The love and hate of money have always been intertwined with religion. Christ decried the money changers in the temple. In his famous work, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," sociologist Max Weber posited that the origins of modern capitalism could be found in some of the the principles inherent in the Protestant Reformation, particularly Calvinism.  Like it or not churches and religion have taken on many aspects of capitalism.  And capitalism is not just for Protestants anymore. There follows some of the evidence for this trend.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 07 Oct 2008 7:06:39 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/39120/prosperity-gospel-blamed-for-subprime-hell.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA fast-growing strain of Pentecostalism may have made its followers victims of the credit crisis by preaching that God's hand was behind dubious mortgages, Time reports. "Prosperity Gospel" preaches that God will "make way" for the poor to gain wealth, making believers easy prey for greedy mortgage brokers, says a scholar writing a book on black televangelism.http://www.newser.com/story/39120/prosperity-gospel-blamed-for-subprime-hell.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 04 Oct 2008 3:18:22 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38356/ala-group-offers-jews-50k-move-in-bonus.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA dwindling Alabama Jewish community is spending $1 million to stop itself from disappearing, as have many others in the South, CNN reports. A local group in the town of Dothan is offering a $50,000 shalom to Jewish families who choose to relocate to the community and hopes to attract at least 20. Ads in Jewish newspapers have met a huge response from all over the world.http://www.newser.com/story/38356/ala-group-offers-jews-50k-move-in-bonus.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 25 Sep 2008 4:22:46 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35729/jewish-clause-in-will-launches-lawsuits.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA Chicago courtroom is the site of a nasty tangle over a Jewish patriarch’s wishes for his family, the Chicago Tribune reports. A wealthy dentist, upset to discover that a grandson was taking a gentile to the junior prom, left a provision in his will disowning any of his offspring who marries outside the faith. Of five grandchildren, four did exactly that. Now they're suing their parents for honoring the request.http://www.newser.com/story/35729/jewish-clause-in-will-launches-lawsuits.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 25 Aug 2008 8:48:16 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32201/weak-dollar-sends-vatican-to-145m-loss.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe weak dollar has wreaked havoc on business across Europe, but one organization has posted a surprising loss: the Vatican. The Catholic Church blamed the declining greenback for its first loss in 4 years as it ended the year $14.5 million in the red. The Guardian reports on how the decline of the almighty dollar is hurting the house of the Almighty.http://www.newser.com/story/32201/weak-dollar-sends-vatican-to-145m-loss.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 11 Jul 2008 7:49:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/25460/robocop-director-pens-shocking-jesus-bio.html?refid=rss_all_defaultDutch director Paul Verhoeven, best known for directing films like Robocop , Basic Instinct , and Total Recall , is releasing a biography of Jesus which is bound to spark an angry response, reports AP. The book, which Verhoeven has been working on for 20 years, suggests that Jesus' father was a Roman soldier who raped Mary. The director hopes the book will lead to a film.http://www.newser.com/story/25460/robocop-director-pens-shocking-jesus-bio.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Apr 2008 8:02:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/85228/florida-lawmakers-debate-offering-a-christian-license-plate.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFlorida drivers can order more than 100 specialty license plates celebrating everything from manatees to the Miami Heat basketball team, but one now under consideration would be the first in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.http://www.newser.com/story/85228/florida-lawmakers-debate-offering-a-christian-license-plate.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 25 Apr 2008 8:46:56 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/24560/greenies-find-god-might-be-the-answer.html?refid=rss_all_defaultHow much carbon would Jesus use? Not much, say the religious communities now teaming with environmentalists to lobby Capitol Hill. As a carbon-capping bill approaches the Senate, eco-advocates hope that church partnerships will re-frame the debate, and religious leaders rail against the desecration of divine creation and the suffering of the poor coping with energy costs and food shortages.http://www.newser.com/story/24560/greenies-find-god-might-be-the-answer.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Apr 2008 8:02:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/22327/holy-week-with-the-homeless.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIn an effort to follow in the steps of Jesus, seven prosperous Austin men spent part of Holy Week this year living in a park in downtown Austin, Texas, with the homeless. The "street retreat' is led by Alan Graham, co-founder of a national organization that ministers to the homeless called Mobile Loaves & Fishes.http://www.newser.com/story/22327/holy-week-with-the-homeless.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Apr 2008 8:02:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/22263/easter-defies-madison-avenue.html?refid=rss_all_defaultChristmas’ religious meaning is lost in a sea of advertising, parties, and major retail dollars, but Easter has resisted becoming a “consumerist nightmare”—and that’s because its Christian origins demand serious thought, writes James Martin in Slate . While “the Christmas story is easily reduced to pablum,” Easter’s story of crucifixion and resurrection is “relentlessly disconcerting,” Martin observes.http://www.newser.com/story/22263/easter-defies-madison-avenue.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Apr 2008 8:02:47 CDT