1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Televangelists' reportedly lavish lifestyles draw senator's scrutiny

Discussion in '2007 Archive' started by gb93433, Nov 11, 2007.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2003
    Messages:
    15,549
    Likes Received:
    15
    I go to the same church as Grassley and do not see him dress or live differently than others in the congregation in any way. He drives an average car. He lives in the same area he grew up in and a lot of the people have known him since he was a little kid. Some of my neighbors know him from elementary school and college. I have never met one person who would spoke poorly of him. He doesn’t need to advertise and campaign. When I have spoken with him I found him to be “a straight shooter” and honest. Grassley has the support of the people because he is an honorable man. I think if you were around him you be humbled. If the congress lived like him we would have tremendous integrity in the government.

    Where did you read the donkey issue?

    Most likely the inquiry started with Ole Anthony. He has been on TV a few times making claims of extravagance and other things. If those people are right then they have nothing to fear. There is no law against doing right.

    The article said, "Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation, a Dallas group that has investigated televangelists for years, said he has provided many documents to Grassley's staff during the past two years. He said the staff is most interested in any evidence of nonprofit assets being converted to for-profit use or cases in which donor funds enrich the televangelists."

    It is the job of the US government to make sure that all businesses and non-profit organizations which are located in the US comply with US laws.

    I am quite comfortable in saying that I am sure Billy Graham would be very open with his finances. When I helped the BGEA in San Antonio they published a financial statement in the San Antonio newspaper.

    Perhaps you are not aware that the leaders of the SBC in Arizona openly told Southern Baptists present at the annual meeting that Baptist Foundation was not in trouble as one of the pastors reported and told many other Southern Baptists in Arizona. The SEC came in and investigated the BFA and found criminal activity in the BFA. At one of the pastors meetings I heard the leadership of the BFA talking and immediately sensed something was wrong. There was a church near Phoenix which lost over a million dollars in the BFA.

    If it is not the job of the US government to protect the people and the donors of an organization then whose responsibility is it?

    If God doesn't use people to bring down people who spit in the face of God then who does he use.

    Remember Robert Tilton and Jim Baaker?

    If Paige Patterson does it legally then he is okay. The addition added onto the President’s home tells me a lot about his real needs versus his wants. I would seriously question his wisdom in those decisions. That is the reason why the Bible says to not let many be teachers. Teachers are expected to live to a high standard. I believe they incur a stricter judgment by both people and God. God is still God. It is one thing to say we believe the Bible and quite another to live like we believe it.

    By the way People live and spend their money just reveal what is in their heart. Jesus spoke more about money than any other single thing. The use of money is a heart issue. It can be used for good or bad. It can be used to help provide for the less fortunate or help to gain power in society.
     
  2. atestring

    atestring New Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2001
    Messages:
    1,675
    Likes Received:
    0
    I agree that if Paige Patterson is legal on his safari hunts then there is no problem. Neither should there be a problem with these televangelist if they are legal.

    Many believe that the IRS has a right but a senator using his influence to slam a group that he disagrees with is scary. What will happen when Barney Frank has a problem with preaching against homosexuality. Wouldn't you have a problem with this?
    What if a U S Senator was on a witchhunt against baptist?

    BTW since you go to church with the senatr ask him if he did or did not say that since Jesus rode on a donkey that he cannot understand why a televangelist has a airplane.
    Some of these preachers have had airplanes for years why is that a problem all of a sudden.
    Is there a law against a non profit organization using an airplane?
    Should the US Govt require that all televangelist drive 6 year old white malibus?
     
    #42 atestring, Nov 18, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 18, 2007
  3. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2003
    Messages:
    15,549
    Likes Received:
    15
    I have never heard him say that or ever read about it. Could you point it out where he said that.
     
  4. 2 Timothy2:1-4

    2 Timothy2:1-4 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2006
    Messages:
    2,879
    Likes Received:
    0

    Probably shouldn't feed the Patterson hating toll. He loves to find a reason to talk about Pattersons personal life as if he is accountable to him. He is like the everready bunny on this. He will go on an on and on and on and on.......:BangHead:
     
    #44 2 Timothy2:1-4, Nov 18, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 19, 2007
  5. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2003
    Messages:
    15,549
    Likes Received:
    15
    You cannot find something if it doesn't exist.

    A number of the conservatives are what Blackaby once said in a sermon. Many have conservative theology but live like practical atheists. So who is the liberal? According to James both groups are. The conservatives are a creedal people and claim to believe the Bible. The liberals don't believe the Bible but groups both live as though the Bible is merely a book.
     
  6. atestring

    atestring New Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2001
    Messages:
    1,675
    Likes Received:
    0
    http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcd/article?AID=20071114/LIFESTYLE04/7111403481.0411rss11

    I hope this link works.
    This tells me that when he says that this has everything to do with doctrine. He is using his role as a US Senator to try to force his beliefs in a society that allows freedom of speech and the right of churches to be free from govt intervention. We fought a revolutionary war to get away from a govt controlling religion.
     
  7. atestring

    atestring New Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2001
    Messages:
    1,675
    Likes Received:
    0
    sorry I don't think the link will o through but if you will google using words
    Grassley
    +donkey+ CNN
    you will find articles

    Put yourself or your denomination in the shoes of these elevangelist.
    Would you want to be put on the defensive( guilty until proven innocent) by a senator just because his or her beliefs differ from yours?
     
  8. atestring

    atestring New Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2001
    Messages:
    1,675
    Likes Received:
    0
    I do not hate Patterson and did not know there is a patterson hating toll to feed.
     
  9. 2 Timothy2:1-4

    2 Timothy2:1-4 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2006
    Messages:
    2,879
    Likes Received:
    0
    the person you were responding to has a habit of trying to represent Dr. Patterson in as poor a light as he can as he does not agree with some of his decisions. He brings him up quite regularly and starts entire threads to place him in the worst possible light. The comment was not directed at you.
     
  10. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2002
    Messages:
    22,028
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thread closing warning. This thread will be closed no sooner than 1:30 a.m. ET by one of the Moderators.

    LE
     
  11. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2003
    Messages:
    15,549
    Likes Received:
    15
    Or as Grassley told CNN, “Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. Do these ministers really need Bentleys and Rolls-Royces to spread the Gospel?

    “As a Christian myself, and a person who believes in tithing, I feel I have a right to know where my money goes. If a person gets a tax deduction for a donation, the deduction and donation should be for a legitimate purpose,” Grassley said.

    This scrutiny is the price Christians are paying for ignoring the excesses of these ministries. J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma, a magazine for Pentecostals, is one of the few who have been speaking out. In his most recent column, Grady wrote: “I hope every one of these ministries can prove they’ve done nothing wrong. But if God wants to use a senator to help the American church clean up its act, then I say bring on the reformation.”

    Source: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20071117/NEWS/71116051/1005/SPORTS0106
     
  12. atestring

    atestring New Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2001
    Messages:
    1,675
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks for clariying this
     
  13. Squire Robertsson

    Squire Robertsson Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2000
    Messages:
    15,371
    Likes Received:
    2,405
    Faith:
    Baptist
    This thread is closed.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Loading...