John Oliver roasts some (USA) Televangelists who exploit faith for monetary gain; Seed (money) faith
[Warning: Some strong language (swear words) is used at times in the linked John Oliver video below (but not on this post, of course). So if you can't handle such language please don't watch the John Oliver video. The post text below does NOT use any such language and so you can safely read it.]
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Oliver_(comedian), "John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is an English comedian, political commentator, television host, and occasional actor. He is widely known in the U.S. for hosting HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
A correspondent passed me this video where John Oliver roasts some (USA) Televangelists who exploit faith for monetary gain, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg, around 20 mins, published on Aug. 16th 2015.
John Oliver starts by clearly stating that churches are a cornerstone of American life; roughly 350,000 congregations in USA with many of them doing great work like feeding the hungry, clothing the poor.
He then says that this program (video) is not about such churches and is instead about churches which exploit people's faith for monetary gain, in today's times.
Some of the televangelists targeted by Oliver in this video:
1) Robert Tilton. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tilton: Robert Gibson Tilton (born June 7, 1946) is an American televangelist of the prosperity gospel widely known for his infomercial-styled religious television program Success-N-Life, which at its peak in 1991 aired in all 235 American TV markets (daily in the majority of them), brought in nearly $80 million per year, and was described as "the fastest growing television ministry in America."
Within two years after ABC's Primetime Live examined Tilton's fundraising practices, beginning a series of investigations into the ministry, his program was taken off the air. Tilton later returned to television via his new version of Success-N-Life airing on BET and The Word Network.
...
In Success-N-Life, Tilton regularly taught that all of life's trials, especially poverty, were a result of sin. Tilton's ministry consisted mainly of impressing upon his viewers the importance of making "vows"—financial commitments to Tilton's ministry. His preferred vow, stressed frequently on his broadcasts, was $1,000. Occasionally, Tilton would claim to have received a word of knowledge for someone to give a vow of $5,000 or even $10,000. When a person made a vow to Tilton, he preached that God would recognize the vow and reward the donor with vast material riches. The show also ran "testimonials" of viewers who gave to Tilton's ministry and reportedly received miracles in return, a practice that would be used as the basis for a later lawsuit from donors charging Tilton's ministry with fraud.
--- end wiki extract ---
2) Creflo Dollar. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creflo_Dollar: Dollar is known for his controversial teachings regarding prosperity theology, or the gospel of wealth. He has long been criticized for living a lavish lifestyle; he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, and real estate such as a million-dollar home in Atlanta, a $2.5 million home in Demarest, New Jersey, and a $2.5 million home in Manhattan, which he sold for $3.75 million in 2012. Dollar has refused to disclose his salary. Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" (failing) for financial transparency by the organization Ministry Watch.
...
On November 24, 2014, Dollar's private Gulfstream III jet, N103CD ran off the runway at Biggin Hill Airport, United Kingdom. There were no serious injuries. To replace the old jet, Dollar launched a fundraising campaign to get his followers to pay approximately $60,000,000 for a new Gulfstream G650 jet. He suggested his followers each commit to giving "$300 or more." The jet he wants is the "fastest plane ever built in civilian aviation." After receiving immediate backlash, Dollar ended his fundraising campaign.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi: The video shows, from around 1:57, Creflo Dollar asking for donations to buy a 65 million dollar private luxury jet (airplane). Dollar says (@ 2:09), "If I want to believe God for a 65 million dollar plane you cannot stop me. You cannot stop me from dreaming." [http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015/June/Board-Approves-Multi-Million-Jet-for-Creflo-Dollar/ continues the quote as "I'm gonna dream until Jesus comes."]
3) Mike Murdock. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Murdock: Michael Dean Murdock (born April 18, 1946 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States) is an American televangelist and pastor of the Wisdom Center ministry based in Haltom City, Texas. Murdock preaches around the world and is best known for his promotion of prosperity theology.
...
On 3-3-2003, the Associated Press reported Murdock asked followers for money to help the poor but spent more than 60% of donations on overhead, including his salary, and only a tiny amount (reported to be "legal minimums of 1% to 3%") on helping the needy, or any other 'public interest'.
