John Oliver - Televangelists

This video, about religious scam artists, is actually quite heartbreaking. It's a about 22 minutes long, though you don't need to watch it all the way through to get the point.

YouTube

Originally posted by vivify
This video, about religious scam artists, is actually quite heartbreaking. It's a about 22 minutes long, though you don't need to watch it all the way through to get the point.

[youtube]7y1xJAVZxXg[/youtube]

Let's be clear, these are con artists who use religion as a scan. They are not Christian people. I.e. A follower of Christ.

Originally posted by divegeester
Let's be clear, these are con artists who use religion as a scan. They are not Christian people. I.e. A follower of Christ.

I agree. The sad part is that the people who give them money are Christians and the same or similar techniques used by those con artists are used by many churches to gain or hold on to members. In fact I would go so far as to say that a significant percentage of Churches could be described as at least partially con artists.

Originally posted by vivify
This video, about religious scam artists, is actually quite heartbreaking. It's a about 22 minutes long, though you don't need to watch it all the way through to get the point.

[youtube]7y1xJAVZxXg[/youtube]

heh, i was gonna make a thread about this myself

"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -- 1 Timothy 6:9-10

In the US, in ordinary local churches, is there any condemnation voiced about televangelists of the kind this thread has drawn our attention to?

Originally posted by vivify
This video, about religious scam artists, is actually quite heartbreaking. It's a about 22 minutes long, though you don't need to watch it all the way through to get the point.

[youtube]7y1xJAVZxXg[/youtube]

All religion is a scam, a con.

These people are just more blatant about it.

They have been doing this just about as long as TV has been a thing, and will continue doing
so while the USA remains a de-facto theocracy.

Personally I would remove de-facto charitable status from churches and religions, and only give
charitable status to actual charitable work. Which does not include preaching their religion, or
building maintenance/staff pay unless the building is the equivalent of listed/historical landmark
where maintaining it is a legitimate charitable act.

I would also require all their advertising to meet normal advertising standards.

IE if they want to claim to be able to cure cancer they had better be able to provide the double blind
verified and peer reviewed research that proves it.

Originally posted by divegeester
Let's be clear, these are con artists who use religion as a scan. They are not Christian people. I.e. A follower of Christ.

Let's be clear, these people are accepted and lauded as being Christians and have
much right to label themselves as such as anyone else.

I do not see other churches condemning them, or campaigning against them and their
charitable status, or denouncing them on the news.

There are no protests outside of these churches [by Christians] and no letter writing campaigns
to senators and congressmen.

Their beliefs are no more whacky than the beliefs of any other Christian.

And hey, if god really did exist and give special bonuses to people who kiss ass sufficiently then
why wouldn't he/couldn't he cure people.

Everyone claiming that faith is a legitimate means to knowledge, and who claim that the bible is
a creation of god and that god exists is aiding and abetting these people.

If you want to find the people who actually want to do something to stop these scams, and who
actually do campaign against them and expose them as frauds?
Look to the Skeptics and atheists.

Originally posted by vivify
This video, about religious scam artists, is actually quite heartbreaking. It's a about 22 minutes long, though you don't need to watch it all the way through to get the point.

[youtube]7y1xJAVZxXg[/youtube]

I dislike religious scam artists too, but the whole world is under a delusion if the Bible is
correct and I believe it to be. God created the Heavens and the Earth and all in them, and
Satan is going about his business to deceive the world and keep as many away from God
as possible. I think it is a slap in the face of God that the devil gets people to murder and
kill themselves while jumping into eternity screaming God is good. While what we should
be doing is loving God and each other. Those poor people jumping into the eternal will find
that God is good much to their dismay.

Originally posted by FMF
In the US, in ordinary local churches, is there any condemnation voiced about televangelists of the kind this thread has drawn our attention to?

Not really. The problem is that these people are seen as "God's messengers", or "anointed" servants, by their followers. Speaking against these people is often akin to blasphemy. For example, there's this one woman named Juanita Bynum who was part of a telethon on TBN, a Christian TV station. I watched say things like "give what you have; give what don't have"...which were her exact words. She also said "give a hundred dollars; give a thousand dollars". While she was doing this, she went up and "blessed" people who had a cloth that was only given to people who gave money. She deliberately passed over those who went up to the stage wanting to be "blessed" by her, in gave her blessing only to those waving the cloth.

This woman's influence is POWERFUL. She's a fantastic speaker and a soulful singer. Her charisma has people fooled in thinking that she's a prophet, and even speaking against "God's prophet" is sinful.

Each of these speakers have their followers similarly fooled or brainwashed. Criticizing them can often result in serious backlash from their followers.

However, in recent years, even their followers have been speaking out, and that's mainly because the behavior of televangelists have become too ludicrous for even their followers to ignore. Creflo Dollar, who the video mentioned wanted 65 million for a private jet, has been heavily criticized for it, after years of increasingly more blatant displays of greed.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I agree. The sad part is that the people who give them money are Christians and the same or similar techniques used by those con artists are used by many churches to gain or hold on to members. In fact I would go so far as to say that a significant percentage of Churches could be described as at least partially con artists.

Can't disagree.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Let's be clear, these people are accepted and lauded as being Christians and have
much right to label themselves as such as anyone else.

I do not see other churches condemning them, or campaigning against them and their
charitable status, or denouncing them on the news.

There are no protests outside of these churches [by Christians] and no lett ...[text shortened]... actually do campaign against them and expose them as frauds?
Look to the Skeptics and atheists.

Your opinion does not surprise me. If you look at my profile you will a selection of quotes from "Christians" in this forum who are more than happy to turn on one fellow Christian who they don't like, while ignoring the those they do like, irrespective of disagreement of opinion.

Originally posted by vivify
This video, about religious scam artists, is actually quite heartbreaking. It's a about 22 minutes long, though you don't need to watch it all the way through to get the point.

[youtube]7y1xJAVZxXg[/youtube]

Funny stuff, but very sad at the same time. God does not require money, for healing or anything else for that matter.
Prosperity Theology is unhealthy. It is doctrinally unsound and unbalanced. It results in division. This is why I know that it is unhealthy because Prosperity Theology absolutely results in divisions. It separates the haves from the have-nots. Does it not develop a class structure within the Church, the rich verses the poor—those that have a lot, the Armani suits, the big cars? If we had a church based on Prosperity Theology, they would be the ones in the front row and we would be looking up to them. It sets up a class structure of rich verses poor. Christianity is not about this.

http://www.truthortradition.com/articles/financial-stewardship-gods-heart-concerning-money-and-possessions

Originally posted by googlefudge
Let's be clear, these people are accepted and lauded as being Christians and have
much right to label themselves as such as anyone else.

I do not see other churches condemning them, or campaigning against them and their
charitable status, or denouncing them on the news.

There are no protests outside of these churches [by Christians] and no lett ...[text shortened]... actually do campaign against them and expose them as frauds?
Look to the Skeptics and atheists.

The Christians I associate with are wonderful people, fully of life, love and happiness. You on the other hand, come across to me as being quite bitter for some reason.