Posted on 04/02/2007 10:54:32 AM PDT by blackbeardsghost
Did you see, she now intends to becoma a rabbi? That'll learn 'em...
Yeah it reminds me of the parable of the sower. These prosperity guys are always talking about planting seeds-- because they can't say- "give me all your money", so it's love gifts, seed, votes of confidence, etc. But Jesus talked about the birds of the air eating the seeds when they hit the soil- that's these people.
"There should be a Government run oversight bureau for Churches."
IMO, the leaders of this church are scumbags. Somebody drops a $200,000 offering the plate and they don't tell each about it? Right.
I also have little respect for a local church here that bought up two square blocks of houses and tore them down in anticipation of expanding. Then they decided to move instead, leaving these blocks of empty lots.
BUT, I can't agree with the idea of an government "oversight bureau."
...Likewise, the mandatory proportional giving of the Old Testament has now become the Lord's invitation to freewill generosity in favor of the charitable works that marks the life of the fellowship, and the progress of the Gospel message.
This young lady didn't do the math... and was likely manipulated.
Any pastor/deacon board/eldership receiving such extraordinary donations should hold them in cautious escrow for a while; and/or personally follow up with the donor to ensure they understand the amount and purpose of the donation. But these are ethics.... not duties.
I s'pect the courts will likely NOT give her any relief; too much of a slippery slope.
Just my humble...
You sing it brother. I agree churches are ham strung by the tax code. They need to step out on faith and release these exemptions so they may fulfill their promise.
They truly make me sick when I see their twisted doctrines of greed...there are some like Benny Hinn who have said "What am I supposed to do, drive a Honda?"...sickening, and sad that anyone would support such frauds.
Laughing out loud can hardly breath...wait you are serious, so sad.
The bigger crime here is that the IRS bilked $810,000 from her inheritance.
The fact that he took a $60,000 love offering from her alone raises a few flags for me...
You can overgive to a church however...poor girl had a nice little inheritance at her age could grow substantially even if she gave say 20% as charitable/tithe contributions.... soooo many people need financial education which is lacking in the liberal dominated educational system.
According to Hellary it's not..."taking things away from you for the common good".
I agree wholeheartedly -- a church (and pastors who rec'd individual gifts) with any integrity would begin a plan to return a major part of these gifts. The absence of a plan implies an absence of integrity, as does the fact that the gifts were so blithely accepted in the first place. [Memo to First Baptist membership: time to call for an accounting of your own, since you are individually accountable to respond to what is happening and have the ability and responsibility to call your leaders to account. Afraid of making waves? Hmmm, Jesus wasn't...]
It is with good reason that the New Testament teaching about false prophets lists their greed as a key characteristic, over and over again (check out the characterizations in 2nd Peter and again in Jude).
A fool and his money are soon separated- Solomon..
Yes, I am serious. Government meddling in Church affairs would really be a warning to all Church establishments that the more of this kind of crap you pull the more Government intrusion will be to further screw your establishment up.
Is greed a mental illness? Perhaps she and the church both can escape accountability with this excuse.
Um... this church was scummy and not behaving very Christ-like, but if the government is allowed to tell churches how they can behave, what stops them from saying that all churches must preach a state-approved gospel? That's a really slippery slope.
oh brother.
KJC1, your problem is expecting the other posters to actually read the article and not just the excerpt.
Seems like there is plenty of blame to go around. Sounds like a manic spending spree to me. Pretty amazing that her grandmother didn't protect her against herself and the IRS with a better trust. There isn't any recourse for damage done when mentally ill. Just pick up the pieces and start over.
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