An interesting story out of the LA Times this morning about Megachurches and tax exempt status. Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is requesting the six mega churches hand over tax records because of oppulent spending. Among them, Creflo A. Dollar's World Changers Church which preaches "prosperity gospel". Dollar has a multimillion dollar mansion, Rolls-Royce and a Gulfstream III Jet.
Grassley rightly says "Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. Do these ministers really need Bentleys and Rolls-Royces to spread the gospel?"
And buried in the last paragraph...
"Yes, a minister turns heads when he drives a Bentley," said Rep. Gerald Mangham, D-Ga., a member of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, one of the ministries being investigated. "But that's good. It's important for kids to see you don't have to sell drugs to drive a nice car."
That D is for Democrat, by the way.
But wait! I though all the evil money grubbing Christians were Republicans. How can it be that it's a Republican that's leading the charge against possible tax evasion and definite oppulence by televangilists like Dollar? My head's spinning!
By the way, religious zealot, military funeral protestor and "God Hates Fags" preacher Fred Phelps is also a Democrat.
And to be "fair and balanced" I tried to search for Dollar's political leanings and could only find that he supports Bush's faith based initiatives. Whether that makes him a Republican, who knows?
Posted by WarmFuzzyPuppies at November 13, 2007 10:24 AM | Email ThisYou are correct in that Scripture says that LOVE of money is the root of all evil, not money. Personally, I prefer TD Jakes who preaches the same message, but lives more simply. But, both have the same wife each started out with. Also, this is not a function of a particular ethnic group, but many poor people will look up to and listen to a person that displays the same type of flash as sports stars and hip hop artists. Personally, I would rather have some low-income kid looking up to him and absorbing his message instead of a Michael Vick, who has a horrible message. The African-American clergy in Montgomery County Maryland which is one of the wealthiest demographics for Blacks package themselves differently because their congregations would probably ask to see the books. For me, it is the message, although I would prefer different packaging.
Posted by: WVH on November 14, 2007 09:46 PMI don't support fraud of any kind, especially by a minister. First, it is wrong and second, it dilutes the message of the Gospel and makes Christians seem like hypocrites. I wonder if tax letters are also going out to Hillary's "consultants" who are ministers? She has more on the payroll than Sharpton/Jackson.
Ministers of the Gospel have to be careful about even "appearances" and if one is a conservative minister, one will get targeted. They should be aware of that. Rev. Floyd Flake, a former dem congressman had a complaint filed against his church because he let Bush speak there. I have no trouble with pols speaking at churches. But, churches that allow dems to speak, I am not aware of an IRS complaint filed against them. Treatment should be fair.