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Questions Surround TV Preacher Inquiry


TV ministers characterized as greedy, self-serving who put their followers at financial risk? Oh my!

The article says that all of these preachers are involved with a variety of faith that says God/Jesus wants believers to be rich.

Prosperity to faith.

They have to be unbelievers; they could not be Christians and preach that stuff...

More work for all those newly ordained minted lawyers from Liberty University.

Link

Oh boy!! More Harriet Meyers and Alberto Gonzales!!

I don't have a problem with anybody having money. I do, however, have a problem with the theology of those mentioned in the story. And while I don't necessarily believe that one must take a vow of poverty to be a righteous person - no matter the religious or philisophical view - I suspect there is something to be said for the comment "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." — Alternative Interpretation
Another common explanation of the figure, is that Jesus was referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem called Needle's Eye. This entry-point was built like the eye of a needle and so low that a camel could only pass if it entered kneeling and unencumbered with baggage. The lesson would then be that an eternal inheritance awaits those who unburden themselves of sin, and in particular, the things of this world. Also, kneeling represents submission and humility, which are required by most religions to enter into heaven.

Yet another reason to remove the tax exempt status of religious institutions. If it were not for that status, Congress would have no legitimate basis for this investigation.

I want to clarify something I said, at least in part because I got a question about it via PM.

I don't think Christians need to be poor. And, like 2wins, I don't have a problem with people having money.

What I was commenting on was this line, from the attached article:

It's been a long time since I enrolled in "History of the Gospels" but I'm pretty sure that wasn't part of the original teachings.

Phil, if the government removes tax exemptions from churches, then most likely they'd move to file as a nonprofit organization.

Forcing churches to file as a nonprofit corporation would probably allow government to better monitor the game the heads of TV and evangelical churches play siphoning off contributions to enhance their individual lifestyles. But, no doubt these rather unethical ministers would start to model their salaries like the big corporation executives, which are often hundreds of times that of the average employee. Is there a ceiling on salaries of executives of nonprofits?

It might be in their best interest for churches to make themselves a regular corporation, then maybe make public stock offerings...then encourage all of the six big corporations who own the majority of media to buy up the controlling stock in the church corporations. Now that would be fun...comingling Religious Corporations and the media.

Then the Relig/Media Corporations could start buying up majority stocks in toy and electronic corporations and have one hell of earnings at Christmas time.

I know…I’m back at my crazy weirdness. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Sorry, can't help myself from being silly.

Initially, I thought of this as a sort of 'puff piece', exposing some televangelists for what I thought was obvious - they scam money from their viewers.

However, reading the original link closely, I see some complexity...

The lead-off involves Senator Grassley, my Senator and one of the few Republicans that I will listen to and sometimes agree with... he's investigating these 6 televangelists with respect to their finances, and whether they comport with tax code regarding religious tax-exemption requirements - fine. But what's this comment about "Jesus riding a donkey, not a Rolls Royce"? What does that have to do with tax code, what difference does it make if I believe Jesus was rich or poor, or if he is even an important in someone's religion? (I assume Buddhists have to follow the same tax code, correct?) [note - OK, I can see that since they *claim* to be christians, that it might be relevant to cite Christ - but still, not when addressing a tax code issue]

Second, although I've never heard of "Word of Faith" or "prosperity ministry" before, it seems to me that the issue being addressed is not that they want their followers to be rich, or that they want their followers to want to be rich, but that they want their followers to make THEM rich... which, I thought, is rather obvious - inasmuch as that is the purpose of the investigation, to see if they are getting extravagantly, inordinately, illegally rich, I say more power to Sen. Grassley, there's a few hundred more who might qualify is well. Just keep it to the legalities, not to particular religious opinion, and let's hold them all accountable.

But as for rich man... eye of the needle stuff, that's a completely separate issue, in my opinion... I realize that no one was saying that "rich people" == "unchristian", but I don't think that, necessarily even preaching that "God wants you to be rich" == "unchristian" either. It could be a pretty good indicator, because it doesn't sound like something Jesus would say - but I'll bet there are many more things that we could come up with - say, how they extravagantly they spend the church's donations on themselves - that could be just as good or better indicator over whether they are following an unchristian, or even illegal, path.


That's just my interpretation anyway.

For what it's worth, I think that striving for wealth is good, in terms of exercising our talents that we have to the best of our ability, and riches will naturally follow - keeping in mind, of course, that "to whom much is given, much will be asked". I doubt those ministers think of that verse or, if they do, somehow twist it to suit their desires. I hope Mr. Grassley reminds them of *that*!

Wasn't there a "Six Flags Over Jesus" somewhere? Or did Don Henley just make that up? (heh, how appropriate - it's in the song 'Little Tin God', which was about Reagan as I recall... how about it, Don, got something for our current Pres?)