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John Oliver Exposes Shady Televangelists Fleecing Americans For Millions

Blog Last Activity 8 years ago 487 views 8 comments

On his award-worthy HBO program Last Week Tonight, John Oliver revels in exposing hypocrisy, from the compromised snake oil salesman Dr. Oz to “thin-skinned” megalomaniac Donald Trump. Sunday night’s edition saw the intrepid British satirist target America’s shady fraternity of televangelists bleeding their brainwashed acolytes dry.


“This is about the churches that exploit people’s faith for monetary gain,” Oliver announced.


Yes, in 2015, televangelism is still thriving in America. Back in March, The Daily Beast reported on Creflo Dollar, a pastor who’d thoroughly convinced his loyal congregation that God wanted him to own a $65 million private jet, and wanted them to foot the bill.


Joining Dollar in his pursuit of the high life is Mike Murdock, a televangelist who shamelessly bragged in front of his congregation about purchasing not one, but two private jets with straight cash. And Kenneth Copeland, a televangelist who—along with his equally opportunistic wife, Gloria—calls his private jet a “preaching machine” that he uses only for church activities, yet was revealed to use it to fly to luxury ski resorts and gaming trips to India to hunt exotic animals.


All of these televangelists and more preach “The Prosperity Gospel” that, Oliver says, “argues that wealth is a sign of God’s favor, and donations will result in wealth coming back to you. That idea takes the form of ‘seed faith’—that donations are seeds that you will one day get to harvest.”


“If she went to a doctor, it was a sin,” Beach told the AP. “You didn’t believe enough if you did. She just wrote: ‘God heal me. God heal me. God heal me.’”


Last Week then played a series of damning clips of televangelists requesting “seed” money on their programs, including Murdock convincing those deep in credit card debt to donate $1,000 to his church in order to sow a “seed” to God that will eventually wipe out said debt.


Even more harrowing is the case of Bonnie Parker, who, instead of seeking treatment for cancer, was convinced to “sow” money into Copeland’s church due to the ministry’s teaching. After Parker died in 2004 from cancer, her daughter, Kristy Beach, claimed to have found her mother’s diaries that detailed the words she heard on TV from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland.


“If she went to a doctor, it was a sin,” Beach told the AP. “You didn’t believe enough if you did. She just wrote: ‘God heal me. God heal me. God heal me.’”

Oliver then played a video of Gloria Copeland, who hawks a series of “healing faith” products, suggesting to her congregation that it’s better to pray then to seek medical treatment for cancer.


“We know what’s wrong with you—you’ve got cancer,” preached Copeland. “The bad news is we don’t know what to do about it except give you some poison that will make you sicker. Now, which do you want to do: do you want to do that, or do you want to sit here on Saturday morning, hear the word of God, and let faith come into your heart and be healed? Hallelujah.”


What’s more, these “Prosperity Gospel” and “seed faith” practices are not only legal, but, since these money-suck factories are technically churches, the vast sums of money people donate to them is tax-free.

Even the IRS admits that its regulations concerning churches and religious entities are “purposely broad” and “a little vague.” In the IRS Tax Guide for Churches

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8 years ago

And people will still continue to give them money....because they have to have FAITH!!!!

8 years ago

You can watch John Oliver on televangelists at https://youtu.be/7y1xJAVZxXg

darkknightreturns
8 years ago

see the videos in my blog exposing Jimmy Swaggert, Peter Popoff and Benny Hinn (the guy whose name I couldn't remember). Watch the Rachel Maddow comments after the Swaggert video

8 years ago

And people gave him money after him saying this? I just dont get it.

Joining Dollar in his pursuit of the high life is Mike Murdock, a televangelist who shamelessly bragged in front of his congregation about purchasing not one, but two private jets with straight cash.

darkknightreturns
8 years ago

They are all con men/women, that get away with their fleecing of the " sheep" who follow them because they know as a "charitable entity, the IRS will not target them for fear of being labelled anti Religious for attacking them. They take in a fortune IN CASH at events and donations by cheque and people are pestered for more by mail . Many live beyond the salaries they claim to IRS. They should be targeted and charged like Al Capone was for income tax evasion. My mom was linked to one years ago and scammed, she sent $600.00.

Years ago on the Tonight show , Peter Popoff was exposed by a magician called "the amazing Randy" (google it ... "Peter Popoff exposed by Randy on Tonight show)" I will try to find the link) years ago on the Tonight show with Johnny Carson. Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy were found with their hands in the cookie jar and he went to jail. Oral Roberts gong up into his "prayer tower and refusing to leave until they had reached 3 million$.

I recall the preacher Jimmy Swaggert who was found with prostitutes twice in a hotel and exposed. and then on his show was this big Oscar winning performance with him sobbing and the Bible draped over his arm, begging for forgiveness oh boo hoo!, Then there was the Neru jacketed one ( I forget his name) when the Passionate Eye investigative TV program on Canada's CBC exposed his $5,000 a night hotels, lavish lifestyle, $200 tips, he went underground, but ALL are back today sucking money from the sick, elderly, and people searching for love.

Time the IRS and Revenue Canada went after them

8 years ago

Praise the Lord, and pass the hypocrisy. (I agree that "public" "churches" should be taxed, like is described in this article.)

swiftjohn
8 years ago

Con men always work the churches. Religious people by virtue of their believing have self-identified as being gullible and therefore ripe for the picking. As P.T. Barnum once noted "There's a sucker born every minute". And you can find them all in churches. It may sound callous of me but I find it hard to be sympathetic to the people who get taken in by those hucksters. Anybody that is stupid enough to believe that shit is getting what they deserve.

8 years ago

Yes, the religious scam called 'seed faith' that bilks millions from the public, often the elderly, poor, and destitute, should be outlawed and it perpetraitors prosecuted. It's also why churches should NOT have tax exempt status. If all churches paid taxes it would end the shortages of social security, medicare, and the rebuilding of the American infrustructure.