Pentecostal preacher pledges holy war against GOP senator

The Carpetbagger Report ^ | January 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm | Steve Benen

[TommyDale]

Copeland can “name it and claim it” against Grassley. LOL!

[org.whodat]

Copeland says he will never provide information on his donors

Remove his tax exempt status and make him pay all back taxes.

[SatinDoll]

((PING))

[BARLF]

If Copeland has nothing to hide then comply with the Senators request. Open the door and let the sunshine in.

[AppyPappy]

Copeland is running a business, not a ministry.

[SatinDoll]

What’s that supposed to mean?

[ConservativeDude]

That is, right up until a senator wonders if perhaps they’re abusing their tax-exempt status, at which point the church-state wall is high and impregnable.”

Damn right. That’s exactly what the First Amendment is about. It is to protect churches - not to empower government to squash religious expression.

[TommyDale]

All anyone needs to do is go see why Grassley is investigating these phonies. Spending millions on elaborate property, furnishings, automobiles and airplanes — all while claiming tax exemptions as a religious organization — is enough to make anyone vomit.

[muawiyah]

Forgetting Grassley for a moment (and I have problems with him totally outside the scope of this issue) there are writers out there like the guy who prepared this piece who definitely seem to go into orgasm when they talk about someone taking down another holyroller preacher.

At the same time they ignore their friendly local neighborhood imam who'd cut off their head for shaving each morning.

Strange folks indeed.

[The Louiswu]

I don’t believe I have ever seen a preacher holding a gun to anyone’s head and forcing them to give tribute...I have seen governments do that but not Copeland.

[TommyDale]

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Kenneth Copleland believes/teaches that if you want something, just "name it and claim it". It is a tenet of the Word Faith movement, a distorted idea fomented by the "prosperity" evangelists.

[Just mythoughts]

Copeland is running a business, not a ministry.

The majority of these pass the plate, collection of guilt agencies, God set me up and sent me are businesses as well. Oh and I am NOT a funder of Copeland's business.

[SoConPubbie]

All anyone needs to do is go see why Grassley is investigating these phonies. Spending millions on elaborate property, furnishings, automobiles and airplanes — all while claiming tax exemptions as a religious organization — is enough to make anyone vomit.

Amen Brother!

Most of these televangelists don't have a clue about what it means to do what they do for God's Glory!

[TommyDale]

>i>"I don’t believe I have ever seen a preacher holding a gun to anyone’s head and forcing them to give tribute...I have seen governments do that but not Copeland."

All Grassley is asking is to show why the "tax exempt" ministers are abusing the tax codes in the name of their religion. When the IRS finally takes away the tax exemption for the little church on the local street corner, blame these charlatans who abused the tax laws, not the government.

[AppyPappy]

True but if I said to you “Give me $2000 and I’ll give you something that will return that money 10 fold”, you would probably accuse me of fraud if that didn’t happen.

[TommyDale]

“Send me your seed money!” LOL!

[Lord_Calvinus]

Looks like a holy war is coming from the TeeVee preachers. Better gird your loins.

[org.whodat]

Copeland is running a business, not a ministry.

"Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show", pass the collection plate.

[The Louiswu]

"True but if I said to you “Give me $2000 and I’ll give you something that will return that money 10 fold”, you would probably accuse me of fraud if that didn’t happen."

Not quite sure of what you mean. No one in the congregation is FORCED to give, those that give, give for their own reasons. They see they way the preachers live, all they have to do is stop giving.

I see the abuses of my government officials, but I have no right to refuse payment for those abuses, I think it is the government that needs looking into, not ministries.