Do "Prosperity Preachers" Prey On Hope?

Senate Probe Shines Light On Televangelists' Message That God Will Shower The Faithful In Riches

(AP)  The message flickered into Cindy Fleenor's living room each night: Be faithful in how you live and how you give, the television preachers said, and God will shower you with material riches.

And so the 53-year-old accountant from the Tampa, Fla., area pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer, the evangelist whose frank talk about recovering from childhood sexual abuse was so inspirational. She wrote checks to flamboyant faith healer Benny Hinn and a local preacher-made-good, Paula White.

Only the blessings didn't come. Fleenor ended up borrowing money from friends and payday loan companies just to buy groceries. At first she believed the explanation given on television: Her faith wasn't strong enough.

"I wanted to believe God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them," she said. "I'm angry and bitter about it. Right now, I don't watch anyone on TV hardly."

All three of the groups Fleenor supported are among six major Christian television ministries under scrutiny by a senator who is asking questions about the evangelists' lavish spending and possible abuses of their tax-exempt status.

The probe by Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, has brought new scrutiny to the underlying belief that brings in millions of dollars and fills churches from Atlanta to Los Angeles - the "Gospel of Prosperity," or the notion that God wants to bless the faithful with earthly riches.

All six ministries under investigation preach the prosperity gospel to varying degrees.

Proponents call it a biblically sound message of hope. Others say it is a distortion that makes evangelists rich and preys on the vulnerable. They say it has evolved from "it's all right to make money" to it's all right for the pastor to drive a Bentley, live in an oceanside home and travel by private jet.

"More and more people are desperate and grasping at straws and want something that will alleviate their pain or financial crisis," said Michael Palmer, dean of the divinity school at Regent University, founded by Pat Robertson. "It's a growing problem."

The modern-day prosperity movement can largely be traced back to evangelist Oral Roberts' teachings. Roberts' disciples have spread his theology and vocabulary (Roberts and other evangelists, such as Meyer, call their donors "partners.") And several popular prosperity preachers, including some now under investigation, have served on the Oral Roberts University board.

Grassley is asking the ministries for financial records on salaries, spending practices, private jets and other perks. The investigation, coupled with a financial scandal at ORU that forced out Roberts' son and heir, Richard, has some wondering whether the prosperity gospel is facing a day of reckoning.

While few expect the movement to disappear, the scrutiny could force greater financial transparency and oversight in a movement known for secrecy.

Most scholars trace the origins of prosperity theology to E.W. Kenyon, an evangelical pastor from the first half of the 20th century.

But it wasn't until the postwar era - and a pair of evangelists from Tulsa, Okla. - that "health and wealth" theology became a fixture in Pentecostal and charismatic churches.

Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin - and later, Kenneth Copeland - trained tens of thousands of evangelists with a message that resonated with an emerging middle class, said David Edwin Harrell Jr., a Roberts biographer. Copeland is among those now being investigated.

"What Oral did was develop a theology that made it OK to prosper," Harrell said. "He let Pentecostals be faithful to the old-time truths their grandparents embraced and be part of the modern world, where they could have good jobs and make money."

The teachings took on various names - "Name It and Claim It," "Word of Faith," the prosperity gospel.

Prosperity preachers say that it isn't all about money - that God's blessings extend to health, relationships and being well-off enough to help others.

They have Bible verses at the ready to make their case. One oft-cited verse, in Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians, reads: "Yet for your sakes he became poor, that you by his poverty might become rich."

Critics acknowledge the idea that God wants to bless his followers has a Biblical basis, but say prosperity preachers take verses out of context. The prosperity crowd also fails to acknowledge Biblical accounts that show God doesn't always reward faithful believers, Palmer said.

The Book of Job is a case study in piety unrewarded, and a chapter in the Book of Hebrews includes a litany of believers who were tortured and martyred, Palmer said.

Yet the prosperity gospel continues to draw crowds, particularly lower- and middle-income people who, critics say, have the greatest motivation and the most to lose. The prosperity message is spreading to black churches, attracting elderly people with disposable incomes, and reaching huge churches in Africa and other developing parts of the world.

