Posted on 11/18/2012 12:31:13 PM PST by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
I’m conflicted about Trinity Broadcast Network, which wrapped up its Fall Praise-A-Thon today.
There is no denying that “America’s most-watched faith and family friendly network,” as TBN advertises itself, provides a service to the Christian faithful.
I, for one, appreciate the platform it provides for such pastors as Ken Copeland, Charles Stanley, John Hagee, Ed Young Sr., David Jeremiah and Joel Osteen.
I also enjoy the praise and worship music it presents from such Christian artists as Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Michael W. Smith, Israel Houghton, Martha Munizzi and Cindy Cruse Ratcliff.
Yet, my soul is troubled by news reports of what goes on behind the scenes of the network founded 39 years ago by Paul and Jan Crouch:
A bitter division within the Crouch family that belies the happy front 78-year-old Paul and 74-year-old Jan, and son Matthew and wife Laurie, put on while hosting TBN’s Praise-A-Thon this past week.
Lavish spending by “Papa” and “Mama,” as Paul and Jan are called on air, which might be acceptable for a billionaire couple like Bill and Melinda Gates, but not for a putative Christian couple that has spent the past week encouraging its viewers to “plant of seed” with TBN of $100 or $1000 or more if they desire God’s favor.
This past Spring, Brittany Crouch Koper, the 26-year-old granddaughter of Paul and Jan Crouch, went public with allegations of scandalous, decidedly unGodly behavior within the Crouch family.
That includes, she said, the family’s cover-up of a “bloody sexual assault,” as well as infidelities by both Mama and Papa Crouch, and repeated incidents in which Uncle Matt Crouch exposed his genitals to TBN cleaning staff.
Equally damning were allegations by Brittany, who served as TBN’s finance director, of unscrupulous financial practices by the non-profit Christian enterprise.
Indeed, Mama and Papa Crouch have his-and-her $5.6 million mansions one street apart in Newport Beach, California. Mama spends little time at her SoCal estate because she’s usually at a huge TBN-owned home in Orlando – where she oversees the company’s Holy Land Experience theme park – which is adjacent to a similarly lavish home there Papa uses on his rare visits to the Sunshine State.
The Crouches travel back and forth across the country, and around the world, in TBN jets valued at $8 million and $49 million apiece. The Christian TV network also owns a Bentley, which Papa Crouch sometimes uses to get from place to place.
“People have been conned by my grandparents,” said Britany, who is estranged from the Crouch family along her dad, Paul Jr., who used to host both “Praise the Lord” and “Behind the Scenes” TBN’s flagship programs, before parting ways with his parents last year.
Now, there’s little dispute that Paul and Jan Crouch have done a great work in growing TBN over the past four decades, from renting a couple hours a day on a small SoCal television station back in 1973 to overseeing the vast broadcasting empire network TBN is today.
But “Papa” and “Mama” must well know, from reading the Bible, that their works, however great that may be, are as “filthy rags” in the eyes of God.
What Catholic teachings do you view as more authoritative than the Bible itself, and where do they come from? Does the Catholic church hierarchy have some sort of direct line to God...a red phone on the Pope’s nightstand? I don’t see how any of the charges you make toward protestants can’t be leveled at the Catholic church as well. Again, where does Catholic doctrine come from, if not from the Bible?
During the few times in recent months in which I have tried to watch it to see if anything had changed for the better I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Laughing usually won out, especially when the "lady" with the circus clown makeup and fake white hairdo approximately the size of a bushel basket, presumably Jan Crouch, seemed to be in charge of the program. If I wanted to watch a freak show I would patronize a traveling carnival, not a "Christian" satellite TV station.
The flaw in your logic is that sole this and sola that, is not the cause of their grifter lifestyle. It’s the ruse they use to separate people from their cash.
Billy Graham holds the same theology, as do many others who are on the right path, and doing Gods work.
If a thief pretends to be a representative of the gas company to trick you into letting them in, that doesn’t say ANYTHING about the gas company. The thief was a false representative.
Father Corapi was a very recent example of this. But i never saw a post nutty enough to say that his behavior proves that the sermons he preached were incorrect. He used the right words and some good word of God. His sermons were fine by me. But he saw that he could use his fame to achieve his own ends. Same as Trinity.
Another example might be a fake donation jar, set out in the middle legitimate effort, for a kid who needs a transplant. A crook claiming to be part of the cause, does not mean the others were are not fully legitimate.
Trinity claiming to be of a certain theology doesn’t make it so.
It speaks to the crook, not the theology they use to achieve a greedy end. Surely you can see that.
S. M. Lockridge (1913-2000) was a prominent African-American preacher known for his dynamic, passionate, and fervent sermons. His most famous sermon was “He’s my King.” Several years ago author and speaker Tony Campolo was so impressed by Lockridge’s lesson on “It’s Friday But Sunday’s Coming” that he began to deliver the lesson himself and even wrote a book with that title.
I don’t know about their lifestyles but the line up on this and other Christian stations is pathetic. Mostly a bunch of con men and/or prosperity ministers, many of which SUPPORT obama which is reprehensible.
I’m sick of it. I NEED good Christian broadcasting and I just don’t get it at all.
“Laughing usually won out, especially when the “lady” with the circus clown makeup and fake white hairdo approximately the size of a bushel basket, presumably Jan Crouch, seemed to be in charge of the program. If I wanted to watch a freak show I would patronize a traveling carnival, not a “Christian” satellite TV station.”
Reminds me of my old math teacher long ago. She was teaching us to check our work. She said first, just look at it to see if it even makes sense. If you divide 24 by 3, and got 80, she said you don’t even need to know the right answer to know that 80 is incorrect.
Thats how i feel when i see those two on TV. I may not have all the theological answers,,but im sure they ain’t it.
Satellite - The Hooters
Hush little baby don’t cry like that
God’s gonna buy you a cadillac
he’s chosen you to do his will
you can spread the world in your coupe de ville
so jump in the river and learn to swim
God’s gonna wash away all your sins
and if you still can’t see the light
God’s gonna buy you a satellite
look to the heavens and see it shine
heals the sick and leads the blind
tune it in and hear it say
it’s counting down to judgement day
so jump in the river ...
hey satellite man your time has come
your words received by everyone
and should you fall, well that’s ok
you love the ones that you betray
so jump in the river and learn to swim
God’s gonna take away all your sins
and when at last you see the light
God’s gonna buy you a satellite
NO ONE was as bad as Dr. Gene Scott!!
>>And sexual perversion on little boys was hidden and covered up. (ahem,,disciplined “internally”)>>
No, not disciplined “internally” as you said. It always amazes me that people missed the group of psychiatrists who said that the priests could be cured of their addiction. Eventually the psychiatrists announced them cured and sent them back to the Church. Why not blame the psychiatrists?
I thought E.V. Hill preached an Easter sermon by that title.
ping
I am sure that is just a historic anomoly. :p
Oh, baloney. I do not have to go to a priest for forgiveness but directly to God.
I'll bite on that. If I say "Paul was infallible [definition: preserved from teaching error by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit] in writing Romans," who or what have I blasphemed?
Meanwhile, Kenneth Copeland taught that "Jesus died spiritually". That's real blasphemy, right here in River City.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.