Christianity being used as a scam?

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Eversince last year I had been reading up on televangelist Peter Popoff and his “Miracle Spring Water” which lead to me looking at other televangelists who were scamming people. Like Benny Hinn who really got me angry. I am so shocked at how these people are still getting money! Their “ministries” fund their private jets, multiple cars, hotel rooms. Benny Hinn actually stayed in a hotel room that had a rate of $10, 000 per night! Its as if preaching to them is merely business and they don’t care who gets hurt. Like when Peter Popoff made people through their walkers and medication on the stage because “they don’t need them anymore.” That makes me angry because he’s taking these peoples money and he and his wife pretend that he is this great healer sent from God… oh it makes me angry.

I can write book about televangelists but I have just learned about this.
youtube.com/watch?v=MAj6TVj9t0Q&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMAj6TVj9t0Q

Now I went to a Nigerian church for 2 years and I’ve never seen anyone get slapped in the face and told they are a demon and they are free to go to hell. I dont believe Jesus ever said that to anyone despite their sin or whatever demon they had. I always believed Jesus stood for love and mercy. If I am wrong about that and Jesus wants us to slap people across the face when they ask for forgiveness I don’t think I can comfortably continue on with Christianity. Even the way he talks to her sounds more like an abusive husband rather than a pastor or healer. He even brags the next year about how he slapped her when she asked for forgiveness. I actually felt sick to my stomach because of the lack of sympathy he had for her. He asks her “do you know who I am?” Quite frankly I didn’t know him up till that point but he makes himself sound like he’s so high and mighty and thats where my theory comes in.

This “bishop” and I use that word very very loosely currently has a networth of $150 million and a very large congregation. I am certain that his money made him the way he is
When he started he had nothing. His ministry was only 4 people but I think the more followers he convinced the more money he gained. He actually had people cheer when he slapped her.

Tell me why does preaching have to come with a price. When I was at the Nigerian church every speaker that came from Nigeria was very wealthy and this money was from preaching. I’m sure Jesus never charged people in fact Jesus wanted to save people, he didn’t want money. The worst part is that some of these preachers and televangelists are always asking for more money instead of giving back. The church I was going to was trying to build a new church and neither of these pastors would donate money to help out. The church was just as bad when a woman who paid tithes had a surgery which had a 6 week recovery period and she got laid off from her job and couldn’t afford food. When she went to fbe church for help the pastor said that the church is not a bank some serious greed that shocked even me.

I guess people using His name as a money maker is no new thing but I’d like to hear your thoughts
 
yes, people use Christianity as a money making venture.

I read about Paul Crouch, a televangelist who died yesterday or the day before. His relative said what a great businessman he was. I thought that was a weird statement. He had corporate jets, made millions, and was accused of millions of dollars of financial improprieties.

It strikes me as not very spiritual.
 
That is what is so great about the Bible, this has all been foretold.

May God bless us all to do what is right and an important aspect of that is we must follow Christ example and live our life full of Virtues.

People that use religion for their own ends will in time find out they have taken the wrong path.

Why so many get caught in these deceptions is a reflection on the world moving away from the Love of God. May God have mercy upon us all 😊

Regards Tony
 
As far as USA televangelists they really don’t make their money from donations. They earn income from the books they sell, public speaking and media sales. The planes they may ride in are owned by the non-profit ministry or are leased by it. They may live in nice houses or mansions, but once again the non-profit ministry owns the housing. So when the televangelist leaves or dies all that property stays with the non-profit and can be sold to recover the funds spent.

Let us take the recently passed away Paul Crouch Sr. He received a salary of about $400,000 per year as the president of the non-profit TBN network. This salary is in line for other non-profit network administrators such as PBS, OPB, Socal Public TV and Pacifica radio network. Their for profit counterparts executives make tens of million of dollars per year in salary.

TBN owns several high priced mansions in the S. California area that staff reside in, but the network owns them and when the network no longer needs them they will sell them at a profit.

Another example is Joyce Meyer. She is paid a salary of $320,000 by the non-profit ministry she is the head of. But she has earned millions of dollars in book and media sales along with private ‘public speaking’ engagements. Once again all the property that the non-profit ministry owns belongs to it and when sold the money will go to the ministry and not Joyce Meyer.

When I attended a Catholic Church in my youth the priests all lived in a million dollar house owned by the archdiocese, but the priests did not have anyway to profit from the house. The archdiocese could make a profit by selling the house it owned.

Television times costs televangelists millions of dollars each year and that is where the vast majority of the money donated goes to.
 
you do not need to generalize that priest all lived in a million dollar house. I hardly think so and these sorts of sweeping generalizations without any proof or back up are just as bad as the people the OP is complaining about in the first place.
 
confused girl,
There have been and always will be crooks and scam artists. The people you mentioned are from the WoF movement. The better things would be not to get mad about it but not watch them, listen to them, buy and read their books and support them in any way. Instead of focussing on them, focus on our many wonderful saints the Catholic church has and then be grateful to be Catholc.
 
confusedgirl said:
Eversince last year I had been reading up on televangelist Peter Popoff and his “Miracle Spring Water” which lead to me looking at other televangelists who were scamming people. Like Benny Hinn who really got me angry. I am so shocked at how these people are still getting money! Their “ministries” fund their private jets, multiple cars, hotel rooms. Benny Hinn actually stayed in a hotel room that had a rate of $10, 000 per night! Its as if preaching to them is merely business and they don’t care who gets hurt. Like when Peter Popoff made people through their walkers and medication on the stage because “they don’t need them anymore.” That makes me angry because he’s taking these peoples money and he and his wife pretend that he is this great healer sent from God… oh it makes me angry.

