Televangelist Paul Crouch Attempts to Keep Accuser Quiet

LA Times ^ | 9/12/04 | William Lobdell

[The Bandit]

Televangelist Paul Crouch, founder of the world's largest Christian broadcasting network, has waged a fierce legal battle to prevent a former employee from publicizing allegations that he and Crouch had a sexual encounter eight years ago.

Crouch, 70, is the president of Trinity Broadcasting Network, based in Orange County, whose Christian programming reaches millions of viewers around the world via satellite, cable and broadcast stations.

The source of the allegations against him is Enoch Lonnie Ford, who met Crouch at a TBN-affiliated drug treatment center in 1991 and later went to work for the ministry.

After Ford threatened to sue TBN in 1998, claiming that he had been unjustly fired, Crouch reached a $425,000 settlement with him. In return, Ford agreed, among other things, not to discuss his claim about a sexual encounter with the TV preacher.

[Patton@Bastogne]

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Well ... far be it from me to tell you guys what's important to America.

But ... under your tax-exempt status, you'd be prohibited from even protesting in a city-wide voters' referendum regarding the Zoning Resistiction that allows your church to it's current address.


And I won't attempt to split hairs with your church's attitude towards how much politcal activity is political.

But I would encourage your pastor to put the (above posted) IRS internet in your church bulletin next Sunday.

After all, Jesus didn't Thomas from merely asking honest questions ...



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[Sloth]

I am aware that there are restrictions on political activity, etc., for tax-exempt status. So? How does that make the IRS my church's "overlord", or constitute some kind of contract, if we have no desire to engage in such?

[Patton@Bastogne]

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Sloth,


Your church's 30 pieces of silver are "paid" each year when the U.S. Government "allows you" to write-off a percentage of your donations as a "tax write-off".


Like Jesus said, there's no free lunch.
And, He paid His taxes (Render Unto Ceasar). Just read the numerous scriptures quoted in post-49, and simply pray about them.



.

[Sloth]

LOL, you are funny. Look, I don't think churches *should* be tax exempt. I favor a national sales tax w/ no exemptions. But under current law they are, and in any case my personal write-off of contributions obviously affects only me and is therefore not "my church's 30 pieces of silver." Anything I can do to reduce the amount the government steals is fine with me.

[Patton@Bastogne]

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Sloth,


How is the IRS your church's "Overload" ?

IF (theoretically) the Holy Spirit moved your pastor to preach an anti-abortion, sermon next Sunday, your pastor would be violating his IRS 501 C-3 contract if he did.

Dittos for anti-pornography legislation, keeping in God We Trust on dollar bills legislation, whatever.

Don't you see ? There's an obstacle for your church's "completely independent potential courses of action". It's called "permission" from the IRS.


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[swheats]

Thanks for posting the info. A serious eye-opener to what caused the church to lose it's power.

This case sounds like the Micheal Jackson case. Why pay someone hush money? You've got a liability for life...they'll keep coming back.

With the mention of cocaine it causes me to wonder if the allegations are true.

[ladyinred]

Like Jim Bakker before him, paying off blackmail comes back and bites you. While I don't know that the accusations are true, paying off that amount of money certainly does make you wonder. Power corrupts, and way too much money and power is running through TBN.

[gcruse]

no morals no reason for honesty.

It's called ethics, dear.  :)

[don-o]

It amazes me how many people seem thrilled and gloat over someone else's demise, especially when they're a televangelist.

I like it. Yes I am thrilled, when crooks get demised.

Yes, I gloat.

[ladyinred]

Thanks, I couldn't read the entire story before. I did google it and read other accounts. You have a point, however, why would TBN continue to employ a man after he is convicted of say, having sex with a 17 year old boy, arrested for drugs, and so on and so on. There is something quite strange about that too don't you think? Were it not for things like this, and the fact that they wrote large checks to people to pay off his bills, etc. I might be more inclined to think what you do.

[ladyinred]

LOL! I was a PTL partner, AND went to see Paul and Jan in person! (I was a democrat too at that time) :-)

[Darnright]

Whoa. They really do out-Tammy-Faye Tammy Faye. Must be the California ability to put poor backward North Carolina to shame.

[ladyinred]

I'm not saying that this guy isn't probably disreputable. What I am saying is that this is a shot at the Religious Right in general before the election, and don't you think otherwise.

True story or not, you most likely have a point, especially considering this is from the LA Times.

[D Edmund Joaquin]

Why are there so few orthodox Christians on TV?

They read the part that says, "Get thee behind me Satan."

[SoCal Pubbie]

Like I said, THEY'RE TRANSPLANTS!

[F16Fighter]

"So why don't all you Christians do us all a big favor. Get an advance ticket to The Rapture, so the rest of us can die horrible deaths because we never accepted the pathetic "Light" you offered to the World with one hand, while your other hand was reaching for our wallets."

Patton@Bastogne

Free Republic Member A-Hole since 1998

[D Edmund Joaquin]

99.99999 disgusted with the entire lot.

Well that's the bad news.

The Good News is: It's still the same Story and there's .1 of us left.

[Darnright]

>Like I said, THEY'RE TRANSPLANTS!

Oops, sorry. I've seen them on TV, as I've scrolled through the channels. They are interesting to watch, as living, breathing, examples of the "false prophets" the Bible warns about.

If any Democrat ever used those two as examples of the Christian right, I'd fire back with the above observation, that proves a biblical prophesy.

[Deb]

Why would you post this filth? Jerk.

[Jorge]

I like it. Yes I am thrilled, when crooks get demised. Yes, I gloat.

Crooks? Who are you to judge? Don't be surprised that others should gloat over your own demise as well.