Acting on tips about preachers who ride in Rolls Royces and have purportedly paid $30,000 for a conference table, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he’s investigating the finances of six well-known TV ministers.
No one noticed the lifetyles of the rich and famous bible-thumpers?
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said those under scrutiny include faith healer Benny Hinn, Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar and one of the nation’s best known female preachers, Joyce Meyer.
Grassley sent letters to the half-dozen Christian media ministries earlier this week requesting answers by Dec. 6 about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.
“I don’t want to conclude that there’s a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code.”
Because the groups have tax status as churches, they are not required to file tax forms open to public inspection.
The critical question is – when will their followers quit being gullible and foolish. Or is that a necessary prerequisite to being a traditional American Christian?
Thanks, KB
I believe the reasoning for tax exemption for religions goes back to our founding fathers wanting no state sponsored( note i didn’t say a separation of church and state) religion and if religions were taxed the powers that be could pass laws to tax an unfavored religion out of existence.
Amazing how smart the founders of this country were and how much more simple it would be if we quit interpreting the constitution and started reading it
As for the the evangelists why are they so much worse than the get rich selling real estate scam on tv every night. Those people prey on the faith and gullibility of others to get rich why doesn’t senate investigate them or the newest diet pill people or how bout those all natural pecker enlargers there all scams
The answer to this problem is to quit blaming others for your own stupidity and look in a mirror and take some responsibility
#16 – Well, if you’ve got the Church of the Sacred Pizza, I guess I’ll have to start the Church of Beer. The Morning After ceremony shall include the Passing of Gas. Praise the Holy Fartane.
I think everyone is missing the point here. There is absolutely nothing wrong with religion. There is everything wrong with “organized” religion.
>>Offended? As you say, tough tits. Get over it.
Aw, I’m over it, Uncle. Shortly after beginning my time at dvorak dot org slash blog I realized that relentless xenophobic faith bashing of ANYONE who has any sort of spiritual beliefs is the order of the day.
The whole “Fucking Xians, fucking Sikhs, fucking Muslims, fucking Buddhists” gets a little wearisome, though.
I guess, given your demographic, posting articles about churches sponsoring soup kitchens or detox centers or building houses for the poor wouldn’t be much of a hot topic. Or maybe it would….imagine the outrage on the part of the evangelistic Atheists here at the suggestion that churches can do good.
Falwell is gone, but what about Pat Robertson or the Pope ??? Need a BIGGER DRAGNET TO HAUL IN THESE CROOKS !!! They are ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY !!! Don’t give them ONE RED CENT !!!
#25 – #14, you say you are not bigoted, but the “Fundy Christians, aside from being gullible, judgmental, and stupid, are also crybabies”.
Oh, the irony.
Yea… It’s sooo ironic. The Xian right attacks, we respond, now we are bigoted. Well, I am bigoted against those who attack me without provocation.
Its tiresome to get into these circular arguments with thumpers. They ask, “why are you bigoted against Christians?” We explain with logic, reason, and honesty, then they ask the same damn question again. What conclusion can I draw other than that they must be stupid?
BTW, Bill ‘n Hill have been playing up the bible thumping a lot more than that “bible-thumping jack ass (who) is President of The United States right now”, are you going to bash them too?
Bush wages a Holy War against Islam, and Bill and Hillary profess that they have faith, yet still stand up for the principles that make the right hate them… what do I need to be critical of them for? Bill isn’t the President anymore (though he was a great President 8 years ago) and Hillary is still not the President, and I think probably won’t be. So who cares?
#35 – I agree. Save your loose change for his/her holiness the Pizza Delivery man.
#37 – The Pizza Delivery ‘man’ might be a ‘her’? That’s one funky church!
#34 – imagine the outrage on the part of the evangelistic Atheists here at the suggestion that churches can do good.
Bullshit.
No one is saying that churches do no good… but you know what? Churches are SUPPOSED to do good. You know why we don’t extol the virtue of a father who pays child support? Because he’s supposed to pay child support. We are talking about churches that do not do good. We are talking about churches that do harm. Why are you so dense.
