There something just not right about it. That's what pops into my head as preacher turns my TV into a pulpit and asks me to send money.
Some of them fund worthy causes, no doubt. But it seems many of them also fund lavish lifestyles and prey on the weak, desperate and vulnerable.
Eric Gorski is a religion writer for the Associated Press. He spoke with Cindy Fleenor, a 53-year-old accountant from the Tampa, Fla. Be faithful in how you live and how you give, the television preachers said, and God will shower you with material riches Cindy believed every word. So much so she pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer.
She wrote checks to Benny Hinn and Paula White. She didn't really have the money but if the preachers were right God would bless her and provide her all the money she needed.
It did not happen. Fleenor ended up borrowing money from friends and payday loan companies just to buy groceries. At first she believed the explanation given on television: Her faith wasn't strong enough.
"I wanted to believe God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them," she said. "I'm angry and bitter about it. Right now, I don't watch anyone on TV hardly."
This is the point where my blood pressure rises. These people are not preachers at all. They are predators who use God as a disguise. I can't help but wonder what will happen to these folks when they take their final breath. When all the material things that have collected are left behind and they stand in judgment.
The really sad thing is most of these victims never get around to discovering who the real culprit here is. Like Fleenor, they blame themselves or God. God does not sell blessings. We are to give with a cheerful heart. Nowhere in Scripture are we to be guilted or pressured into giving. In fact that's not giving, it's taking on behalf of these false preachers.
I can't tell you how many well intentioned people get sucked into this scam thinking they are doing the will of God. A story of a women who stopped cancer treatment after Benny Hinn told her she was cured still haunts me. She pushed aside all treatment after attending the Benny Hinn circus and died 3 months later after her cancer grew out of control.
I talked to two brothers who wanted to be guests on our show. After discovering they were part of the "Word of Faith" movement out of Tulsa, OK we talked for awhile. Their mother had recently died and the boys were told she died because of "unconfessed sin in her life." I'm sorry, but that's a lie. It's also heartless and cruel to tell someone who just lost their mother.
Where are the church leaders on this? We need some strong moral voices to stand up, warn people, call these people to repent and defend the gospel. The only response I've heard is one telling the government and IRS to stay out of the church. Well if taxes are owed or a person abuses the tax exempt status of a church then it is the responsibility of the government to respond.
I believe there is a wonderful opportunity to spread the gospel through the electronic medium. However, we need to make sure it is the gospel that is being preached and not another false faith franchise. Jesus address this with the money changes in the temple. Well the money changes are now buying airtime.
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