I attended a mega church when I was a kid. The church my dad had helped build was huge and successful, I was told to see it as a good thing when they got a building that could seat over 1000 people.
It was also this same church that made me completely disillusioned to the institutions of christianity. Having to stay behind and see my dad counting the offering and speaking with other board members about divvying it up — this pile of money that would have easily met my height as a 6 year old child. It never sat right with me, even more so when I was asked to sign a “pledge” (it read like a legal contract) in order to get baptized in that church. I ended up refusing and never really went back to it, and eventually left the church. The property that used to host those services was also sold some years later to a private school, a better use of it in my opinion.
Wow. Ty for sharing.
Nope. It's like religious turbo capitalism on stimulants and the preachers have charm of door to door salesman.
Fraudsters, one woman who was diagnosed with cancer fell into the trap belief that money to mega churches would cure her of cancer… She gave all her life savings and inheritance to her child all in the battle for her life though given to megachurches and not medical treatment. If she got medical treatment early on, she might’ve lived… Knowing that makes me hate all megachurches because there are suckers who fall victim and my heart breaks for them & their families. This should not happen, at the very least they should pay taxes.
@Dongie That's how you separate fraudsters from legitimate churches... their good works and actions towards parishioners and others.
@Caroline91 EXACTLY! Megachurches are most definitely not a small locally owned morally high Church asking for money kindly from attendees on Sunday to keep their faith & love of the Lord in the people’s hands. Megachurches utilize their space on TV, big platform, giant buildings, billboard ads, radio talkshows, and false promises coming from the Lord ‘himself’…. It is a scam. I don't know how these people always want to shift narrative / defend these corrupt corporations. Bottomline is real people are affected and the Lord is not a good reason for scamming real believers of the Good Book for self interest including yachts, private planes, luxury cars, etc.
I am all for taxing them!! They are rivers of dirty money that's easy to skim. Jesus would look at them and WTF?
@DrPepper12 Using faith as a multi-million dollar business scam empire does not keep them from taxation at the very least. They are closer to Mark Zuckerberg more than a local pastor speaking from their heart & love of faith in the name of the Lord.
Heretics.
The Spanish Inquisition was a good and necessary endeavor to stop such people. Nowadays the Catholic Church is a weak political organization failing to appeal to the masses.
Anyone with charisma can benefit from them now and they will not call these churches out.
Great point!! TY
Opinion
33Opinion
It very much depends which megachurch you're talking about.
I wouldn't go near Osteen with a ten foot pole. He's toxic. His messages twist Bible verses until they bear no resemblance to the meaning in the context of the passage it's in.
I've met a few megachurch leaders. Some get bad press because of the examples they use in their sermons. Best example would be Jesse Duplantis. He talks about having his own jet - something nobody criticises John Travolta for - but he doesn't mention that he's responsible for transporting a team with him to places it would take four times as long and cost five times as much if he flew commercially.
But I've met the man. Sat across a table from him and shared a tea with. He loves people. In person he's the same as he comes over on his TV program. His laugh is infectious, but it's his love for people that really shines. I'd join his church.
A couple of others as well. But mostly I prefer a smaller church group. That's where cell groups or home groups come in.
Most people seem to make incredibly hypocritical assumptions about wealthy ministers with big churches.
Movie actors make adverts asking you to watch their films, buy the merchandise etc, but they rarely get the level of hate spewed at them that ministers get. Nobody tells the doctor that prescribed the medication they should be happy just making you better - why are they expecting you to pay? And if you try it their lawyer will send a debt collector to your door. No pastor sends the Repo guys because you didn't drop a dollar on the plate last Sunday.
They have not been teaching from the Bible especially in Prophecy and therefor have mislead the Church. Never did Jesus Say get rich off of your Ministry, Jesus said sell everything that you own and follow Me, God did not say sell everything the congregation owns and follow the money.
Matthew 19:21-23
King James Version
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
m What @legalboxers said.
Genesis (5:8):
On the cover of the magazine
There's no question why I'm smilin'
You buy a piece of paradise
You buy a piece of me
Iron Maiden Holy Smoke:
Believe in me, send no money
I died on the cross and that ain't funny
But my so called friends they're making me a joke
They missed out what I said like I never spoke
They choose what they want to hear, they don't tell a lie
They just leave out the truth as they're watching you die
They're saving your souls by taking your money
Flies around shit, bees around honey
Holy smoke holy smoke, plenty bad preachers for the devil to stoke
Feed 'em in feet first, this is no joke
This is thirsty work, making holy smoke, yeah
Making holy smoke
Jimmy Reptile and all his friends
Say they gonna be with you at the end
Burning records burning books
Holy soldiers Nazi looks
Crocodile smiles just wait a while
'Til the TV queen gets her make-up clean
I've lived in filth I've lived in sin
And I still smell cleaner than the shit you're in
Holy smoke holy smoke, plenty bad preachers for the devil to stoke
Feed 'em in feet first, this is no joke
This is thirsty work, making holy smoke, yeah
Holy smoke
Smells good
They ain't religious but they ain't no fools
When Noah built his Cadillac it was cool
Two by two they're still going down
And the satellite circus just left town
I think they're strange and when they're dead
They can have a Lincoln for their bed
Friend of the president trick of the tail
Now they ain't got a prayer a hundred years in jail
Holy smoke holy smoke, plenty bad preachers for the devil to stoke
Feed 'em in feet first, this is no joke
This is thirsty work, making holy smoke, yeah
Holy smoke
okay, music then, let's not stop at lyrics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPV4jlOlWjA
I attended something similar to a megachurch in my teens because of this military family who I credited with saving/turning my life around. I liked the church because they had a kids friendly service that wasn’t boring and educational. I’m used to going to black church.