One of the teaching's attractions is that it doesn't dwell on traditional Christian themes of heaven and hell but on answering pressing concerns of the here and now, said Brian McLaren, a liberal evangelical author and pastor.

But the prosperity gospel, McLaren said, not only preys on the hope of the vulnerable, it puts too much emphasis on individual success and happiness.

"We've pretty much ignored what the Bible says about systemic injustice," he said.

The checks and balances central to Christian denominations are largely lacking in prosperity churches. One of the pastors in the Grassley probe, Bishop Eddie Long of suburban Atlanta, has written that God told him to get rid of the "ungodly governmental structure" of a deacon board.

Some ministers hold up their own wealth as evidence that the teaching works. Atlanta-area pastor Creflo Dollar, who is fighting Grassley's inquiry, owns a Rolls Royce and multimillion-dollar homes and travels in a church-owned Learjet.

In a letter to Grassley, Dollar's attorney calls the prosperity gospel a "deeply held religious belief" grounded in Scripture and therefore a protected religious freedom. Grassley has said his probe is not about theology.

But even some prosperity gospel critics - like the Rev. Adam Hamilton of 15,000-member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in suburban Kansas City, Mo. - say that the investigation is entering a minefield.

"How do you determine how much money a minister like this is able to make when the basic theology is that wealth is OK?" said Hamilton, an Oral Roberts graduate who later left the charismatic movement. "That gets into theological questions."

There is evidence of change. Joyce Meyer Ministries, for one, enacted financial reforms in recent years, including making audited financial statements public.

Meyer, who has promised to cooperate fully with Grassley, issued a statement emphasizing that a prosperity gospel "that solely equates blessing with financial gain is out of balance and could damage a person's walk with God."

[runningralph]

The government should just do away with or modify the tax exemption. After that if people want to hand over their money, let them do it. People are free to believe whatever, and give money to whatever so long as it''s not financing subversive activities. But the IRS should be taking a slice.

[michellem99-2009]

I can''t support religion as it rips off the poor. In this nation it is a business unto it self..TV preachers get nasty rich while the poor go without. iF THEY COULD SEE THAT FANCY LIFESTYLE AND THEY GIVE TILL THEIR BROKE AND THAT PRACHER HAHA ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK..They would wise up.

[kansas1946]

Anyone who is such an idiot to send their money to these creeps deserves to lose their money. There are so many worthy charities but they choose to send money to a guy that looks like Elvis in drag. Instead of supporting their local church they try to buy their way into heaven supporting the biggest sleezes on earth. All that is fine with me until I have to support these scumbags with my tax money which is exactly what I and every other tax payer is doing because of their tax exempt status. While they fly around in jets and live in mansions, the Americans that are supporting them with taxes can not even afford health insurance. I hope they nail every one of these guys and do away with their tax exempt status.

[talk2chief]

And the Darwin award goes to...

All people who believe God will grant you blessings if you send him your money through a middleman broker or(church).

[Krazcarl]

Well dressed con men with a great angle and prey on the desperate and lonely and should be imprisoned thier thieves they don''t threaten with a gun they threaten with eturnal damnation perhaps a little waterboarding would help..

[dsr57]

If I would have known people were this easy to prey upon I would have started my own chruch years ago.. Can you get tax exemptions for starting a cult?

[grammawhamma]

Churches should not be tax exempt. I think we should tax the hell out of them and designate the income collected to really help the poor of our country. I wonder how many would close their doors and fade away?

[degraded-2009]

I am a former member of what''s now being called "Prosperity Church". I knew then what everybody is just now figuring out. I went to a specific church for a year. You have to take classes to become a member. I didn''t realize that I had missed ONE class so I wasn''t considered a member when I asked the church for $200 to help pay my electric bill. I had three children and was pregnant again at the time. My husband had been layed off and we were struggling. But this church turned me down because I missed ONE class. Yet, I had to endure watching a 100 ft. TV every service about the pastor''s new 2 million dollar jet, his wife''s $10,000 fur coat and their lavish $4million home. Every service! I''m glad these churches are being investigated. This pastor taught us that if we were poor or struggling, then we were not giving enough to the church, thus not following God''s rules. As he was preaching, people would throw money at his feet until the entire stage was carpeted in money. I left that "place" in a hurry! He once even had a famous boxing announcer come to his church to announce him coming out to the podium! I couldn''t believe it! And they would not help me with a measley two hundred dollars so my family wouldn''t be in the dark. I support the senator who is bringing all this out to light and I wish there was more I could do to help him.

