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Joel Osteen’s Church Received $4.4 Million In Stimulus Payments: Churches don’t even pay taxes, which many people feel should disqualify them from the program
The Mind Unleashed ^
| 12/16/2020
| John Vibes
Posted on 12/16/2020 5:23:14 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church received a $4.4 million loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, as part of the federal CARES Act that was intended to be a stimulus to keep businesses and employees afloat while the pandemic kept everyone at home.
Churches were also eligible for the money, and some of the most prestigious churches in the country took advantage of the opportunity.
Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church was not on the initial list of recipients and claimed that they did not apply to receive any money. However, the church later applied and was granted $4.4 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Osteen himself is estimated to have a net worth of over $50 million, with his church taking in $43 million a year in collections.
Churches don’t even pay taxes, which many people feel should disqualify them from the program.
Meanwhile, many small business owners who attempted to get funding through the federal Paycheck Protection Program found that the money had dried up within a week of the program’s launch. It turned out that large publicly traded corporations were the first to gain access to the loans because they had teams of lawyers on standby who already had a working relationship with the government.
Large corporations like Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse received millions in PPP loans, but were later forced to return the money after a massive public outcry was sparked by their applications.
It was also revealed that over 9,000 Catholic churches were approved for the loans. However, the Vatican, which is the global head of the Catholic Church, is one of the most wealthy organizations in the world. While their exact holdings have been called “impossible to calculate“, bankers estimate that the Vatican has been 10 and 15 billion dollars in cash, land, and investments alone.
Fraud was also rampant in the program. Tens of thousands of inmates in the state of California, even serial killers, and high profile murderers like Scott Peterson, were able to defraud the government of roughly a billion dollars through pandemic unemployment benefits. Prosecutors said that this was possibly the largest fraud scheme in California history.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said that between March and August, inmates across every California prison filed 35,000 claims totaling around $1 billion. $140 million in benefits had already been sent out.
Due to the rushed nature of the PPP program and the urgency of the pandemic, the government was sending out funds to pretty much anyone who applied, without checking IRS records first. However, the agency is starting to catch up with many of these scammers as they go back and evaluate which recipients qualify for the loan forgiveness. Numerous cases of PPP scammers have been reported across the country.
TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: joelosteen; lakewoodchurch; osteen; stimulus
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To: SeekAndFind
Come on MAN!
Everyone in the USA is corrupt, why not Joel dude the gawd lover?
We all need a piece of the action!
Bailouts, food stamps, ebt cards, phoney tax deductions, stimulus, ... It’s the American WAY man!
Gawd Bless American Suckers Who Pay Their Taxes! Yeeehaw!
To: Persevero
disagree - all ministries are some sort of business.
22
posted on
12/16/2020 6:52:25 PM PST
by
b4me
(God Bless the USA)
To: SeekAndFind
The non-profit status of Church’s has nothing to do with the taxes that are paid by official employees. Employee’s of any church pay income taxes just like you do at your desk or factory job, even Priests pay income taxes!
Geez people, don’t let your hatred dissuade you from the truth. Even if Joel is the anti-Christ his employees work at a JOB.
23
posted on
12/16/2020 7:15:01 PM PST
by
RedWing9
(Jesus Rocks Zero Sucks)
To: SeekAndFind
This should never have happened.
It’s an outrage.
24
posted on
12/16/2020 7:16:34 PM PST
by
Mariner
(War Criminal #18)
To: dforest
Do I have a deal for you.
25
posted on
12/16/2020 7:26:06 PM PST
by
BipolarBob
(Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you ammo. That's pretty much the same thing.)
To: BipolarBob
26
posted on
12/16/2020 7:28:41 PM PST
by
BipolarBob
(Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you ammo. That's pretty much the same thing.)
To: BipolarBob
Churches should NEVER take money from the government. Churches shouldn’t take money from anyone except the members or faithful attendees.
27
posted on
12/16/2020 7:29:35 PM PST
by
MayflowerMadam
("Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" Galatians 5:1)
To: MayflowerMadam
I have no problem with that.
28
posted on
12/16/2020 7:31:16 PM PST
by
BipolarBob
(Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you ammo. That's pretty much the same thing.)