In 2004, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Murdock "has started a church and the law allows him to keep his financial records behind closed doors." In August 2004, the association purchased the International Faith Center in Haltom City, Texas, and changed its name to The Wisdom Center, which it operates as a church.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi @ around 2:45 in the video Mike Murdock says, "I had enough money to buy a Cessna Citation jet. Cash. ... that there is so much jealousy in this room tonight that I can feel over this. A few weeks later I have ordered another one - worth three times what that one was. Cash".
4) Kenneth Copeland. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Copeland: Kenneth Max Copeland (born December 6, 1936) is one of the leaders of the Charismatic Movement and is an American author, musician, public speaker, and televangelist. Copeland has been strongly identified with preaching a prosperity and abundance message, commonly referred to as the prosperity gospel over the last 45 years.
...
KCM also owns a 1998 Cessna 550 Citation Bravo, which it received from a donor in October 2007 and is used for domestic flights, and a 2005Cessna 750 Citation X, which it uses for international flights. It also is restoring a 1962 Beech H-18 Twin, which the ministry plans to use for disaster relief efforts.
In February 2007 Copeland was accused of using his ministry's Citation X for personal vacations and friends. The Copelands' financial records are not publicly available, and a list of the board of directors is not accessible as these details are protected but known confidentially by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
--- end wiki extract ---
At around 4:29 in the video, Oliver says, "... despite that personal wealth people still send Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar and that --snip-- with two planes, lots and lots of money. And that's only because they preach something called the prosperity gospel which argues that wealth is a sign of God's favour and donations will result in wealth coming back to you. That (logic) sometimes takes the form of seed faith. The notion that donations are seeds that you will one day get to harvest. Let me show you that in action."
James Payne, Televangelist, http://jamespayneministries.com/, is shown saying, "The size of your seed will determine the size of your harvest." ... "I don't understand why but there is something (that) happens at a level where people step into faith and give a thousand dollars that don't happen at other levels."
Todd Coontz, Televangelist, http://rockwealth.org/, "You are going to have a breakthrough from this two hundred and seventy three dollar seed."
Henry Fernandez, Televangelist, http://www.henryfernandez.org/, "All you have got is a thousand dollars. Listen, that's not enough money anyway to buy the house. You are trying to (get in) the apartment. You are (laughing) trying to buy the house. That's not enough money anyway. You get to that phone and you put that seed in the ground and watch God work it out."
...
At around 5:58, Mike Murdock (details given earlier) says, "I have a feeling that somebody that wants a credit card debt wiped out. That you use your faith as you sow. [Screen shows speaker with a message below "SOW YOUR SEED GIFT OF $1000" along with a telephone number.] As you sow a thousand on a credit card; as you use your faith; as you use your faith, God's going to wipe out your credit card indebtedness."
[Ravi: That is truly outrageous; truly predatory. As it is the poor persons targeted are in credit card debt - taking more money from them with the lure that their credit card debt will get wiped out seems like cheating to me. I think in India anybody who goes to such an outlandish extent openly on Television (doing it behind closed doors may be harder to prosecute) will be liable to be prosecuted for cheating (section 420 of Indian Penal Code, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_420_of_the_Indian_Penal_Code)]
Around 8:13 John Oliver says, "... And yet, not only is everything you have seen so far, legal, (but) the money people donate in response to it is tax-free. If you are registered as a religious non-profit or especially as a church you are given broad exemptions from taxation and regulation."
There's more in the twenty minute video including details of John Oliver corresponding with a church that kept asking for money from him on one pretext or the other, and John Oliver opening a new fake church himself called "Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption" which he says was disturbingly easy to open.
=== end John Oliver video part =====
Ravi: India should have a Hindu Ashram Financial Transparency Watch organization like USA's Ministry Watch. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_Watch: Ministry Watch is an independent evangelical Christian organization whose purpose is to review Protestant ministries for financial accountability and transparency, and to provide independent advice to Protestants considering making donations to them. As an adjudicator it also gives a critical assessment of the ministry.