[dsr57]

Too bad he wasn''t at the zoo the other day.

[ramos937]

There is an easy fix to this. Since these are tax exempt organizations, the government should publish the "minister''s" annual compensation in some public forum. That way if a church member approves that compensation, everything is ok. If not, the member just goes elsewhere.

BTW, these guys are making a mockery of the ministery. For the best example, just examine how Jesus lived. He is the role model for these guys to follow but they never will.

[degraded-2009]

I agree, especially when a "preacher" is walking around the pulpit with money stuck to the bottom of his feet. It''s not a ministry, it''s become like the oil corporations: money hungry and will sell their souls to the devil in the name of God to get it.

[Krazcarl]

The funny thing is that JESUS said give to ceaser what is ceasers and give to god what is gods.But every get rich quick scammer goes tax exempt shows you how willing they are to follow the true words of chist. Well dressed lazy thieves.

[degraded-2009]

And with a name like Creflo and Taffy Dollar, doesn''t that warn people right off the bat? Were they born with those names? I can''t believe his "church" brought in $62 million last year alone! How much went to the poor and needy? Did they have to take a multitude of classes first? What did they do for the Hurricane Katrina victims? But they scrambled up $1 million to give to another "preacher" for his 40th anniversary gift. People have to put their ears to the ground and really listen to what''s going on. It''s enough to make someone lose their faith in God, when that isn''t the purpose of even going to church.

[degraded-2009]

As you can tell, I''m still angry about that situation. But what law of that nature does a church have to follow?

[usmc1968]

Jesus said it will be as hard for a rich man too enter heaven as it will be for a camel too go thru the eye of a needle, and this parable was in relation too a rich man wishing too follow Jesus, but Jesus told him too give up his wealth too the poor and follow him, but this made the rich man sad, he could not do it, and went away, the televangelists of today are false prophets, and anyone who listens too them, follows them, merely is falling victim too a criminal with a con game of religion as their weapon, no different than a robber with a gun, they rob with words, deception, and laugh all the way too the bank, the bible does not promise earthly riches but heavenly riches, these televangelists do not preach the word of Jesus, and Jesus if he were here today would castigate them all for what they are, just as he did the money changes and pharisee''s of his time..

[jjp735i]

They the Religious Right. They preach you the morals you must live by, take your money and turn around and break thoe very same morals they tell you to live by. Why? Because they pray on peoples fears. Hummm sounds like Bush! People are blind if they can''t see these preachers are living high while those that support them are not. Everyone is trying to buy a ticket to heaven. Well that''s not how it works. Instead of supporting the hate these very preachers spread, people should be following Christ and love thy neighbor instead of trying to make sure their neighbors are struck down by the hand of God.

[runningralph]

Benny Hinn is an Indian. He would do better to go to Orissa state in eastern India where Christians in mud huts are being persecuted. There he should console the persecuted and confront the persecutors. That''s what Jesus did. That''s what Ghandi did. Hinn is failing as a Christian and as an Indian.

[b-easy63]

it is never good to pimp God or the Gospel. The bible says : "choose you this day whom you shall serve, for a man cannot have 2 masters--you cannot serve both God and Mammon"

Mammon means riches. So for all the fake Christians who are going to church to get wealthy here on earth and the pimps who put God out there as encouraging this kind of outlook--can explain that scripture and this one: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The reason is--riches means one is caught up in the flesh or material world and that is where a person''s heart would be--the truly spiritual transcend their flesh or worldly concerns and focus on spiritual growth not "stuff" and money to make their temporary stay on earth pleasant.

[demwatcher]

Maybe someone should start an investigation on how "Doom-sayers" prey on fear. That will shine the lights smack-dab on the Democrats.

"Oh my goodness, if we do not pass emission standards, what will happen to the CHILDREN?"

