The Dangers of Televangelists
Televangelism. I'm sure you've heard the commercials hawking DVDs and pamphlets, or maybe even overheard Kenneth Copeland or Joel Osteen on the television. But this seemingly innocent faith practice is a lot more exploitative than you think and is responsible for thousands of lives being ruined in the name of greed.
Televangelism. I'm sure you've heard the commercials hawking DVDs and pamphlets, or maybe even overheard Kenneth Copeland or Joel Osteen on the television. But this seemingly innocent faith practice is a lot more exploitative than you think and is responsible for thousands of lives being ruined in the name of greed.
Let's start with seed faith. The 'prosperity gospel', as it's commonly called, is a belief that if you give enough money to the men selling it, God will return that money to you, multiplied. Obviously, the Bible mentions no such thing, in fact, its teachings go against the very idea of wealth, saying, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:25). People paying the famous pastors are promised miraculous healing of incurable diseases, debt relief, or large sums of money. How or when this will happen is never explained, as it's apparently in God's hands, and can never be questioned. However, when it is not delivered, they are often told it is their own fault, based on their own lack of belief, hidden sin, or just not donating enough. In one case, televangelist Jim Bakker sold over $60,000 in colloidal silver 'cure-all' on 'The Jim Bakker Show'. When he was sued and had to pay the amount in full, he admitted no wrong-doing, and still continues to scam anyone watching his show. In another, Kenneth Copeland offered his oily arm to the camera to 'pray' for those donating to fund his extravagant lifestyle by 'curing them' of Covid-19. In 2018, his wife, Gloria Copeland, preached this: "If you say, ‘I don’t have any symptoms of the flu,’ well great, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Just keep saying ‘I’ll never have the flu. I’ll never have the flu.’ Put words. Inoculate yourself with the word of God." She also went on to say, “Jesus himself gave us the flu shot. He redeemed us from the curse of flu." In yet another, Jesse Duplantis asked for the money to buy a new private Falcon 7x jet (not to be confused with the three other jets he already had), citing that if he flew on a public airline, people would be 'constantly asking him to pray'.
This kind of scam may seem obvious, but it usually preys upon elderly or very stressed people that might be looking for any answer to their problems, no matter how unsubstantiated the claims may be. As 70% of America is Christian, the opportunity for exploitation is higher than you might think.
But what do megapastors do with all this ill-gotten wealth? Well, they spent it frivolously. While it should be noted that some megapastors lead a few mission trips or volunteer opportunities, the vast majority of the money is spent on extravagant stuff to the sole benefit of the scammers themselves. One of the biggest players in the industry, the Copelands, have a net worth of over $760 million, including a 1,500 acre estate, and $17.5 million private jet. This opulent display of wealth is nothing short of gross considering the Bible they supposedly preach. (Remember Mark 10:25?)
This money is also disgustingly tax-free. Under the US tax codes, a religious organization does not have to pay taxes, provided it is operated solely for charity/religious reasons; its earnings do not benefit any private individuals or shareholders; it doesn't influence legislation; and it doesn't violate fundamental public policy. The first one obviously should not apply, very little money actually goes to charity or to help anyone but the greedy televangelist. And the second one is very easy to avoid, all you have to do is say that your multimillion dollar assets are 'for preaching'. That's it. There is so little in the way of actually enforcing this for fear of encroaching on religious rights that the IRS just doesn't bother at all. Churches don't have to pay a dollar in taxes, they don't have to report any financial information, and they can do this not by due process or paying fees, like every other organization, but simply because they claim to be doing the work of a god. You are more likely to win the lottery than a church is to get audited. That should be absolutely unacceptable.
In conclusion, televangelism should not exist. It's a scam disguised as prayer used to stuff the pockets of some of the richest in America, benefiting 'pastors' doing exactly what their messiah told them not to do, all while being exempt entirely from taxes in the name of religious freedom.
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Joel Osteen, famous televangelist (Washington Post)
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St. Francis High School
2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