--- end wiki extract ---
[I thank the producers of the John Oliver video above as well as Wikipedia, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing some transcripts and extracts on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Oliver_(comedian), "John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is an English comedian, political commentator, television host, and occasional actor. He is widely known in the U.S. for hosting HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
A correspondent passed me this video where John Oliver roasts some (USA) Televangelists who exploit faith for monetary gain, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg, around 20 mins, published on Aug. 16th 2015.
He then says that this program (video) is not about such churches and is instead about churches which exploit people's faith for monetary gain, in today's times.
Some of the televangelists targeted by Oliver in this video:
1) Robert Tilton. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tilton: Robert Gibson Tilton (born June 7, 1946) is an American televangelist of the prosperity gospel widely known for his infomercial-styled religious television program Success-N-Life, which at its peak in 1991 aired in all 235 American TV markets (daily in the majority of them), brought in nearly $80 million per year, and was described as "the fastest growing television ministry in America."
Within two years after ABC's Primetime Live examined Tilton's fundraising practices, beginning a series of investigations into the ministry, his program was taken off the air. Tilton later returned to television via his new version of Success-N-Life airing on BET and The Word Network.
...
In Success-N-Life, Tilton regularly taught that all of life's trials, especially poverty, were a result of sin. Tilton's ministry consisted mainly of impressing upon his viewers the importance of making "vows"—financial commitments to Tilton's ministry. His preferred vow, stressed frequently on his broadcasts, was $1,000. Occasionally, Tilton would claim to have received a word of knowledge for someone to give a vow of $5,000 or even $10,000. When a person made a vow to Tilton, he preached that God would recognize the vow and reward the donor with vast material riches. The show also ran "testimonials" of viewers who gave to Tilton's ministry and reportedly received miracles in return, a practice that would be used as the basis for a later lawsuit from donors charging Tilton's ministry with fraud.
--- end wiki extract ---
2) Creflo Dollar. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creflo_Dollar: Dollar is known for his controversial teachings regarding prosperity theology, or the gospel of wealth. He has long been criticized for living a lavish lifestyle; he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, and real estate such as a million-dollar home in Atlanta, a $2.5 million home in Demarest, New Jersey, and a $2.5 million home in Manhattan, which he sold for $3.75 million in 2012. Dollar has refused to disclose his salary. Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" (failing) for financial transparency by the organization Ministry Watch.
...
On November 24, 2014, Dollar's private Gulfstream III jet, N103CD ran off the runway at Biggin Hill Airport, United Kingdom. There were no serious injuries. To replace the old jet, Dollar launched a fundraising campaign to get his followers to pay approximately $60,000,000 for a new Gulfstream G650 jet. He suggested his followers each commit to giving "$300 or more." The jet he wants is the "fastest plane ever built in civilian aviation." After receiving immediate backlash, Dollar ended his fundraising campaign.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi: The video shows, from around 1:57, Creflo Dollar asking for donations to buy a 65 million dollar private luxury jet (airplane). Dollar says (@ 2:09), "If I want to believe God for a 65 million dollar plane you cannot stop me. You cannot stop me from dreaming." [http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015/June/Board-Approves-Multi-Million-Jet-for-Creflo-Dollar/ continues the quote as "I'm gonna dream until Jesus comes."]
3) Mike Murdock. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Murdock: Michael Dean Murdock (born April 18, 1946 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States) is an American televangelist and pastor of the Wisdom Center ministry based in Haltom City, Texas. Murdock preaches around the world and is best known for his promotion of prosperity theology.
...
On 3-3-2003, the Associated Press reported Murdock asked followers for money to help the poor but spent more than 60% of donations on overhead, including his salary, and only a tiny amount (reported to be "legal minimums of 1% to 3%") on helping the needy, or any other 'public interest'.
