I'm beginning to think that TV preacher Kenneth Copeland has completely lost his mind. Either that or he has a bonafide God complex. He seems to think that being a preacher puts him above the laws of the United States of America.
Senator Grassley recently started an investigation of several of these TV preachers, including Copeland. This is an investigation that is long overdue. Many of these preachers take the donations of viewers to not just provide a decent living for themselves and do good works with the rest -- they make themselves filthy rich with expensive clothes, cars, houses and other possessions.
In this country, we give churches a tax exempt status. Even though I'm not religious, I don't have a problem with that. But there are rules that even tax-exempt organizations must follow. It is expected that they use those tax-exemt funds to do good works such as helping the needy. If these organizations do nothing but make their leaders rich, then they are violating the rules laid down and do not deserve the tax-exempt status.
Sen. Grassley's investigation is not a violation of religious freedom. He is simply trying to see if these are preachers following the rules, or TV con-men using religion to cloak their tax-evasion. To determine that, he has asked to see the books of six TV preachers. But Kenneth Copeland has decided that being a self-appointed TV preacher gives him the right to ignore the law.
Copeland is refusing to cooperate and open his books to the U.S. government. He recently said about the books, "It's not yours, it's God's, and your not going to get it, and that''s something I'll go to prison over. So, just get over it!"
He's wrong. The books in question don't belong to God -- they belong to Kenneth Copeland. And the government has every right to see them. There's only one reason for Copeland to refuse to open the books to government scrutiny. He's trying to hide something.
There's nothing in the Bible that says a preacher doesn't have to obey the law. In fact, the New Testament tells christians to render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's. In short, to obey the law. Copeland is not special because he's a TV preacher. He's required to obey the law like all other christians (and non-christians).
Personally, I'd like to see the government take him up on his jail offer, but I doubt that'll happen. But if he continues to refuse to cooperate, they should take away his tax-exempt status and also demand payment of millions in back taxes. That tax-exempt status is only for those who play by the rules.
Now it comes out that Copeland has been raising money for presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. He recently raised $100,000 in cash and $1 million in pledges for the candidate. Now I'm not accusing Huckabee of any wrongdoing, but is it smart to align himself with Copeland at this time?
It may help him in the short term with some evangelicals, but it will hurt him in the long run. Most Americans are growing tired of the rich TV preachers who flaunt their wealth, especially the ones that also flaunt the rules.
