrison

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