(CBS/AP) Congress is looking into the collection boxes of some of the nation’s best-known televangelists.
Their tax-exempt ministries take in millions and now Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is asking whether these churches really are non-profits.
Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar is one of the televangelists who was asked to provide financial information.
“We don’t have any problems complying to a valid request,” Dollar told CBS News’ The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.
But he questioned whether it was appropriate for the Senate Finance Committee “to become a tax examiner and to get involved in the information of private, nonprofit organizations when the IRS has already been assigned that responsibility.”
Asked about some specific assertions by Grassley, Dollar denied that two Rolls-Royces were purchased by the church for him and his wife.
“That’s not true. First of all, we don’t have two Rolls-Royces,” he said. “And secondly, the one Rolls-Royce that was purchased was purchased by the donors, or the members of the church, and it was a surprise to me. I had no idea they were doing it.”
Full Story Here:
Televangelist Defends Spending
Look, if the people that attend this guys church want to give their money to buy him and his wife a Rolls Royce, that’s their business, and I’m pretty sure it’s a nice ride, way the hell over rated in my opinion, but expensive, a show off, a lot like a trophy wife, that sort of thing…
Here’s something that I have to wonder about, wouldn’t a preacher be OK with living a normal, upper middle class lifestyle?? Wouldn’t that provide all the comforts needed?? Many of these mega-church guys are living an opulent lifestyle, one that could support MANY poor and underprivileged people, it seems to me that some folks, preachers included, are a lot more concerned with living a luxurious lifestyle in a palatial setting than they are with helping the less fortunate, and that’s good I guess, it’s their business and I am not trying to tell them how to live, IF they are rich themselves and paying for that lifestyle out of their own pockets from their own earnings, but I personally see it as pretentious to live that lifestyle as a preacher when the sole point of your ministry is to maintain that lifestyle for yourself…
I have nothing against anyone living a sumptuous lifestyle but when that person is a tax exempt organization, as these mega-churches are, well, it tends to throw up a few red flags for me, their leaders don’t have to live in abject poverty but living in the ostentatious style that many do just seems to project the wrong image in MY opinion…
They don’t have to live in poverty but don’t beg ME for money and then hang a new diamond necklace on your wife…
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I would love to know how much of this money goes for, SEX, DRUGS, SEX, ROCK & ROLL and more SEX?
Let the remorse tears begin, I’ll supply the buckets.
Hell Fred, we should start a church. We can get our license for $9.95 on the internet which includes Non-Glare-Glass and a Gold-Plated Frame made in China. Pulpits are only $49.95 and you can get a case of 24 offering plates for $14.95, I say lets get 3 or 4 cases.
We could call it, The Church of the Reach Around Redeemer.
Since it’s all Tax Free and our books would never be checked, we could tell our congregation that 50% of all proceeds will go to help the people of New Orleans. I’ll get an address down in New Orleans where we can send that 50%, I’ll pass out some fried chicken and watermelon, get some photos taken and we’re in. The 49% left over we can send to an account offshore, sounds like a slam dunk to me.
We could also rent that space in your sidebar for $1,000,000.00 a month and place our logo for all to see, rental income would be spilt 50-50 of course.
I’ll get more buckets just in case we get caught.
I like Ranando’s idea ! May I be treasurer :-p
Billy Graham lives modestly compared to all the rest of these heathens. Him I trust, and have learned much from.
I hate smooth talking Jesus gonna getcha a-holes almost as much as paedos.
Those kind of churches worry me, I’ll take a little white, old with paint chipping church with a gravel parking lot out in the country anyday over that sort of thing. Most aren’t nothing but a social club and place to display their rich and elite status, proudly giving 10% of their income in the form of tithings to clear their conscience for a day. Simply trying to buy their way to heaven IMO.
Hey there Fred. Nice to see you posted your smiling…, well, your face here on thisayere blog.
I figure that those rich preacher types deserve the money simply because so many people are stupid enough to give it to them when they ask for it.
If I could ask the public for 10 million bucks and people sent it to me, that would be great stuff. We have about 330 million people here so that’s only about 30 cents each. Less than the postage to send it. Wouldn’t you take it? You bet.
To be a Christian means to walk in the steps of Jesus, to do as Jesus instructed, to love everyone and always turn the other cheek. That’s just how it is, and by that criteria I’m no Christian and I’ve never met one in my 68 years of living, either.
So when these scumbags get up on their TV soapboxes and cry big crocodile tears for money, and people give away their rent and their kids shoe money, shame on all of them, not just the preachers. It takes two to tango.
Rasta
Jo,
If you have a Jewish-Typewriter (Calculator) the jobs yours. We’re going to need a Fall-Person, I mean Treasurer.
I have a quite a dislike for televangelists and by my beliefs you can call me a Bible Thumper. When your child is sick, who is going to pray for them, the televangelist or the minister in your local church? Why will be by your side when tragedy strikes you and your family, the minister driving a 10 year old Ford or the guy with the Rolls? Who’s going to offer their services and church building to marry your son or daughter, the Crystal Cathedral or the small building at the end of the street? Televangelists suck the money away from the local churches and ministers who are out in the trenches every day ministering to their people and community.
Congress should stay the fuck out of it. If those people are that stupid, then they DESERVE to get their savings emptied completely. As I am fond of saying to my trainees at work: “There’s NO FIXING STUPID.” There shall always be makes and manner of thinning various herds. That’s WHY they’re thinned.
BZ