In order to establish his bonafides as a Christian, President Donald Trump has aligned himself with some well known "prosperity gospel" television evangelists.
The prosperity gospel consists of two parts. First, you send them money, and second, God will favor you with possibly paying off your mortgage, curing you of cancer, or things of that nature. Trump’s "spiritual advisor" Paula White recently told her followers last week that God told her that you should send her one month’s salary, one week’s salary, or one day's salary, depending on your circumstances. This so called "seed money" has made some preachers fabulously wealthy with mansions, jets and all the other accoutrements of great wealth.
Benny Hinn is worth $42 million, which is peanuts compared to Kenneth Copeland’s $760 million. One of Copeland's jets is a Cessna 750 Citation X worth $20 million. Jimmy Swaggart takes in $150 million a year and has 22 family members on his payroll.
These preachers all claim to talk directly to God. The following conversation between God and Jesse Duplantis can be seen on YouTube. Duplantis is flying along in his jet when he hears God say, "Jessie." Jessie answers, "Yes, God." God asks, "Jessie do you like your plane?" Jessie answers, "Why, yes God." God speaks saying, "Do you really like your plane?" Jessie said that got his attention and he asked God what he meant. God said, "Then that's it then? You are going to let your faith stagnate? You are moving Jessie, but not on your faith." After Jessie reflects on this exchange, he decides that God wants him to get a bigger plane. Jessie, being a good Christian, follows God's advice and buys a bigger jet.
Paul Crouch ran Trinity Broadcasting Network for many years. Jay Sekulow was one of Crouch’s attorneys. I heard Crouch advise his followers that if they wanted to leave their estate to him and his network, his attorneys would help draft an ironclad will that would make sure that none of their greedy children could get their hands on their inheritance. The money would go to Crouch. Sekulow has founded several charitable organizations with his family as the only board members. These charities have made Jay a rich man. The IRS has repeatedly investigated him, but again ironclad contracts and agreements have protected him.
Sekulow is now Trump's personal attorney. Sekulow established the Center for Law & Justice with Pat Robertson.
Robertson is a special case. In 1994, after the Rwandan genocide, Robertson asked for donations for medical supplies for Zaire. Robertson used the money to haul mining equipment to his blood diamond mines in Zaire. He was caught and got a slap on the wrist.
Worse, in 1999 he was in business gold mining with Charles Taylor in Liberia. Taylor was harboring Al Queda. Congress offered a $2 million dollar reward for Taylor and in 2012 he was sentenced to 50 years in jail for "planning some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in human history."
Robertson accused President George W. Bush of undermining Taylor, a "Christian Baptist President" and bringing in Muslims to run the country. Robertson should have gone to jail for that. He is now a spokesperson for the Trump administration.
If people want to continue to send money to these false Christians it's certainly their own business. But I sure hate to see them crawling all over the White House and representing Christianity in America.