So going to a majority white church with a sprinkle of minorities including the couple that invited me. But when they were stationed out of state the church members seemed to treat me differently so I left. I contacted the couple throughout the years. That church since changed names and congregation.
the mega churches I see on tv I think are scams. It seems like they’re going after your money to make an even bigger church. In my opinion those mega church tv preachers are pimps in preacher clothings.
I’m not religious, I actually consider myself pretty anti-religion. I believe all religions are cults and fucking scams.
and these TV televangelists are the worst of them all.
Preach brother!! I hold EXACTLY your views!!
What matters is faith and sound doctrine. Period. God knows your heart.
I would say good works over faith & doctrine if I was a believer
Well faith and sound doctrine are supposed to produce good works. Jesus talked about how to spot a false prophet:
“ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”
Mathew 7:18
There is also scripture about good works without faith being futile as well. Particularly if the person brags about it. That’s reward seeking which isn’t spiritual:
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
Matthew 6:3.
Anyway there is a lot of suspicion about television evangelicals and for good reason. They have been riddled with phonies and scam artists for decades. But I won’t write them off JUST because they are on television or running a mega church. That in itself isn’t the problem. But again it’s about what they have produced.
All these pastors care about is money. When they see a human the first thing that comes into their brain is dollar $$$$$$$. It's hard now a days to find a goodchurch. I am recovering from religious trauma. After the pastor condemned mentor he'll for helping people out and not sending my money to his church. Sad. Jesus never charged people for our salvation.
They are BIG FRAUDS!!! Those so called preachers should practically be preaching for fun and to help people only, not taking so much as a dollar. If I got paid to be a preacher, I would only take what I need, not buy expensive cars, million dollar homes, several multi million dollar jets.
It depends on the mega church. Some are true to the word and some aren’t.
I prefer sending my money a church I physically attend, anyways.
To a**
People like Osteen who preach a "health and wealth" message are the antithesis of Jesus' teachings. Giving money to some church will not guarantee health or wealth.
I think oldtein is the worst among a who's who of people that belong in hell
Just watch some of the services and you won't see a lot of them ask for money or anything more than the tithe.
Don't think just because a few are scams does not mean all much less most are. I've watched a lot of theses services and Never saw them ask more than the Tithe.
Several have been convicted of fraud.
No thank you. I prefer keeping my religious beliefs personal, to myself.
m More American bullshit following the usual bigger-is-better mantra… 🤬
As much as I want to refrain from going anti American, I do sympathize with your anger lol
It's less anger and more repulsion about this sort and scale of grift.
I'm in for the repulsion as well !
u I don't like them, their being heretics and false teachers aside.
Don't really see the point in them.
Also, these "pastors" will often criticise the Catholic faith and it's Church - despite doing the same thing themselves. But on a smaller scale.
They are frauds and hypocrites who are in it for the money.
I've been in mega … it means they have a lot if resources for which to influence community and world. My pastors put the $ into the church and people development not themselves.
Oh no, I wanted to post this one ! But ok, you were faster 😆
@Maybe_Maybe_not Great Minds Think Alike
I am a different religion, so no.
Doesn't mean you can't have an opinion on Rev. Creflo Dollar!
I won't be sending money, no.
Jesus himself would be appalled by these megachurches and televangelists. He would even say to Oral Roberts, "You know nothing of my work. Cast thee out of my sight!"
That’s not a church, I swear the bible said something about that
Jesus flipping the tables of the pharisees money lending in the temple should be enough for these megas to see that it's not Christian
LOOOOLL exactly
I see them on TV like John Haggiee with Cornerstone. Would never join as it's in the Northside of town where the rich people live.
It’s about American dream to be successful and gathering people who can’t make it and frustrated for money
I've never been able to deal with TV televangelists, as I was dragged to the Keswick Convention every year as a youngster, where TV televangelists were there as "guest" preachers.
I like local pastors who actually feed the homeless and genuinely care for the people who attend, not these clowns who sucker desperate people out of what little they have.
What is it like? Is it a good place to meet hookup buddies?
Billy Graham is very serious legitimate he passed away now, but you know him and Charles Stanley
None of the above. I'm a Deist and consider all christians as false prophets.
No absolutely not. I feel bad for anybody that gets mixed up with a megachurch televangelist scam.
My own small church. I don't know if they are fraudulent it certainly seems so. If they are they will rue that day.
The problem is (other than being money hungry) that they push a positive only and politically correct message, which is wrong.
My answer in this YouTube video lol
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0cLxCjjJbnY
a bunch of fakers.
C-R-O-O-K-S !!!
I support my home church.
Fucking roadside tent show carpetbaggers
Crooks
Fuck no
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