I can write book about televangelists but I have just learned about this.
youtube.com/watch?v=MAj6TVj9t0Q&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMAj6TVj9t0Q

Now I went to a Nigerian church for 2 years and I’ve never seen anyone get slapped in the face and told they are a demon and they are free to go to hell. I dont believe Jesus ever said that to anyone despite their sin or whatever demon they had. I always believed Jesus stood for love and mercy. If I am wrong about that and Jesus wants us to slap people across the face when they ask for forgiveness I don’t think I can comfortably continue on with Christianity. Even the way he talks to her sounds more like an abusive husband rather than a pastor or healer. He even brags the next year about how he slapped her when she asked for forgiveness. I actually felt sick to my stomach because of the lack of sympathy he had for her. He asks her “do you know who I am?” Quite frankly I didn’t know him up till that point but he makes himself sound like he’s so high and mighty and thats where my theory comes in.

This “bishop” and I use that word very very loosely currently has a networth of $150 million and a very large congregation. I am certain that his money made him the way he is
When he started he had nothing. His ministry was only 4 people but I think the more followers he convinced the more money he gained. He actually had people cheer when he slapped her.

Tell me why does preaching have to come with a price. When I was at the Nigerian church every speaker that came from Nigeria was very wealthy and this money was from preaching. I’m sure Jesus never charged people in fact Jesus wanted to save people, he didn’t want money. The worst part is that some of these preachers and televangelists are always asking for more money instead of giving back. The church I was going to was trying to build a new church and neither of these pastors would donate money to help out. The church was just as bad when a woman who paid tithes had a surgery which had a 6 week recovery period and she got laid off from her job and couldn’t afford food. When she went to fbe church for help the pastor said that the church is not a bank some serious greed that shocked even me.

I guess people using His name as a money maker is no new thing but I’d like to hear your thoughts
Click to expand...
That is simply terrible
 
robwar said:
you do not need to generalize that priest all lived in a million dollar house. I hardly think so and these sorts of sweeping generalizations without any proof or back up are just as bad as the people the OP is complaining about in the first place.
Click to expand...
The point is that the fact that a ministry provides housing to clergy the cost is irrelevant because the Church or ministry will get that money back when it sells the property. There is nothing wrong in living in a nice place. 😦
 
My Pastor lives in a very small area that is attached to the church building. I am not sure about the more modern churches being built, although I know one who shares a house with another priest owned by the diocese and used as a rectory, but before priests lived in rectory’s. They get a very modest salary.

Of course if a priest comes from a wealthy family they can inherit or be given money from the family.

If one makes a statement i.e. that priests live in million dollars homes, they need to name the priest and parish they are Pastor of. Anyone can claim anything when posting.

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
tjones80 said:
The point is that the fact that a ministry provides housing to clergy the cost is irrelevant because the Church or ministry will get that money back when it sells the property. There is nothing wrong in living in a nice place. 😦
Click to expand...
Yes, the parish provides housing and it’s always been so but to make some blanket statement that these mostly small places which are usually right next to the church proper are “million” dollar homes is irresponsible. Considering parish finances then and now I am not sure any parish affording to build their priests million dollar homes. Anyway this thread isn’t about what kinds of homes priests are provided and live in but about money abuses and the people listed by OP are protestant WoF ministers and they are known for abuses of money and fraudulant healing claims.
 
tjones80 said:
The point is that the fact that a ministry provides housing to clergy the cost is irrelevant because the Church or ministry will get that money back when it sells the property. There is nothing wrong in living in a nice place. 😦
Click to expand...
Is a salary of 400,000 or 320,000 a year normal for your ordinary parish priest? Priests receive nominal salary for their upkeep but 400,000 a year figure is non-existence. An average of 20,000 is probably more in order for a priest though it varies from parish to parish. We have a parish priest friend who receives only 6,000 per year.
 
I heard one Tele-Evangelist tell his listeners, ‘God gave me a Cadillac and he can give you one too.’

How sad, I know that all things are God’s and that God COULD give us a Cadillac. But are those the things that should be foremost in our desires? Jesus said, ‘How much more will God give THE HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask.’ What good is it if we gain the whole world? The scriptures tell us to desire Heavenly Gifts.

Certain ‘groups’ make a huge deal of saying that we are not under the Law. But they push and push the 10% tithe law. I had a friend who really believed this. She said that she would give her 10% even if it meant her family had to sit in the dark and cold because they couldn’t pay their electric bill. They make people feel incredibly guilty for not giving their 10%.

I could go on and on, but won’t.
 
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