religion is such an obvious moneymaking scam but this should make even the jaded shake their head. think about this before you give 10% of your earnings to these crooks: Family feud reveals luxuries at largest Christian TV network Granddaughter attacks founders, who accuse her of embezzlement For 39 years, the Trinity Broadcasting Network has urged viewers to give generously and reap the Lordâs bounty in return. The prosperity gospel preached by Paul and Janice Crouch, who built a single station into the worldâs largest Christian television network, has worked out well for them. Mr. and Mrs. Crouch have his-and-her mansions one street apart in a gated community here, provided by the network using viewer donations and tax-free earnings. But Mrs. Crouch, 74, rarely sleeps in the $5.6 million house with tennis court and pool. She mostly lives in a large company house near Orlando, Fla., where she runs a side business, the Holy Land Experience theme park. Mr. Crouch, 78, has an adjacent home there too, but rarely visits. Its occupant is often a security guard who doubles as Mrs. Crouchâs chauffeur. The twin sets of luxury homes only hint at the high living enjoyed by the Crouches, inspirational television personalities whose multitudes of stations and satellite signals reach millions of worshipers across the globe. Almost since they started in the 1970s, the couple have been criticized for secrecy about their use of donations, which totaled $93 million in 2010. Now, after an upheaval with Shakespearean echoes, one son in this first family of televangelism has ousted the other to become the heir apparent. A granddaughter, who was in charge of TBNâs finances, has gone public with the most detailed allegations of financial improprieties yet, which TBN has denied, saying its practices were audited and legal. The granddaughter, Brittany Koper, and her husband have been fired by the network, which accused them of stealing $1.3 million to buy real estate and cars and make family loans. "Theyâre just trying to divert attention from their own crimes," said Colby May, a lawyer representing TBN. Janice and Paul Crouch declined requests for interviews. In two pending lawsuits and in her first public interview, Ms. Koper described company-paid luxuries that she said appeared to violate the Internal Revenue Serviceâs ban on âexcess compensationâ by nonprofit organizations as well as possibly state and federal laws on false bookkeeping and self-dealing. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47307792/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/
Well if you want to make money off gullible people, what better demographic to do so with than the religious.
On the other hand... The wife dragged me to church yesterday, Calgary's largest, and while there I idly had a look at their financial report for their fiscal year. Noted that they gave nearly $500k to a church in Nepal, which is caring for the disabled in the area. Pictures of kids in wheelchairs, blind folks, etc. Now you might say that religion brings too much bad along with it to justify its existence, but would scientism or atheism necessarily be any better? People kill each other and justify it in the name of religion, but they also do that and justify it in the name of utilitarianism. One can imagine killing another and offering as reason, "I felt like it". Etc.
even these people give some of their money to causes of the poor. if a con man gives 10% of his take to charity,cost of business if you will, does that excuse his crime? even the hells angels motorcycle gang has charity runs as a means of getting publicity in their favor.