Acting on tips about preachers who ride in Rolls Royces and have purportedly paid $30,000 for a conference table, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he’s investigating the finances of six well-known TV ministers.
No one noticed the lifetyles of the rich and famous bible-thumpers?
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said those under scrutiny include faith healer Benny Hinn, Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar and one of the nation’s best known female preachers, Joyce Meyer.
Grassley sent letters to the half-dozen Christian media ministries earlier this week requesting answers by Dec. 6 about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.
“I don’t want to conclude that there’s a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code.”
Because the groups have tax status as churches, they are not required to file tax forms open to public inspection.
The critical question is – when will their followers quit being gullible and foolish. Or is that a necessary prerequisite to being a traditional American Christian?
Thanks, KB
Reminds me of a stand-up comedian’s rant that went something like this:
God is all knowing, all powerful, etc., etc., but he just cant handle money.
Funny how the church takes in tons of cash but is tax exempt, eh?
What these shysters teach is hardly traditional Christianity — American or otherwise.
What I want to know, is it “necessary prerquisite” on this site to be bigoted towards people of faith? You ask when Christians will stop being foolish. When will “dvorak.org/blog” quit being bigoted towards people of faith?
Hey, let’s add The Reverands Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to the list.
#3: Probably when scam artists stop using religion to fool the people like the guy in the article, the religious right stops trying to force their beliefs into legislation that affects everyone and so on. We here on the blog only talk about how antiquated and damaging religion is and wish people would think for themselves which is which is a whole lot less harmful than what many in the religious community are doing.
As I’ve pointed out before, religion is an opinion which should be defended as any other. We in this country have the right to condemn or support pretty much any view they want. And everyone else has an equal right to debate them and make them defend it. Religion is no different. It just happens that the prevailing view of the editors here is on one side of the issue.
Matthew, maybe you aren’t gullible. Pastor Hinn lives on multimillion dollar property. His private land. Do you think he got that money because he asked Christians for their money, or not? Do you think he needs that ranch and large sums of money? What the fuck are you defending really?
How is Sen, Grassley, the MINORITY leader of the Committee, setting the agenda?
You would think that donators would realise that there is something wrong when you see your donations being used for these kind of things. When are people are going wake up. If they are not, I think I am going to join this scam….
Matt its not going to be any time soon unfortunately, as Uncle Dave says, most the editors here are bigoted towards religion. They will find the anything that even Christians consider to be disgusting and use it to paint a broad brush over the entire belief system and its followers.
Televangelists should be burned at the stake, for misusing the word to benefit from it, the leap of (il)logic that suggests that the entirety of Christianity is like this is hogwash.
As a passable amateur magician, technical and inventive type guy and debunker of cons in the vein of the Amazing Randi, I’ll bet I could have made it as a hack in the televangelist sphere. Especially with a clean windshield, a shoe shine, my lovely bride as shill and geek friends running the comm and tech, I shudder to think how much money we could have raked in. And this way before Google — P.T. Barnum nailed it.
Just one problem — I can’t fathom how anyone can fleece the masses who truly believe and then sleep comfortably at night. Are these people no better (just maybe smarter) than the common criminal?
That would be BubbaRay, MBS., CS., DD.
Ren, I agree. I grew up baptist and heard many messages that are real and that I still follow today. Like do not covet they neighbor and do unto others…I have faith that my God has unconditional positive regard for everything and the idea that the book of Revelations is just story telling.
The editors may not be as biased as you think. I dont blame them for posting the three videos about the Israeli flag waiving videos (waiving the israeli flag at a rally to get peoples money)
This sounds allot like the pot calling the kettle black
yea these evangelists are loaded and live a lavish life style but they were able to convince people to give them that money freely. The politicians live a lavish life style and are loaded by taking bribes , giving them selves pay raises in the middle of the night and tax/stealing the money from the American public, tell me who do you think is the bigger crook and should be investigated here
#9: Scam artists exist in all professions. We are not so naive as you would want us to be as to think they reflect all adherents to their religions.