"Global Warming will DESTROY the planet in TEN years!"

"DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN!"

". . . THE CHILDREN!"

". . . OR WE ALL ARE GONNA DIE!"

Same old crapola with every issue from Democrats.

[b-easy63]

Degraded,

The church more than likely broke a law, when they didn''''t help your family.

Posted by george2221 at 04:32 AM : Dec 28, 2007


Unfortunately, they did not. There is no law that can dictate how a church spends its donations, except any amounts paid to individuals as compensation for church work must be reported as income. As for who they help or do not help--it is no different than who the Red Cross helps or not or in how much they give. Totally at the discretion of the org. And yes, the Red Cross can take in thousands from a donor, yet limit that same donor to a one time 200.00 helping voucher if they so choose. They are not required to help anyone or everyone that enters their doors unless that is in their charter. They can pick and choose--they will only get in trouble if they put the money in their own pockets and do not report it correctly, or if they help no one*

* they can always claim they have a triage program and helped someone more needy.

[b-easy63]

Most of those so-called preachers are cast-iron Democrats.

Why are any of you surprised that they want to take money from the poor (a-la taxes for politicians) to make themselves richer?

Posted by TheGateway1 at 06:34 AM : Dec 28, 2007


actually, most are not. Of the mega million dollar churches, including the black dominated ones, the preachers are mostly Republican and try to ''persuade their congregation to vote that way. The religious right has at its base, mostly the members of mega million dollar Southern Baptists as well as other denominations. They are pro GOP due to the abortion and homosexual issue and the supposed GOP stance. They are money focused because they are false prophets and because...well..because they are Republicans as well as con artists. Con artists put the Con in conservative. LOL

[b-easy63]

Benny Hinn is an Indian. He would do better to go to Orissa state in eastern India where Christians in mud huts are being persecuted. There he should console the persecuted and confront the persecutors. That''''s what Jesus did. That''''s what Ghandi did. Hinn is failing as a Christian and as an Indian.

Posted by runningralph at 06:56 AM : Dec 28, 2007

Have you ever read the biography of Hinn? He claims greek heritage and was Greek orthodox not Hindu. Don''t let the ethnic features make you pigeon hole the man.

[mcvet]

"Oh my goodness, if we do not pass emission standards, what will happen to the CHILDREN?"

"Global Warming will DESTROY the planet in TEN years!"

"DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN!"

". . . THE CHILDREN!"

". . . OR WE ALL ARE GONNA DIE!"

Same old crapola with every issue from Democrats.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by DemWatcher at 07:07 AM : Dec 28, 2007
+ report abuse

Sparky YOU have been sucking on that Swastika WAY to long. It''s causing what little there is of your brain to turn to Mush! Global Warming WAS NOT created by the "Dem''s", it''s a WORLD WIDE ISSUE and is backed by the VAST MAJORITY of SCIENTIST... you do know what a SCIENTIST is don''t you? Anyway it''s a PROBLEM we can and MUST deal with... it''s something that effects EVERY family on earth. What is it with you Toe Tappers? I mean it''s one thing to Sell your Vote to some Snake Oil Salesman but when you ACTUALLY find out what they are doing to you, MOST intelligent things LEARN. But then who ever said someone in the Religious Reich was Intelligent? Sieg Heil and Amen.

[omega39-2009]

Maybe someone should start an investigation on how "Doom-sayers" prey on fear. That will shine the lights smack-dab on the Democrats.
Posted by DemWatcher

Hey DemWatcher, speaking of praying on fear, whatever happened to that color coded terror alert that Tom Ridge admitted was being manipulated for political reasons?

[gkc99]

Same way it always is with the snake oil salesmen. They''re in it for ol'' number UNO!

Whether it''s Benny Hinn, or tithing by the Catholic or Mormon or Baptist churches, the glib spouters of "Divine Wisdom" exist to hoover out your bank account.

Nobody needs to belong to an organized religion to have a perfectly good relationship with God. That''s a lie promoted by religious authorities who want influence and wealth, and political masters who find organized religion useful for keeping the peasants in line.

