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Does Jesus really want Randy and Paula to live in luxury at the expense of the poor? I know I will get the angry emails defending this outrageous behavior, so I will continue with the sordid details. The million dollar mansions and condos are all the product Randy and Paula's investing alone, helped along by God of course. The Whites contend that because of the their faith and tithing, God has chosen to bestow great personal riches on Randy and Paula alone, while so many of God's faithful suffer. So let us see the specific details of how these shrewd investments work. Surely God's providence will extend to all the faithful. Randy and Paula White of the Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries of Tampa, Fla. have been asked in a letter from Senator Grassley to explain home purchases in San Antonio, Texas, Malibu, Calif., and New York, credit card charges for clothing and cosmetic surgery and the reported purchase of a Bentley convertible as a gift for Bishop T.D. Jakes, a prominent Texas preacher and televangelist. In a statement, Randy and Paula White declined to comment on specifics, saying they needed time to review the letter with their lawyers. But the Whites called the Grassley letter "unusual, since the IRS has separate powers to investigate religious organizations if they think it's necessary. Let us all in on your secrets, so all of us can prosper. Yet time and time again, when investigators ask for proof of what Randy and Paula claim, the couple can only produce vague documentation at best. Then there are the "personal gifts", hundreds of donation checks made out to Randy and Paula, in their names. According to insiders in the Whites' ministries, these checks totalling in the many thousands of dollars, are mysteriously missing from Church records and are combined with their personal business finances. You know if it quacks like a duck... My favorite teaching of Jesus says, "It would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven". I think the extreme exaggeration expressed here was intended to put to rest any debate on the meaning of this! The fundamentalists use literal translation of the Bible to bolster their arguments, but only when it suits their political position. Many try to minimize the significance of piety in these words of Christ, by saying the nickname for the narrow passage into Jerusalem was called the "Eye of the Needle". However, it is hard to imagine that Jesus is referring to this, because he was not from Jerusalem and was talking to visitors to the city, who would not be familiar with the local nicknames. From the example that Christ presented when he lived among us, it is clear that Jesus was adamant about the evil of riches and the importance of piety. Many so-called Christians deny this truth because it goes against the capitalist mentality, that has always been the prevailing school of thought in the industrialized world. That is how the story about the passage in Jerusalem came to be. It is an attempt to convolute the true meaning of the verse, that it is practically impossible for a rich man to live in the spirit of Christ. There is no doubt what The Sermon on the Mount is about, which is generally accepted as one of the best documented words ever spoken by Jesus. Greed and materialism, or the "love of of money" is the root of all evil. This is so clearly stated that it is impossible to misinterpret. Looking back on history, we see that this could be evidence of God's wisdom. He really did know that being pious would be the most overlooked and under emphasized part of the faith, because of the selfish nature of man. He made it so clear and memorable, it might stand out above the clamor of Get rich and be happy books and tapes. Jesus drove the money changers from the temple with a horsewhip. This was the only time the Bible depicts Christ ever "losing it" and acting out violently. Maybe that example dictates how we should deal with those who seek to profit from the Church today. Many Evangelists are nothing more than peddlers of false hope who have turned simple doctrine based on love and peace, into a complicated, pyramid scheme, all for the sake of profit. What would Jesus do? I personally believe there is no way these wealthy evangelists, too many to mention, could ever really believe in the God of the New Testament. Even with just a basic knowledge of the teachings of Christ, no true believer could live in opulence at the expense of the poor, when Jesus was so clearly against this. They are all nothing more than charlatans, bilking the most desperate of people. They better hope there is no God, for their sins are many and grievous. |