In 2004, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Murdock "has started a church and the law allows him to keep his financial records behind closed doors." In August 2004, the association purchased the International Faith Center in Haltom City, Texas, and changed its name to The Wisdom Center, which it operates as a church.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi @ around 2:45 in the video Mike Murdock says, "I had enough money to buy a Cessna Citation jet. Cash. ... that there is so much jealousy in this room tonight that I can feel over this. A few weeks later I have ordered another one - worth three times what that one was. Cash".
4) Kenneth Copeland. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Copeland: Kenneth Max Copeland (born December 6, 1936) is one of the leaders of the Charismatic Movement and is an American author, musician, public speaker, and televangelist. Copeland has been strongly identified with preaching a prosperity and abundance message, commonly referred to as the prosperity gospel over the last 45 years.
...
KCM also owns a 1998 Cessna 550 Citation Bravo, which it received from a donor in October 2007 and is used for domestic flights, and a 2005Cessna 750 Citation X, which it uses for international flights. It also is restoring a 1962 Beech H-18 Twin, which the ministry plans to use for disaster relief efforts.
In February 2007 Copeland was accused of using his ministry's Citation X for personal vacations and friends. The Copelands' financial records are not publicly available, and a list of the board of directors is not accessible as these details are protected but known confidentially by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
--- end wiki extract ---
At around 4:29 in the video, Oliver says, "... despite that personal wealth people still send Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar and that --snip-- with two planes, lots and lots of money. And that's only because they preach something called the prosperity gospel which argues that wealth is a sign of God's favour and donations will result in wealth coming back to you. That (logic) sometimes takes the form of seed faith. The notion that donations are seeds that you will one day get to harvest. Let me show you that in action."
James Payne, Televangelist, http://jamespayneministries.com/, is shown saying, "The size of your seed will determine the size of your harvest." ... "I don't understand why but there is something (that) happens at a level where people step into faith and give a thousand dollars that don't happen at other levels."
Todd Coontz, Televangelist, http://rockwealth.org/, "You are going to have a breakthrough from this two hundred and seventy three dollar seed."
Henry Fernandez, Televangelist, http://www.henryfernandez.org/, "All you have got is a thousand dollars. Listen, that's not enough money anyway to buy the house. You are trying to (get in) the apartment. You are (laughing) trying to buy the house. That's not enough money anyway. You get to that phone and you put that seed in the ground and watch God work it out."
...
At around 5:58, Mike Murdock (details given earlier) says, "I have a feeling that somebody that wants a credit card debt wiped out. That you use your faith as you sow. [Screen shows speaker with a message below "SOW YOUR SEED GIFT OF $1000" along with a telephone number.] As you sow a thousand on a credit card; as you use your faith; as you use your faith, God's going to wipe out your credit card indebtedness."
[Ravi: That is truly outrageous; truly predatory. As it is the poor persons targeted are in credit card debt - taking more money from them with the lure that their credit card debt will get wiped out seems like cheating to me. I think in India anybody who goes to such an outlandish extent openly on Television (doing it behind closed doors may be harder to prosecute) will be liable to be prosecuted for cheating (section 420 of Indian Penal Code, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_420_of_the_Indian_Penal_Code)]
Around 8:13 John Oliver says, "... And yet, not only is everything you have seen so far, legal, (but) the money people donate in response to it is tax-free. If you are registered as a religious non-profit or especially as a church you are given broad exemptions from taxation and regulation."
There's more in the twenty minute video including details of John Oliver corresponding with a church that kept asking for money from him on one pretext or the other, and John Oliver opening a new fake church himself called "Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption" which he says was disturbingly easy to open.
=== end John Oliver video part =====
Ravi: India should have a Hindu Ashram Financial Transparency Watch organization like USA's Ministry Watch. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_Watch: Ministry Watch is an independent evangelical Christian organization whose purpose is to review Protestant ministries for financial accountability and transparency, and to provide independent advice to Protestants considering making donations to them. As an adjudicator it also gives a critical assessment of the ministry.
--- end wiki extract ---
[I thank the producers of the John Oliver video above as well as Wikipedia, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing some transcripts and extracts on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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