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John Oliver Exposes Shady Televangelists Fleecing Americans For Millions
On his award-worthy HBO program Last Week Tonight, John Oliver revels in exposing hypocrisy, from the compromised snake oil salesman Dr. Oz to âthin-skinnedâ megalomaniac Donald Trump. Sunday nightâs edition saw the intrepid British satirist target Americaâs shady fraternity of televangelists bleeding their brainwashed acolytes dry.
âThis is about the churches that exploit peopleâs faith for monetary gain,â Oliver announced.
Yes, in 2015, televangelism is still thriving in America. Back in March, The Daily Beast reported on Creflo Dollar, a pastor whoâd 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 whoâalong with his equally opportunistic wife, Gloriaâcalls his private jet a âpreaching machineâ 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 âThe Prosperity Gospelâ that, Oliver says, âargues that wealth is a sign of Godâs favor, and donations will result in wealth coming back to you. That idea takes the form of âseed faithââthat donations are seeds that you will one day get to harvest.â
âIf she went to a doctor, it was a sin,â Beach told the AP. âYou didnât believe enough if you did. She just wrote: âGod heal me. God heal me. God heal me.ââ
Last Week then played a series of damning clips of televangelists requesting âseedâ 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 âseedâ 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 âsowâ money into Copelandâs church due to the ministryâs teaching. After Parker died in 2004 from cancer, her daughter, Kristy Beach, claimed to have found her motherâs diaries that detailed the words she heard on TV from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland.
âIf she went to a doctor, it was a sin,â Beach told the AP. âYou didnât believe enough if you did. She just wrote: âGod heal me. God heal me. God heal me.ââ
Oliver then played a video of Gloria Copeland, who hawks a series of âhealing faithâ products, suggesting to her congregation that itâs better to pray then to seek medical treatment for cancer.
âWe know whatâs wrong with youâyouâve got cancer,â preached Copeland. âThe bad news is we donât 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.â
Whatâs more, these âProsperity Gospelâ and âseed faithâ 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 âpurposely broadâ and âa little vague.â In the IRS Tax Guide for Churches
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.
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