To: MayflowerMadam
Churches should NEVER take money from the government. Churches shouldn’t take money from anyone except the members or faithful attendees. Disagree.
The government was handing out free money with no strings attached.
Ask yourself, who is going to put that money to better use, our little church or the federal government?
Maybe megachurches with great riches shouldn't take anything, but when a lot of our congregation is laid off and suffering, being able to pay Pastors and staff, and maybe add something to the benevolence fund is not to be turned down lightly.
To: Larry Lucido
And taxpayers should receive their tax dollars back directly to them if it’s really that critical to stimulate the economy and keep places in business. Let the PEOPLE decide where their priorities lie and where the “stimulus” should be spent. Let the PEOPLE keep their own tax dollars and do with them what they will.
30
posted on
12/16/2020 10:35:52 PM PST
by
2aProtectsTheRest
(The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
To: BipolarBob
They’ve been advertising that on MeTV. This guy has charlatan written all over him. Anyone who can “preach” while dodging key moral (and political) stances in the Bible is nothing but a phony.
31
posted on
12/17/2020 12:57:10 AM PST
by
fieldmarshaldj
(DEFEAT THE COUP D'ETAT BY THE STALINAZI DERP STATE !)
To: CurlyDave
We were so strict about the local church being only member supported that before the offering was taken, an announcement was made that visitors were not expected to give. Following the money-changer-in-the-temple thing, we didn’t even do fund raising like bake sales — except among members.
It’s even worse taking money from the government. When that happens, the government has more power over it. If members are given stimulus money as income, and then tithe that, it’s different.
The topic is Joel Olsteen’s “church” — a revenue-generating operation/cult. Of course, he’ll take the money; that’s why he’s in business.
32
posted on
12/17/2020 3:52:14 AM PST
by
MayflowerMadam
("Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" Galatians 5:1)
To: SeekAndFind
Our 6,000 member church in AZ received between $1 and $1.5m. That was gone a long time ago.
No fan of O’Steen, but for a church his size with employees who have to eat, just as good as giving it to the useless state governments.
33
posted on
12/17/2020 5:26:51 AM PST
by
LS
("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually" (Hendrix) )
To: fieldmarshaldj
Anyone who can “preach” while dodging key moral (and political) stances in the Bible is nothing but a phony. He makes people feel good about themselves. He gives people a positive message and excitement of upcoming prosperity. But this prosperity is based on a lie
The Bible, on the other hand, tells us of the degraded and corrupt nature of man.It warns of the upcoming judgment of hellfire. It directs us to the only source of true happiness and prosperity, not only in this lifetime, but all of eternity. The Bible shows the love that God, our Creator, has toward us and the sacrifice made on our behalf to ensure that the hate and injustice in this universe will be forever conquered. The rich, corrupt and powerful will finally get their just punishment for mocking God.
34
posted on
12/17/2020 7:49:32 AM PST
by
BipolarBob
(Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you ammo. That's pretty much the same thing.)
To: BipolarBob
A lot of people don’t like their mellow to be harshed, y’know ?
35
posted on
12/17/2020 8:11:28 AM PST
by
fieldmarshaldj
(DEFEAT THE COUP D'ETAT BY THE STALINAZI DERP STATE !)
To: SeekAndFind
Dave Ramsey had a different set of reasons for churches not to accept PPP. It makes you dependent on the government, and it gives them a way to manipulate you - through new mandates you must meet to get loan forgiveness.
36
posted on
12/17/2020 4:10:56 PM PST
by
tbw2
To: Persevero
Dave Ramsey had a different set of reasons for churches not to accept PPP. It makes you dependent on the government, and it gives them a way to manipulate you - through new mandates you must meet to get loan forgiveness.
37
posted on
12/17/2020 4:11:16 PM PST
by
tbw2
To: Harmless Teddy Bear
Dave Ramsey had a different set of reasons for churches not to accept PPP. It makes you dependent on the government, and it gives them a way to manipulate you - through new mandates you must meet to get loan forgiveness.
38
posted on
12/17/2020 4:11:32 PM PST
by
tbw2
To: Mariner
39
posted on
12/17/2020 4:12:52 PM PST
by
tbw2
To: SeekAndFind
40
posted on
12/17/2020 4:12:58 PM PST
by
tbw2
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