Every time you defend these Xian loonbats who try to ban library books, who try to force tax dollars to be used to teach Creationism, who push failing abstinence programs and lobby to deny real health related info to kids, who want to censor or culture and institute their religious rule… all we can can conclude is that you must agree with them. So enjoy the loving caress of the broad brush because they only reason you are hit with it is that you are standing in its path.
Either denounce those who do evil in your God’s name, or be counted as one who does evil.
These comments are complete and utter BS.
Uncle Dave’s Old Time Pizza Religion is only hours old and already we face our first split.
Were I forced to eat only one kind of pizza for the rest of my life, would I want there to be pineapple on it? Probably not. But as an occasional dalliance, I enjoy a deep dish Hawaiian pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple.
Just occurred to me, these patent-leather defenders of the faith have so little confidence in their supposed creed that – they have no sect to advocate for, no leading organization at the head of their amorphous xhristian army.
At least I’m willing to speak up for extra garlic.
All hail “Pizza the Hut”.
The Pope (who takes a vow of poverty) lives a pretty extravagant life style.
To quote my favorite preacher Bono “The God I believe in isn’t short of cash, mister….”
Pineapple is not one of the “traditional pizza values” on which our religion was founded. I may even have enjoyed it once or twice myself (I experimented in college, but didn’t swallow). The fact remains that self-denial is an important part of any religion in maintaining one’s purity and worthiness.
On the other hand, the Pepperoni Sect welcomes “extra garlic” worshipers with open arms (just in time as we pass the hat).
Traditional American Christians do not follow ultra-conservative, evangelical, liars like this bunch. Traditional Christians are still moderate to liberal and open minded. We are talking about a very loud minority with this bunch of dolts.
Its too bad these type of evangelical liars can swindle the country out of tax dollars, although I think the US Government should be spending money on its own people instead of bombing other countries and paying for a war. Bush fits right in with this ultra-crowd and relied on them to win (sort of) the vote
#40: “I enjoy a deep dish Hawaiian pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple.”
Canadian bacon!!! What kind of foreign heathen are you? Nothin’ but good, ol’ fashioned American pork byproducts for me and my flock!
And Gary, as Soprano would say, forgeddaboutit! No extra garlic adherents would fall for your unorthodox pizza sect. They understand how open we are to all and will flock to us with open arms, but closed mouths. Better watch out — I might have to smite you with my wood oven pizza paddle!
I was a self assured non-Pineapple loving worshiper who avoided those temples of inequity such as CeCe’s where parishioners could select any form of worship that was available at the pizza bar. These un-pious dupes of the satanic multi-toppings crowd could choose from any variation of sacrilegious mixing of toppings. But one day I was hungry for some warm comfort that only pizza could sate. There was only one temple of worship at hand so I entered a CeCe’s convincing myself that I shall remain clean and shun any but pure “traditional pizzas”. I have to admit that I too succumbed to the allure of the pineapple and ham concoction that Beelzebub himself created and laid before my weakened state. I kidded myself that one piece would not kill anyone and that I could be forgiven for this one moment of weakness. Long story longer, I found myself going back time after time to get the next piece of pineapple and ham sin. To this day I have not forgiven myself for this transgression. You can find me on the street corner with hat in hand begging for a handout so that I might once again visit that pit of hellfire called CeCe’s Family Pizza to once again indulge in the unholy act.
Good news! I have been saved! While driving back from our latest visit to CeCe’s den of sin. Me and my wife were driving back on highway 150 near Manson enjoying some Red Bull to counteract the halcyon effects of our latest high carb indulgence of pineapple and ham perversion. We were discussing the sinfulness of it all and decided to pray together for salvation. We asked the great Pepperoni to show us a sign that we may know his will. At that very instant, BAM!, a cow fell out of the sky and hit our minivan just inches away from the CeCe’s togo box on the dashboard. We knew right then and there that that was the last trip to hell we will take. All hail the great one slice.
Monster’s Lawyer, I rejoice in your miraculous conversion on behalf of the entire Pepperoni Sect! I’d send you a card, but I don’t think Hallmark yet makes one expressing this sentiment.