"Slaves, obey your masters"--"Saint" Paul. Why do you think so many cathedrals are named after the guy?

[hereticzero-2009]

As long as people buy into the Christinazi church there will always be victims.The best religion is NO religion. Invest in yourself and your family. Say ''NO!'' to religious do-gooders.

[oleander8]

Organized religion - BAH! HUMBUG!

[mitywhity]

I can understand your condemnation of these people. However no TRUE Christian gives these people even a shred of respect. They are like Simon the sorcerer in the book of The Acts of the Apostles who wanted godliness to go with his chicanery to make money for himself. These televangelists get the same contempt from true born-again Christians as Simon received from the Apostles. Don''t lump us all in one basket please. Their end and judgement will come to them as it will to you and I. Just make sure that you are ready and let these charlatans have no sway on you and what you believe.

[mitywhity]

BTW - God doesn''t need or want my money. My giving is not for paying light bills and salaries. Giving is for keeping me "others-focused" instead of self-focused. Yes, the money pays the bills and enables the Gospel to be carried around the world, but God could produce the money from thin air. Yet He allows us to be a part of His plan - it''s a privilege!

[honestabe8]

there is nothing wrong with this picture. these people are entertainers, and anyone who sends money is a bit delusional. not that delusion is unknown among people of faith. in fact, isn''t faith in and of itself a delusion? that being said, i hope hinn, dollar, meyers, et al are caught by angry mobs.

[gkc99]

"God could produce the money from thin air. Yet He allows us to be a part of His plan - it''''s a privilege! "--Posted by MityWhity


God creates useful idiots for the church-masters to exploit, it''s part of the plan for some unfathomable reason.

To paraphrase Mark Twain "for practice, God created fools. Then he created" televangelist believers.

[gkc99]

"God doesn''''t want you to follow "religion", He wants you to follow Him (Jesus Christ)."

So you say. I think not. The man we call Jesus (whose name was actually Joshua) was one of the world''s great teachers--but he died and is gone, except in memory. His words were generally good, but those who use his name (church-masters) for power are corrupt exploiters.

"Also, tithing is necessary in order to keep a church functioning. A church could not function without giving."

No need at all for there to be a funtioning church. They exist only for money and power. Give your charity directly to the poor, as Jesus, Buddha, and even Mohammed taught.

No need for organized religion at all.

[myidoncbs]

Those W-A-C-K-Y Christians are at it again!

Will they ever learn?

gkc99: I liked the phrase, "hoover out your bank account." It really makes the point!

[neoconrcrazy]

False prophets, false christians -

how many self-professed "christians" are calling for more war and agression these days ?

Calling for more death in palestine urging the zionists to steal, plunder and destroy ?

These are not people of the "book", but uneducated rabble, led by phony made-for-TV second rate failed actors looking to relieve them of their sweaty dollar bills.

Send them back to school, or to borneo.

[myidoncbs]

"I suppose next you''ll try to say we should get rid of all of these charitable organizations as well right?" - the gin man

Yup! Look at them closely, and you''ll find that they exist solely to create more converts, people who will end up giving money they can''t afford, for the rest of their lives. Look at all the money amassed by the Catholic Church. They specialize in sucking the dinero out of poor latin-american countries!

If you can''t understand what a scam organized religion is, watch the award-winning documentary, "Marjoe", in which evangelist Marjoe Gortner revealed how he and his family deceived the faithful out of millions of dollars and got nothing but praise in return.

[johnshaft4]

YOU can''t take it with you. But, if you give it to ME, I''ll have it waiting for you when you get there!
Praise Jeezus!

[grumpas]

Religion in this country has become a multi-billion dollar corporation that is a parasite feeding off the public. They don''t pay a dime in taxes. But, they always have their hand in the taxpayer''s pocket for still more money to fund their brainwashing. I think it''s time to take the profit out of religion and demand they start paying their fair share of the tax load. As long as this is a profitable venture for every snake oil salesman around there are going to be charlatan''s in Christianity. My Grandmother would have given Jerry Falwell every dime she had if her children hadn''t cut off her supply and told her ''no''. You couldn''t get anymore Christian than woman was. She gave Christianity a bad name like singinrick does! These charlatan''s prey on the elderly and super-religious bigots. Promising them things they can not deliver. They are parasite''s in our society that need to be rooted out.