If I adamantly state I believe in a different position than yours on some political issue, would you say I was bigot? Would I wanting you to defend your position in the face of vast evidence that you are wrong mean I was a bigot? Religion is no different than any other belief in the need for adherents to defend it.
Be clear, our problem with religion is with what adherents believe. We are not ‘bigoted’ toward religion, we only want them to defend what they believe.
#3 – What I want to know, is it “necessary prerquisite” on this site to be bigoted towards people of faith? You ask when Christians will stop being foolish. When will “dvorak.org/blog” quit being bigoted towards people of faith?
DU isn’t bigoted toward people of faith… but keep repeating that tired canard.
(if you are a fundie, you can look up canard on dictionary.com)
We are reacting to scam artists who are stealing by way of a confidence scam from people of faith… and against a subset of people of faith who see their job as moral cops who target us and our collective culture…
And if you are a Xian, quit bitching about being persecuted. A bible-thumping jack ass is President of The United States right now… so how persecuted can you actually be?
Fundy Christians, aside from being gullible, judgmental, and stupid, are also crybabies.
#3 Matt writes… “What I want to know, is it “necessary prerquisite” on this site to be bigoted towards people of faith?”
How respectful are you of muslims, practitioners of voodoo, or Satan worshipers? Would it concern you if any of those groups had enough political clout to affect public policy or education based not on factual evidence, but on belief systems devised by long-dead elders who could not be debated or even questioned?
There are people on school boards across America who advocate school prayer to a deity who, according to their own “book of uncontestable facts,” has committed some horrendous atrocities against the human race, acts which in any other context would be considered demonic.
In my mind, your belief system is no more credible or valid than voodoo, and since you’re so respectful towards “people of faith,” I’m sure you’re not at all offended by the comparison.
#12: Politicians are faith healers of a different religion, preaching “give me money and I will solve all your ills.”
As for religions, they get to pay no taxes and other assorted benefits. Why? What makes them special? Guess it’s time for me to be like L. Ron and start a religion to become rich. Our Blessed Uncle Dave and his Church of the Sacred Pizza. Send me money and I’ll give you the sacrament of the Holy Anchovie. Now where’s my tax refund!
#16 Uncle Dave, I’m here to warn you that my splinter group (the “Pepperoni Sect”) will challenge you for control of your Church of the Sacred Pizza if you don’t accede to our demands. And no matter what, we intend to declare holy war against the use of the heretical ham and pineapple toppings — that’s just wrong!
#9 – Matt its not going to be any time soon unfortunately, as Uncle Dave says, most the editors here are bigoted towards religion. They will find the anything that even Christians consider to be disgusting and use it to paint a broad brush over the entire belief system and its followers.
That’s a boldfaced lie, especially when compared to Dave’s actual answer. There is no broad brush being painted… It’s just thumpers… The living examples of SNLs Church Lady… The bitches who want school to ban Harry Potter… The asshats who harass teenagers at abortion clinics… you know… God’s army of jerks.
The Hawaiian Pizza Militia will not stand for this outrage. Your boycot of pork and fruit toppings is completely unfounded. You will cease to add salted fish to your pizza or there will be further argueing.
3 When will “dvorak.org/blog” quit being bigoted towards people of faith?
Probably about the same time GodTube starts accepting videos from Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus… 🙂
#17 – And no matter what, we intend to declare holy war against the use of the heretical ham and pineapple toppings — that’s just wrong!
FINALLY – A religious cause I can believe in…
DEATH TO THE HERETICAL PINEAPPLES!!!
>>Be clear, our problem with religion is with what adherents believe.
>>We are not ‘bigoted’ toward religion, we only want them to defend
>>what they believe.
Well, as we used to say in 6th grade, “tough tits”.
I feel no obligation whatsoever to defend what I believe. If you don’t believe it, believe something else. I don’t ask for your money, I don’t try to influence what you teach your children, I don’t expect to to pledge allegiance to my beliefs. So why the fuck should I have to defend them?