Pineapple is truly the forbidden fruit that lures many to their own eternal damnation. The fires of Hell burn a thousand times hotter than any pizza oven. Blessed Uncle Dave would be wise to start wearing asbestos underpants.
“The fires of Hell burn a thousand times hotter than any pizza oven.”
Not mine! What do you think is heating my Prostelitizing Pizza Oven?
CeCe’s is a SIN against pizza!!!!
ALL MASS PRODUCED CORPORATE PIZZA IS A BLASPHEME AGAINST HIS HOLY CHEESINESS!
>>Every time you defend these Xian loonbats who try to ban library
>>books, who try to force tax dollars to be used to teach Creationism,
>>who push failing abstinence programs and lobby to deny real health
>>related info to kids, who want to censor or culture and institute their
>>religious rule…
Gosh. Would it be too much to ask for an example of where I’ve ever done that? I don’t recall it.
And just like churches are SUPPOSED to do good, xenophobic hatemongering, hypocritical neoconservative right-wing kooks are SUPPOSED to do evil. Reading about yet another megachurch preacher who runs on meth and man-ass is about as interesting as reading about a father who pays child support.
The only possible goal in posting every story that comes out about some Dumbya-loving fruitcake with his hand in the cookie jar (or his dick in some underage ass) is to try and paint everyone who has religious beliefs with the same ugly brush.
Anyway, we all know that the only true sin (“original”, if you will”) is putting fruit on pizza. Pineapple on pizza? Ecchhh. What’s next? Strawberries? The End Times are near….
As Bishop of the Double Cheese (Deep Dish), Northern Synode, I call to all Pizza lovers to unite. To once again eat together. To enjoy our blessed double cheese. To taste the blessed, sweet, mozzarella strings running from our taste buds to the last bite in our hands. To savor the melted cheese soothing our palate. To exhilarate as the intoxicating aroma of cheese wafting up to our proboscis member.
Yes, YES, we should all join together. Forget our differences. Come together in song, banter, and praise. We should all sit down and enjoy some double cheese pizza on a deep dish crust.
This invitation is not extended to pineapple lovers. Heathens. All you guys do is want to “cut the cheese”.
Brothers Gary Marks, Uncle Dave, OFTLO, and your most exaulted one Bishop Fusion, can I get an Amen. For I have seen the light and the light is good and the light says “Buy one size and get the next smaller size for FREE!!!” Sing his praise from on high his great Cheesieness! For he is niegh only cheesy but generous too.
http://www.tastesofchicago.com/category/111
Mmmmm, Burrp!
I’ll admit that the splinter Pepperoni Sect’s financial prospects haven’t been quite as lucrative as I imagined they’d be when we broke away from the Church of the Sacred Pizza just this morning. With an equitable revenue sharing arrangement, I think we can learn to turn our heads when certain “indiscretions” take place within our religion, if only for the sake of harmony. Bishop Fusion’s last minute emergence as a religious peacemaker signals that the end is indeed very close at hand, perhaps only hours away. File that one under “Who ever thought…?”
Count me in for a chorus of “Kumbaya” (or a suitable cheesy equivalent).
I have seeeeeen the light, brothers and sisters! I renounce my evil pizza worshiping ways! I have witnessed the horrible, evil truth that pizzas are NOT made by the Great Chicago Pizza God, Uno. They evolve from soft, squishy, doughy things that are rolled out flat by mere mortals! Oh, how I have been deceived! My torment is great and unending!
I have repented! But fear not, my flock, for I have discovered the true God, the one who will deliver us from this evil pizza nightmare. The enlightened ones in far away lands call it… BEER!
Many churches do GOOD things, and you may not see it all, or even MOST of it…
But, when someone starts getting RICH, thats NOT a good sign…
Give unto Caesar WHAT is Caesars..
for the RESt of these RICH birds, of prey, I ask 1 thing…
WHAT TOOK SOOOO LONG…
#56 – FINALLY GlobalWarmer finds the beauty of Chicago!
Come down from the rustic outback wastelands of wherever the hell your log cabin was built by hand and enjoy the bounty of out Metropolitan Utopia… and have a local microbrew with your slice 🙂