[usayesterday]

"Prosperity" ministries.... Amway... what''s the difference?!

If you have ever been invited (duped) into going to an Amway convention (or any one of those pyramid scheme conventions)... your jaw would drop at the absolute hysteria and disgusting display of human mind control in your life!

Honestly, people are crying at these events! Some of those who gave speeches cried too! Seriously, Amway and pyramid-schemes like that are nearly a religion in themselves... based on the way some of the people act about them.

Without either money or (mind) control, you cannot have a religion. L Ron Hubbard felt the same way.

[honestabe8]

of course prosperity ministries prey on hope. so does much advertising. people should not take these slimeballs seriously. religion is sooooo 12th century...

[Krazcarl]

Don''t care what thier political leaning is it''s just what they think will do them the most good lately repuplicain is the party of thieves. These moroons think they will sit at the right hand of god. They should be taxed and imprisioned they are ruining our society with there hipocracy period.

[usayesterday]

"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."

- L. Ron Hubbard

(Or in the case of this article, just use an existing religion and create a false hope).

[excoachken]

Prosperity Ministries---------- computer says....Nah. The title you were searching for was Flim-Flam Bible Bangers or Con Men for Christ. But, then again, that''s exactly how we got the Cowardly Cowboy as President. There is a "very special" place in Hell for these scumbags!

[omega39-2009]

Forget Benny Hinn, I''ll follow Benny Hill and his first church of bodacious babes.

[myidoncbs]

Lest anyone give Grassley too much credit for taking on these 6 crooked ministries, don''t ever forget that Grassley is a member of "The Family", a secret "Christian" society who members have joined in a covenant to rule the world. See http://www.harpers.org/archive/2003/03/0079525 for an inside look at "The Family".

[usayesterday]

Forget Benny Hinn, I''''ll follow Benny Hill and his first church of bodacious babes.

Posted by omega39 at 09:56 AM : Dec 28, 2007
.............

LOL!!!!

Hey, we both belong to the same church!

Now I''ve got that Benny Hill theme song playing in my head! Yep, it must be a religion.

:-)

[liberalme]

Bible thump in Jesus name for the Allllmighty dollar!

[element51]

TheGateway1....What a stupid statement! Just how do you know that all these phoney preachers are Democrats? Maybe you had better take a good hard look at your current leaders in the White House. Seems like they have done a pretty good job of fleecing the public taxpayer. Are they all Democrats too? You republicans will do or say anything to slime the Democrats.

[likeitis5050]

So now the Senate wants to get involved in religious practices? With all the problems we have, a senator actually wants to scrutinize a religious practice of believing in prosperity while we have cults practicing every perverted thing under the sun without interruption...and atheists who are right on their heels declaring they are highly offended by anything holy. Give me a break. Either wipe them all off the face of the earth or GTF out their faces. We have the muslims ready to behead anyone who isn''t muslim...and they won''t take it to court. Get a grip. I want to see the atheists gather to complain about the muslims wanting every woman to wear a burka and stopping all work to pray to ''the only true'' Allah several times each day...go ahead...pardon the pun.

[element51]

DimWatcher...There you go again....Making this a political issue when isn''t. What about, "if we don''t fight them there we''ll have to fight them here" and they want to kill us all. All based on FEAR. Support us and we''ll protect you. Once again you will use anything to attack the democrats. So let''s ignore emission standards and forget about global warming and not worry about having clean water and let the big oil companies do as they please with no oversight. None of that stuff is important anyway, is it?

[liberalme]

TheGateway1....What a stupid statement! Just how do you know that all these phoney preachers are Democrats? Maybe you had better take a good hard look at your current leaders in the White House. Seems like they have done a pretty good job of fleecing the public taxpayer. Are they all Democrats too? You republicans will do or say anything to slime the Democrats.
Posted by Element51 at 10:40 AM : Dec 28, 2007

Example--Huckabee--a Baptist preacher, last I knew he''s a repug!
+ report abuse