What Preacher in the News Again Today
In the past year, televangelists – including Kenneth Copeland, who recently went viral for an inflammatory "Within Edition" interview, and Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelical preacher Baton Graham – have been embroiled in controversy, one way or some other.
Copeland, a Texas evangelist, came under fire for a viral "Within Edition" video in which he defended his three individual jets. But he's not the just one to make headlines.
From buying a $200,000 Lamborghini SUV as an anniversary souvenir to reportedly turning away hurricane evacuees, these 10 televangelists have caught flak for their actions and sermons.
Kenneth Copeland
Copeland justified his jet-setting by saying that he could non deliver without the shipping. "If I flew commercial, I'd accept to stop 65% of what I'g doing," he told announcer Lisa Guerrero.
Guerrero then pressed Copeland on a argument he made in 2015 in which he compared flying in commercial class to getting "in a long tube with a bunch of demons" to fellow televangelist Jesse Duplantis.
"No, I practice not, and don't you always say that I did," he responded, pointing a finger at the announcer.
He owns an airport close to his Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth.
Jesse Duplantis
Louisiana minister Jesse Duplantis, who himself was implicated in Copeland'south jet scandal, has been in hot h2o for his own jet-setting lifestyle. He claims God told him he needs a individual jet – specifically, a Falcon 7X, capable of carrying 12 to 16 passengers at speeds upwards to 700 mph.
"Now, some people believe that preachers shouldn't have jets," Duplantis said in a video posted in 2018.
"I actually believe that preachers ought to ... have every available outlet to become this Gospel preached to the world."
In the aforementioned video, he showed off a photo of the three planes owned past his ministry that bore the explanation "It's not well-nigh possessions, it's about priorities."
Gloria Copeland
Kenneth Copeland's wife, Gloria, is a preacher herself. She co-founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries with her husband and served equally i of President Donald Trump'due south evangelical ministers.
In a video published on the ministry's Facebook page, she proclaimed that children do not demand a flu shot because Jesus had already "bore our sickness."
"We don't have a flu season," she said. "And don't receive it when somebody's threatening y'all with 'Everybody's getting the flu.' Nosotros've already had our shot. He bore our sicknesses and carried our diseases."
Upon cartoon widespread criticism, Copeland Ministries shared a listing of scriptures on its website with the claim that information technology would aid followers "stand strong against" the flu.
Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham, son of famed preacher Billy Graham, was recently the target of criticism after inflammatory comments he made almost Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
"As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized," he wrote on Twitter.
"The Bible says matrimony is between a human being & a woman—not two men, not 2 women." His tweet was in response to remarks Buttigieg made on CNN in which he said, "God does not have a political political party."
Pat Robertson
Every bit host of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson is one of the more visible televangelists to emerge on the national phase. In his all-encompassing career, he has drawn controversy for comments regarding everything from the ix/eleven attacks to working with Buddhists.
In recent years, Robertson, 89, defended Trump before the 2016 ballot after a videotape emerged of Trump making vulgar comments near women. Brushing information technology off as "macho" talk, Robertson compared Trump to a phoenix. "They call back he's expressionless, he'southward come dorsum. And he came back strong," he said on his show.
More recently, he chosen Alabama's abortion ban "extreme" and "sick-considered" on The 700 Club – though he has been a vocal opponent of abortion in the past.
Jim Bakker
Televangelist Jim Bakker was sentenced to 5 years in prison house in 1989 on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy after misappropriating funds from followers for his own utilise. More than recently, Bakker has attempted to sell properties at his Christian-themed Morningside development southwest of Branson, Missouri.
Bakker said his development, located in the Ozark mountains, is the safest place to live when the apocalypse comes. "Where are yous going to go when the globe'southward on fire?" he said in a 2018 circulate. "Where are you going to go? This place is for God's people, and this place, we need some farmers to move hither."
Joel Osteen
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, preacher Joel Osteen – who helms one of the largest churches in America with 50,000 members and a 600,000-square-foot stadium – was criticized for not welcoming hurricane evacuees into his Lakewood megachurch.
A social media post from the megachurch claimed the edifice was inaccessible because of "astringent flooding." Just locals said otherwise, posting photos around the church showing streets that were like shooting fish in a barrel to get to.
Regardless of what happened, information technology brought negative publicity to the church and Osteen, who has a reported cyberspace worth of more than $50 1000000.
"Nosotros have never closed our doors," Osteen said amid the controversy. "We are prepared to house people once shelters attain capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm."
John Gray
South Carolina megachurch pastor John Gray gave his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini SUV for their 8th anniversary in 2018. A inundation of negative responses followed.
"God helped me to make my wife'due south dream come truthful," he wrote in an Instagram post showing off the luxury automobile.
Within days of the original post, he defended his buy online – alleging it was bought with "non a nickel, non a penny" of church funds, including his salary, in a tearful video.
"My married woman has pushed for my dreams and my vision, and she has toiled with a human being who is nonetheless trying to observe himself," Greyness said. "That carries a weight. I wanted to accolade her for how she's covered me."
Robert Jeffress
Pastor Robert Jeffress has elicited much controversy for his sentiments toward the LGBT community, Mormons and Muslims, claiming Muslims exercise a religion that "promotes pedophilia." The statements resulted in Tim Tebow canceling an appearance at his First Baptist Dallas Church in 2013.
He was appointed one of President Trump'south evangelical advisers and gained national attention when he claimed that "God has given Trump say-so to take out Kim Jong-United nations," invoking the Bible's volume of Romans to exercise and then.
John Hagee
The controversial founder of Texas' Cornerstone Church has been in the news repeatedly for statements connecting natural phenomena to God's plan.
He said in 2014 that a tetrad – or four sequent and complete lunar eclipses over the span of two years – of claret moons signaled the End Times.
"God is literally screaming at the globe 'I'm coming presently,'" he said.
In 2008, he suggested Hurricane Katrina was God'southward punishment for New Orleans planning a gay pride rally for the LGBT community.
After a wave of criticism, he subsequently apologized: "Ultimately neither I nor any other person tin can know the mind of God concerning Hurricane Katrina."
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/17/joel-osteen-kenneth-copeland-10-televangelists-trouble/1471926001/
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