Some apologists for the DU faith bashers may claim that what’s being posted are just egregious examples of abuse by scam artists, hypocrites, and con men. No one can argue that these are all that. However, I think you may have come closer to hitting the nail on the head, Uncle. There’s something more malignant going on here. A number of DU posters (editors included) seem to actually be offended by (jealous of??) the fact that I (and billions of others) find comfort, strength, wisdom, and guidance in our religious beliefs. Hence, the constant poking, prodding, confrontation, calling us “sheeple”, mental defectives, tinfoil hatters, and the like.
Tsk. Tolerance can be a wonderful thing.
#17: Gary Marks, you are hereby declared a heretic in our midst! You will burn in the fiery pits of Chucky Cheese pizza ovens for this blasphemy! Pineapple we can do without (that was started by that whacked out monk, Brother Totino and his Pizza Roll fanatics), but nobody defames the The Holy Ham!
Henceforth, Marks, you are forbidden to partake of the Round Table pizza buffet, forbidden from even looking upon the Deep Dish of Chicago, and just plain stay out of New York or Famous Original Ray will eat you alive!
Let’s see – the Post ended with 2 questions. Are the True Believers who leapt into action in a single bound so lame that they won’t countenance questions?
I think they’re proving a point that didn’t need to be made by the editors: Xhristians are so lame, so dullwitted, that their only means of defending the indefensible – is to attack anyone who questions their superstitions.
Of course, they can always return to the safety and sanctity of candyass Amurikan political life – and no one will ask them any questions at all. See you over at the DNC or RNC blog.
#14, you say you are not bigoted, but the “Fundy Christians, aside from being gullible, judgmental, and stupid, are also crybabies”.
Oh, the irony.
BTW, Bill ‘n Hill have been playing up the bible thumping a lot more than that “bible-thumping jack ass (who) is President of The United States right now”, are you going to bash them too?
As a reminder, I regard myself as an “Apatheist”. I don’t care if there is a god or not (and think those that make the claim have not proven their case).
The gospel fleecers hit people with a need to believe and have some sort of connection with someone, anyone (just as the loony left does), and in particular prey on the elderly (just as the Democratic Party does in making the nursing home rounds with stacks of absentee ballots). I dislike both groups.
The Evangelical Christians do have more influence than is healthy for the US, but they are just one of many groups and the Moslems are catching up. The Evangelicals just preach at people, the Moslems murder them.
#23: Believe what you want. We never said you had to do otherwise. It’s a free country. And as such, we will continue to speak as we please. Offended? As you say, tough tits. Get over it.
I belong to the square pizza sect of the newly reformed Pinapple branch of the 8-piece Dividians. And I too believe that Pinapple is a heretical abomination. Oh Great Pepperoni please deliver us (in a half hour or less).
I can almost imagine a pivotal juncture in the Pizza religion when, at the front door, I come up a nickel short of the full delivered price. As my struggle with the driver ensues, the entire neighborhood hears me cry out “LET MY PIZZA GO!!!” Every religion deserves to have its “Moses moment.”
We must have deliverance (and in 30 minutes or less).
“BTW, Bill ‘n Hill have been playing up the bible thumping a lot more than that “bible-thumping jack ass (who) is President of The United States right now”, are you going to bash them too?”
Da mans got a point, Any takers?
To (almost) quote my favorite sports newsletter, “Prod. Prod. Prod. Prod. Prod. Prod. Prod. Prod. As amusing as it is to enrage…sanctimonious eejits” it is constructive to point out the dolts striving hardest to pat themselves on the back for diligent defense of the Dark Ages – usually avoid responding to pointed question, like – any scientific proof of something ever coming from nothing? Or the ever-popular non-sequitur gambit (like that, KB?) where the cowardly response to suggestions that frauds are criminals is – “there are frauds everywhere”.
Brilliant. Useless.