A televangelist's surging wealth prompts growing questions

[babylonsister]

Surging ministry, growing questions
By Ames Alexander and Tim Funk
[email protected], [email protected]
Posted: Saturday, May. 23, 2009

INDIAN LAND, S.C.


As Easter approached, the ad ran repeatedly on the Inspiration Network: David Cerullo, clutching a Bible, told viewers they, too, could receive prosperity, physical healing and other blessings God gave the ancient Israelites.

All they had to do, the televangelist said, was send $200 or more.

“Go to your phone,” he said. “Sow your Passover offering and watch God do what he said he would … Call now.”

Pitches like this have transformed the Charlotte-area cable network into one of the world's fastest-growing Christian broadcasters, beaming into more than 100 countries on five continents. They've also helped turn Cerullo, Inspiration's CEO and on-air host, into a wealthy man.

He brings home more than $1.5 million a year, making him the best-paid leader of any religious charity tracked by watchdog groups. His salary dwarfs those of executives leading far larger religious nonprofits.


more...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/741812.html

[WCGreen]

1. And don't forget all the tax perc these hucksters enjoy...

Especially the tax deductible money that they solicit and tax away from the collective good. I wonder how much of the Local State and Federal coffers are reduced by these ass holes...

[Vickers]

2. Everybody knows there ain't no money in religion.

:sarcasm:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. It never ends,

it never fucking ends.

David Hannum (not P. T. Barnum) was right, although there are probably now five or six born every minute ............

[ejpoeta]

4. it never ceases to amaze me!!! people who live with almost nothing....

barely scraping by sending these guys money. i saw a dateline or some similar show a couple of years ago about a televangelist who lived in a mansion and had several fancy cars. when confronted with evidence of where their donations were going, one woman remarked that the pastor should live well. shock! if i was giving money to a church i would fully expect it to go to help the community or something like that. but i dont go to church much less give them my money. my father used to put money in the plate every week. here we were starving with no food in our house and he still had money to give to that church! he never put it in the envelope with our name on it though that the church was nice enough to provide us with. so we were treated as nothing there. conlin only remembered the wealthy parishoners. i hated that man. he lived pretty well for a priest. ate expensive ice cream, went to rome every year.... sure as heck isn't what jesus would be preaching.... i mean, it is what they teach their flock, isn't it. father conlin was fond of that little it's easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven saying. yeah. these guys are frauds. at least the televangelists fleecing peole are. they need some serious scrutiny from the government.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I've always been wary of those who will heal or give salvation for a price

They have the word HUCKSTER writ huge on their brow. Those I know who truly heal and truly teach don't ask for money.

[blogslut]

6. That's one of the reasons I joined The Church of the Subgenius

They offer eternal salvation or your money back. :)

[babylonsister]

7. Hahaha!

:spray:

[blogslut]

11. The Church of the Subgenius was started in Texas

:hi:

[symbolman]

15. I'm an Ordained One of the Highest Yeti

Got my card from one of the Founders when they first came online, did a lot of fun photoshops for them..

Bob Dobbs died, was Reborn, came back to Illuminate us All.. Said the Meaning of Life was,

"Squirting and Oozing..", just about covers it as I see it :)

We all Definately Need More Slack, baby

[blogslut]

19. I got you beat

I was ordained in 1984. I used know Stang personally. I was a Doktor for Dinosaurs. Braggy braggy. :)

EDIT ADD - This was me, back in the day

[symbolman]

22. Sheesh, cut me some Slack :)

Yeah it was Stang who sent me my package, helped him get online, glad to do it..

Sorry, must meditate now, Oommm, Moe Moe Moe, Larry Larry Larry, Curly Curly Curly..

They should make a film about that scene for a larger audience

[blogslut]

26. About that photograph

That was taken the very night I discovered the Church, I had just finished modeling in a fashion show, went downstairs and saw Buck Nekkid (not the dead one) performing 48-hour marriages. That's when I found boB. Buck was the one that made the nifty hieroglyph graphics for the original sacred pamphlet. Stang said Buck left the Church ages ago and fell under the sway of some pink cult.

Stang was a friend to the video bar where I worked. We used to play The Reproduction Cycle of Martian Peen Worms all the time. We had a private screening of boB's first assassination. Stang used to come up to my veejay booth. Somewhere in all my mess, I still have one of his old bumper stickers and a BullDada Time Control Laboratories business card.

I was the first chick that ever wore surgical scrubs for a Doktors performance. Stang called me "A Gyno for Dinos".

Sigh...good times.

[symbolman]

27. Very cool, I miss those times too

Sounds like you had a great time, I was never able to attend the fun stuff, heard some tapes of gigs, as a musician I was especially drawn to that scene..

Needs to be a Revival, the Mother Ship ain't landed yet :)

You look like you'd just stepped out of an Austin Powers film in the pic

Always wondered if Ward from Leave it to Beaver wouldn't have made a great Bob double...

[benld74]

8. Bottom feeders EVERY ONE

[spanone]

9. flim-flam man....selling god for 200 bucks....

[Dappleganger]

10. Tax them and end the free ride! nt

[Uncle Joe]

14. Seconded, sinners and saints should be taxed equally or else the government

is De Facto respecting the establishment of religion and thus violating the First Amendment.

[bemildred]

12. These lying, greedy assholes ought to be in jail.

The nerve of these fuckers claiming to speak for God.

[donco6]

13. What on earth do you mean?

His properity is just PROOF that God is on his side!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go barf just for typing that.

[L0oniX]

16. Wolves among the sheep.

[PassingFair]

17. His father, Morris, is the HAWT one!

[pipoman]

18. Wait a minute

are you fucking kidding me? This fucker is from Charlotte?





A charlatan from Charlotte? :rofl:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. hell, Joel Osteen takes in $10K a DAY just in the mail.

I know somebody who used to open the mail at his bank.

[dysfunctional press]

21. hallelujah! i have seen the light, and i am born again!

praise jesus.

all i need now is a flock to fleece...where do i get those? :shrug:

[Best_man23]

23. This is why my wife and I don't do organized religion

These people steal in the name of God, plain and simple.

I still remember how the church my ex-wife and I attended told me they couldn't help us with the marital problems we were having, but keep those tithes coming.

[mitchum]

24. Go forth and grift

[Octafish]

25. Pat Robertson sold PTL to Rupert Murdoch and pocketed the loot.

Rupert paid Pat the Liquor Officer $1.9 billion for PTL.