I have written before about how churches sometimes want to use tax laws to their unreasonable advantage, and how in Italy at least, this is costing the state millions.
A recent case has occurred in America, where one rich Televangelist is being asked by the state to account for his expenditure. Instead of opening the books and unashamedly declaring, “Nothing to hide,” and answering the questions asked of him, he is obfuscating and resisting the investigation. Ironically, the same man who wants to be above the law, is trying to invoke the constitutional separation of church and state.
Televangelist Kenneth Copeland, in a letter to his supporters, is accusing Senator Charles Grassley of attempting to tear down the wall between church and state as the Iowa Republican pursues an investigation of Copeland’s ministry.
“The enemy is not going to steal what the Lord has won through this ministry, and he is not going to use this attack to bring harm to the rest of the churches and ministries in America,” Copeland warns in the letter dated this month. The letter is the latest chapter in the escalating war between Grassley and televangelists unhappy he is questioning spending practices in their tax-exempt churches.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries, based in Newark, Texas, is one of six that in November received letters from Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley has asked Copeland for information about his and wife Gloria’s compensation from the ministries, loans, gifts, use of private jets, housing allowances and costs, credit cards, vehicles, ownership of a ranch and more.
Grassley, who has investigated other nonprofits in recent years, has said he is focused on tax issues and not religious doctrine. “Senator Grassley is asking questions as a leader on the Senate tax policy committee,” said Jill Kozeny, a spokeswoman for Grassley. Kozeny said the investigation centers on three areas of concern when it comes to the media churches: the personal use of assets owned by the tax-exempt entities; the way in which money is accounted for between for-profit and nonprofit entities; and parsonage allowances.
Copeland said Thomas Jefferson used the phrase “building a wall of separation between church and state” to prevent the state from interfering with churches. “Senator Grassley’s letter seeks to do that very thing - interfere with the church - by demanding to see private church documents and information,” wrote Copeland.
Grassley has said he is not yet sure whether he will attempt to issue subpoenas to pry information out of the ministers, or have congressional hearings.
I don’t profess to be an expert on the American constitution, but I would make three brief observations:
- If you have nothing to hide, why try hiding it?
- I thought the intent of the desire to separate church from state was mainly to prevent the church interfering with the running of the state, rather than vice versa.
- It may be legitimate to want to run your own religious organization free from state interference (provided that that religion doesn’t contradict the laws of the land). However, if the state has granted you various fiscal privileges, isn’t it legitimate for the state’s fiscal officers to investigate how those privileges are being used and to try to ensure that all legitimate taxation is paid. You may think that god is on your side, but that doesn’t mean you are above the law. Even Jesus said you had to render unto Caesar those things which were his and pay taxes.
Source: ReligionNewsBlog
Again, I can not argue against the three points raised. It seems very reasonable to me.
I was thinking today about the principle of tithing in some church communities. The church should be accountable, not only to the tax man, but to the people who financially supports any institution with money. It should open its accounts to the people supporting it, if asked.
Bearing in mind people are encoraged to tithe 10%of income, it would be interesting to know whether church members see where their money is going.
Or, is it very much the case of, trust in the lord on that one.
I have never tithed, but have been encouraged to in the past. I suspect you have and now feel, like the tax payer, a bit ripped off.
Just another thought!
Copeland’s side of the story:
The enemy is not going to steal what the Lord has won through this ministry, and he is not going to use this attack to bring harm to the rest of the churches and ministries in America.
Grassley’s side of the story:
Grassley has asked Copeland for information about his and wife Gloria’s compensation from the ministries, loans, gifts, use of private jets, housing allowances and costs, credit cards, vehicles, ownership of a ranch and more.
My take:
It looks like Grassley, rather than going after God’s money, wants to see whether Copeland draws appropriate distinctions between God’s funds and his own. He’s not inquiring about ministry program expenditures and the like, he’s asking about the various forms that Copeland’s compensation took. Looks like a legitimate query to me.
If Copeland has nothing to hide, then he should just open up the books, answer the questions and shut down the inquiry with as little fuss and in as little time as possible. Of course, this only makes sense if he’s got nothing to hide. (insert smirk here).
onethoughtfulwoman
I agree that the principle of accountability for expenditure should apply inside as well as outside churches. My experience is that most of the independent churches I have been involved with in the past have produced annual accounts and it has been possible to ask questions and challenge expenditure in theory. In practice, many people are incapable of understanding the accounts or don’t bother trying. A bigger issue is that there is implicit pressure not to rock the boat by asking awkward questions about why such an amount of money was authorised by the leadership for such a project. It takes guts to question the authority structure too noisily and if you do, you may risk being seen as a stiff-necked rebel.
Jesus, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, but render unto God what is God’s.
Inquisitor: “But Jesus, what is God’s and what is Caesar’s?”
Jesus, “What do the Scriptures say?”
IQ, “Ah, Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.”
Jesus, “You have answered well my child.”
IQ, “But what then is Caesar’s?”
Jesus, “He gets what’s left .”
IQ, “I don’t get it.”
Jesus, “Neither does Caesar. But don’t fell bad, Christian-church scholars have been misinterpreting these explicit words of mine for 17 centuries, ever since their church was enthralled by Rome and they began to receive a share in the booty. I told them they could only serve one master, but, nooo, they were loyal, patriotic citizens of the State. Even after their other master turned them into tax slaves they remained loyal subjects. There’s just no accounting for the depth of stupidity amoung those who try to serve two masters.”
http:www.jesus-on-taxes.com
I read about this a few days ago. His followers have been leaning on Grassley to lay off. You’d think they would also want to know why he seems reluctant to explain the jet, mansion, etc. Then again, it may have to do with his preaching that god wants us to get rich. I wonder if they’ll ever put two and two together and realize their contributions are the source of his wealth.
“To be rich is glorious”. Hey, wait a minute…