Prosperity Preachers

Has anyone heard about these charlatans? I was first made aware of them due to Trumps Spiritual Adviser asking people to give her money:

https://www.christianpost.com/news/paula-white-urges-followers-sow-first-fruits-offering-up-to-1-months-pay-or-suffer-consequences-212716/

But the more I looked into them, the more disgusted I got. I thought it was just her but it turns out there are a lot of these guys scamming people around the world. They get people to donate to them by saying that what jesus wants is for them, personally, to get luxuries instead of feeding the sick and desperate. These guys are truly despicable, preying on the poor and ignorant to buy mansions and private jets:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2018/01/18/kenneth-copeland-36-million-jet/

Its almost unfathomable to me that people could fall for such a transparent con. The guy is saying that god personally spoke to him and told him to get a bigger jet because the one he swindled people out of isn't good enough. Its absurd.

From what I hear they don't just prey upon their own flock but fly their stolen jets out to poorer countries and swindle them out of what little money they have too.

Thoughts?

Oh, this has been a hot topic for ages now. There's tons of preachers saying you will be cured, blessed or help the world by sending a certain amount of money to a certain guy... and then they use that money for themselves.

It's truly despicable.

Yeah, I've seen some stuff about this circulating on Facebook recently. Some wacko who uses all his donations for fancy clothes, cars, etc. claiming that he has to dress well for Jesus basically and his fancy limousines are necessary to cater to his high-profile guests.

But hasn't this been going on for-practically-ever? I mean TV preachers have been swindling gullible people out of their money for a long time.

Maybe it's just gotten even more shameless in recent years?

Apparently so, yeah. Back in the day, you had to have a show, collect guests and actually be responsive in some way to the people you're tricking.

Nowadays, they just say they need money for "Jesus and sh!t" and they're rich overnight.

Prosperity preachers are BS, no surprise there.

I mean not really surprising that people are able to scam like this. Scientology is a thing even though it's founder is on record saying he founded it to make money.

Originally posted by Emperordmb
I mean not really surprising that people are able to scam like this. Scientology is a thing even though it's founder is on record saying he founded it to make money.

Christianity is just the Scientology of the 6th century, but keep telling yourself otherwise, Emp. 😉

I remember hearing about the jet. It was insane lol. The fact anyone would even give him any money after that is hard to believe, but yeah.

I kind of feel sorry for the people who are swindled, but at the same time, how could you logically buy into this BS? Wasn't Jesus' whole shtick about humility, and casting aside riches? It goes against the very thing many of these people claim to believe in.

Originally posted by socool8520
I kind of feel sorry for the people who are swindled, but at the same time, how could you logically buy into this BS? Wasn't Jesus' whole shtick about humility, and casting aside riches? It goes against the very thing many of these people claim to believe in.

Jesus didn't live in a time where jets existed though. The devil did tempt him, but never with his very own private luxury jet.

Originally posted by Nephthys
Has anyone heard about these charlatans? I was first made aware of them due to Trumps Spiritual Adviser asking people to give her money:

https://www.christianpost.com/news/paula-white-urges-followers-sow-first-fruits-offering-up-to-1-months-pay-or-suffer-consequences-212716/

But the more I looked into them, the more disgusted I got. I thought it was just her but it turns out there are a lot of these guys scamming people around the world. They get people to donate to them by saying that what jesus wants is for them, personally, to get luxuries instead of feeding the sick and desperate. These guys are truly despicable, preying on the poor and ignorant to buy mansions and private jets:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2018/01/18/kenneth-copeland-36-million-jet/

Its almost unfathomable to me that people could fall for such a transparent con. The guy is saying that god personally spoke to him and told him to get a bigger jet because the one he swindled people out of isn't good enough. Its absurd.

From what I hear they don't just prey upon their own flock but fly their stolen jets out to poorer countries and swindle them out of what little money they have too.

Thoughts?

"Popular televangelist Paula White is urging her followers to donate a "first fruits" offering of up to their entire salary for the month of January to enjoy "blessings" for the rest of the year or suffer the "consequences" of failing to follow God's command." -snip

Why does Copeland need another jet? According to him, flying commercial would require him to rub elbows with "a long tube of demons" and real people who might want him to pray for them." -snip

Truly despicable, these people are predators, simple as that. Part of me goes "it's your money, do what you like", but I also don't think stupid or desperate people should be preyed on, which is exactly what these con artist target. They target the gullible, the person's who's down and hoping for a chance ahead, the person blinded by faith and the outright dimwitted.

Reminds me of one TV preacher who would tell his congregation to "plant seed money" and that it would grow in time. Basically send him a check for like $500.00 and in return god will return it tenfold on your "investment", of course, the more you give, the more god will return.

Originally posted by Patient_Leech
Christianity is just the Scientology of the 6th century, but keep telling yourself otherwise, Emp. 😉

Jesus being a real person is irrelevant to the plausibility of the supernatural events that Christianity alleges happened.

Almost sounds like the Catholic Church.