Streets Paved With Gold

So, imagine you're in TX and you see a motorcade barrelling down the highway. There's a couple police bikes in front and in back and they're flanking some nondescript black SUVs and a white Bentley. They're on their way to the airport where they'll be met by a private Leer Jet which will whisk its owners away from their TX mansion to their $2.5M Central Park apartment. Can you guess who it is?

An oil magnate, maybe.

Or, how about a hedge fund manager.

Maybe a folksy, TX born Hollywood actor.

Nope. It's Creflo Dollar, a "prosperity gospel" preacher on his way to a Sunday service with his NY congregation.

The Rev. Dollar (I know, I don't think anyone misses the irony) along with fellow prosperity evangelists like Kenneth Copeland and faith healer Benny Hinn (of the six, I swear that 4 are from TX and they're all from the American south) are being investigated by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa (R).

It seems that it's odd for 501C not-for-profit organizations to rake in massive profits. And Grassley wants to know what gives. He's been hounding these six for about a year, now. Asking for receipts and such for all manner of luxuries (Kenneth Copeland owns three planes personally - and his organization owns a few more).

What gives, Grassley? So these guys (and one gal) are doing well? It's the American Dream, right? Wrong.

While all religious organizations are allowed to operate as not-for-profits under federal law, these six preachers are each at the head of what is essentially a corporation. They're diversified in the stock market, they own property all over the world, they each function as umbrellas with any number of smaller companies in tow, they own radio, TV, and other media outlets. They're the Disney Companies of the Jesus movement.

From a biblical perspective, it seems to me like these are exactly the guys whom Jesus was talking to when he went rampaging through the temple throwing tables on their sides. He called them, "You den of vipers."

Now, if you ask one of these men about the money, they'll tell you that they have large staffs and overhead. And that they support countless charities throughout the world. But that's not the way Paul did it. He walked from place to place and stayed at the homes of members of the church. And when he was imprisoned, he started what is probably the single most famous letter-writing campaign in western history. Jesus walked everywhere - well, except for that one time he rode a donkey.

Why am I so pissy? Because these are the guys who give Evangelicalism a bad name. Sure, I disagree with pretty much everything that evangelical Christianity represents, but this is different. These are moochers. They prey on the economically disadvantaged. They trick little old ladies to send in their pensions. I definitely think they would end up in Dante's bottom circle with Judas.

Keep watching, though. Things are just heating and we're gonna see some interesting stuff over the next few months as Senator Grassley heats up.