These assholes live in opulence on the dollars donated to them by the elderly, the ignorant, and the desperate.
And that Kenneth Copeland is a particularly pernicious POS.
I guess this is just another example of how religion makes people's lives better.
You know if those people are willing to use it to manipulate and prey upon the weak that is.
As has been said earlier, this is ol' Sara(h) P's next big grift. Right?
ReplyDeletedowl
Great nation we live in. We have the freedom to choose where our donations go.
ReplyDeleteFreedom is a double-edged sword. Each one of us may determine to whom we give support. This chaps the hide of those who think their personal values should have power over those with whom they disagree. That's called fascism.
Individuals have the right to be dumb, unless and until that state of mind expresses itself in ways that encroach on the freedoms of others.
No Franklin Graham, Inside Edition?!
ReplyDeleteI want the day to come that 'atheists' are the norm, and people that believe in myths and fairy tales are labeled correctly: nut cases. Listen, I agree and understand that no living person as of yet has discovered how and exactly when the universe was born. But to believe ancient fairytales about its creation, especially in this techno/science age is just mind boggling. No one knows how the universe was formed, but that doesn't mean that at some point in the future (10 thousand years from now even) humans will find out. These people that believe stories written in an ancient book amaze me with naïveté, gullibility and downright stupidity.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that for a lot of people who attend these churches, it's the feeling of belonging to something that feels bigger than themselves. It's an opportunity to feel as if you're rubbing elbows with greatness. Not too terribly different than standing on the red carpet to see the Oscars, attending a victory parade for sports champions, or paying to see a comedian in concert.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't make a bit of sense to me, but then I'm not religious. I have friends who talk about nothing but religion continually. They post messages of religious inspiration on Facebook numerous times a day.
It will never happen, but I think tax exempt status for churches ought to be a thing of the past.
Get a whole raft of folks together in a so-called "church", pass the collection plate and every last one of them will feel obligated to put as much money as they have in their pockets into that collection plate. The whole prosperity gospel "guarantees" that it will be returned a hundred-fold. What an obscene racket.
Delete@ 4:00 Taxing churches and shysters would probably wipe out half the national debt or fund thousands of worthwhile projects (like the water supplies & failing infrastructure) but what politician is going to vote for this and jeopardize THEIR racket?
DeleteSenator Ernie Chambers from Nebraska has introduced a bill on this to his Legistature several times: last time it went viral...but...nothing happened, of course.
"The bill itself is a riot because all Chambers does is cross out the word “religious” from the current list of groups that are exempt from paying property taxes.
"This isn’t Chambers’ first public battle against religion. In 2007, he famously sued God just to make a statement. Last year, during a filibuster, he remarked that the Mafia has higher standards than the Catholic Church hierarchy because if their members were “raping children, they’d off them.”
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/01/23/nebraskas-atheist-state-senator-introduces-bill-that-would-force-churches-to-pay-property-taxes/
These 'Christian Preachers' are the antithesis of the biblical Jesus; the Saviour, whom they are supposed to represent here on earth. Shame, shame, shame!
ReplyDelete"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24
ReplyDeleteOne would think that God would especially hold evangelists to an even higher standard.
It is really easy to get that camel through the "eye of a needle" if you first run him through a blender. There is always a loophole for the rich...
DeleteThe quote attributed to PT Barnum is correct: There's a sucker born every minute.
ReplyDeleteIt's just too sad that there is such a huge number of people who can't afford it who actually DO it!
Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is the life Sarah Palin wants for herself and her family too. She is no different than the full of shit fake preachers. Mansions, cars, vacation homes, cabins, airplanes, snow machines, fancy luggage, shoes...all the while nobody in the family has a real job. May they all rot in hell.
I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a Palin diatribe, but being a professional Christian is probably most definitely in Sarah"s future.
ReplyDeleteIt's perfectly understandable that she would do so. Grifting is something her class of people have always done, no matter the name put on it.
DeleteI feel the same way about people who donate to a politician or politician's PACs. Candidates shouldn't need billions to win, it's all a big scam.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! Political money is just as big a scam as religion in my book.
DeleteKenneth Copeland's degree is from Oral Roberts University.
ReplyDeletehttp://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/9048704_G.jpg
There are some references here about white televangelists. Televangelism of course, transcends race and ethnicity. Here is an excellent parody of religious preaching for money by Richard Pryor as the Reverend James L. White (starts at the 2:00 min. mark):
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRcNswirGUY
(Make sure that you watch until 2:00)
I was poor as could be and used to give some of them money because they promise God will help you and you are desperate. If they were really following Jesus, they would sell everything and give it to the poor. Because that is what Jesus said. Jesus had nothing in a material way, but that is all these people want. Yes, it is sickening. Don't give these people a dime, give it to the poor, the sick, children's or animal charities. These guys are the ones Jesus railed against, who turned over the money changers tables because they were making money off of God's name. Shame, shame on all these charlatans. Jesus gets a bad name because of people like this and the Payme family. When none of these types are really followers of Christ because they are all about themselves and to hell with the needs of others.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct.
DeleteThey are pseudo-christiany theocratic dominionists at best.
At worst, they are grifting for gold in the name of God with guns; they lie for the Lord (give me money) and they lie on the Lord for their own 'holy income' from those who are gullible, desperate, and too many times too needy themselves for actual human compassion.
dowl
There was a special on wealth ministry a few years back, and it was truly puke worthy. People, desperate for cures, send in their life savings and are promised to be held up in prayer. Joyce Meyers had a hooge kerfuffle with one of her bodyguards, his dallyances, cover ups, and killing his wife. She knew nothing of it, yet counseled him. It didn't end well for him, but she got away scott and tax free for her "advice". They use language like "make a legacy donation so after you're in heaven, the church can do MORE good...." And the money goes to greed, tax free, art collections, cars, planes etc.
ReplyDeleteHow they reconcile this with Jesus in the bible is beyond me.
My sister donates a hundred dollars a month to the likes of these. While down the street there is a pantry place for the local needy. These people make me sick. They are told stuff like if you give you are going to get back. Sounds like they are worshiping the wrong god. Ah, well. A fool and his money are always soon parted. Gotta pay for Joyce Meyer's trout lips.
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