Tag: Poverty Pride

B. Lorenzo Buckinchere

Nov 2, 2025

Have you ever noticed that the amount of churches in any given city varies by zip code? For example, poorer neighborhoods have more churches (seems like there is one on every corner like a bodega). But tell me how many churches you are able to find in wealthier neighborhoods. I shall wait but I won’t hold my breath.

This is not only true within any one country, but also among countries on an international scale. Why do you think all these self-proclaimed “Prosperity Prophets” are setting up churches all over Nigeria, but not in Denmark?

Why do you think that Ireland, Mexico, and Italy are predominantly catholic, while “whiter” countries are more protestant? The same general concept is true in the United States. The only difference is that we have football, and they have soccer.

Ever wonder why that is? It’s that way by design. Let’s explore some of the historical, geographical, and socio-economic reasons why that is the case.

First of all, wealthy neighborhoods do have churches. But there are very few of them, usually historical landmarks from the time of early settlements in that neighborhood. They are either thoroughly spaced out, or there is only one church, and it’s out on the main boulevard. Either way, their neighborhood is not saturated with a bunch of churches, and I can’t exactly say that I blame them. If I had a million bucks, I wouldn’t waste my time going to church either.

Is it any wonder then, that the wealthy are much further ahead than most normies? And by much further, I do mean light years ahead.

The poor are poor because they inherently have a victim mindset. They say that the laws of a country are not made in the parliament of that country, but in its pubs. With that said, the men of most countries spend their Saturday nights in the pubs of their cities drowning their sorrows in a bottle and commiserating among themselves that they don’t have any money.

Then the very next day, their wives drag them to church kicking and screaming. They are forced to give away 10% of their earnings to people who are already rich, and who don’t pay taxes, just so those people can give them false hope to put their trust in a deity outside of themselves to provide for all of their needs.

All while using their tides to live in one of the historical parts of town where there is only one church. And also to be able to send their kids to college so they one day become your boss and make your life more miserable while you are still stuck at church looking for an answer.

But while commiserating with other men at the pub on Saturday night, they are supposedly “holding each other accountable,” by saying things like, “man up,” or “life is hard,” or “take it like a champ,” or “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and on it goes. You’ve heard it all before, haven’t you?

Or they might say, “you actually like it easy, you ain’t no real man.” Or, “oh, you just want to leave us all behind for one of those fancy homes in the suburbs. See, I always knew your ass was gay.” Do you know what all those crude remarks are a part of?

Have you ever heard of a little something called, “Poverty Pride?” It’s when you think that hardship makes you stronger, and that softness makes you weak. They literally equate self-care and elegance to weakness.

It’s actually quite pathetic. But I also understand that it is just a coping mechanism to face the daily reality of one’s lot in life being less than what they’d hoped for. Poor men have historically had many coping mechanisms for dealing with the reality of their appointed lot.

Those who don’t drink and beat their wives when they are broke, end up taking it out on their drinking buddies at the pub. Or on the segregated members of society whom they have appointed the permanent underclass of society. Be it African-Americans in the Jim Crow south, or the jews of nazi Germany, or the Romani people of Romania, more famously referred to as gypsies.

Then there are the prosperity preachers who “set up shop” in depressed communities for the sake of exploiting the people’s need to believe that their sustenance somehow lies in the hands of something outside of themselves.

The city planners allow them to do so, and they don’t charge them taxes for it, because they say it’s not for profit. Yet, they get to buy a fancy car every year and send their kids to college. The actual church building may be not for profit, but the pastor’s salary surely is (or should be).

What the prosperity prophets say may sound good to the ears of those who are hungry and desperate. “Hold faith! That job is coming!” Or some may say, “That promotion is coming! That rich, handsome man is coming with the ring and the keys to the mansion.” You get the idea.

By the way, these so-called prophets love to target poor single mothers living in the ghetto. But what they are actually teaching is learned helplessness on a massive scale.

The primary danger of learned helplessness is that anyone who appears like they are coming to help you is really only coming to control you. And if you don’t comply, they will take it away, as well they should. It’s their resource and you must learn to do for yourself.

When they have you standing at the altar, and they are prophesying over your life, how come they never actually say, “you are going to go back to school,” or “you have what it takes to start your own business?”

They never actually tell you how smart and capable you are. But they are always quick to say, “That job is coming! That man is coming! That visa is coming!”

Now here’s the thing to remember. The wealthy pamper themselves without apology. Life is too short, and they work too damn hard for their money not to be able to enjoy it.

So the next time the prosperity preacher tells you that your blessing is right around the corner, you just gotta have faith and give us 10% of your earnings.

Or the next time your loser friends at the pub tell you to tough it out like a man, tell them to tell the prosperity preacher to tough it out. Tell them to tell their boss at work who lives in the historical one-church neighborhood to take it like a man, and see how quickly they don’t get their asses fired.

They always have unsolicited advice for the powerless that conveniently puts the blame right back on the sufferer. Don’t you think that makes them cowardly hypocrites?

In the end, no one is coming to save you. Not your parents. Not your boss. Not your church. Not the demiurge.

Only you!

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