2nd Televangelist Refuses To Cooperate With Senate Investigation Into Shady Church Finances

[babylonsister]

AP Newsbreak: 2nd Preacher Spurns Senate
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ERIC GORSKI and RACHEL ZOLL | December 6, 2007 09:41 AM EST | AP


— A second Christian ministry is refusing to meet a Thursday deadline for a Senate investigation into preachers' salaries, perks and travel, The Associated Press has learned.

Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church Inc. and Benny Hinn Ministries of Grapevine, Texas, said in a statement to the AP on Thursday that he will not respond to the inquiry until next year.

A lawyer for preacher Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International in suburban Atlanta had said Wednesday that the investigation should be referred to the IRS or the Senate panel should get a subpoena for the documents.

Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent lengthy questionnaires a month ago to six ministries so he could review whether pastors were complying with IRS rules that bar excessive personal gain through tax-exempt work.

Only Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo., has provided the detailed financial and board oversight information sought by Grassley.

Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said in a Wednesday conference call with reporters that he "can't be impressed" by the argument from some of the preachers that the IRS already monitors them, because his past inquiries have unearthed information that the IRS never knew.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071206/televangelists-finances/

[Fridays Child]

1. I'm starting a religious cult. Want in?

No accountability and big money for us!

[babylonsister]

4. YES, praise the Lord!

[fascisthunter]

5. Is Greed a Value in this Cult? (nt)

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Benny Hinn? There's a shocker

[CreekDog]

3. big surprise

the skeeziest of the skeezers.

[sam sarrha]

6. let them HEAL THIS F'n FESTERING SORE... Heal me Jesus.!! i don't wanna go to prison.!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. From a personal freedom and rights perspective, they're doing the right thing.

No one should be required to hand over documents to the government unless and until the government proves that they need it. Especially if the Senate decides that they need to spend time on an IRS issue. They SHOULD wait for a subpeona.

That said, I pray that they get the subpeona and nail those criminal pieces of shit to the IRS jail door and redistribute all their wealth back to the poor and elderly that they suckered it out of.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. I've heard just a little about this and I'm a little confused. Have

these men/women been charged with illegal activities related to their ministries? Just How much jurisdiction does the U.S. government have over religious organizations?

I think that many people in their "flocks" get fleeced by these televangelists, but I'm not sure that we need the Senate to look into these matters unless there is real evidence that laws have been broken.