Friday, April 4, 2008 at 12:12am
Two ministers snub Senate probe
Lawyers for "prosperity gospel" televangelists Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar told U.S. senators they will not comply with a probe into their ministries because it threatens religious freedom rights. They sent letters Monday iforming the Senate Finance Committee they would not comply on the grounds that the probe was based in part on the targeting of teachers from the "word of faith" movement, Baptist Press reported Wednesday.
The lawyers said Copeland and Dollar objected to the investigation's infringement of the First Amendment and the its failure to operate through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) process. They are two of six ministries asked to provide financial records in a probe initiated in November by Sen. Charles Grassley, R.-Iowa, Baptist Press reported Tuesday. The other targeted televangelists — Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, and Randy and Paula White — provided the documents by the Monday deadline or pledged to do so.
"Word of faith" teaching normally includes the "prosperity gospel," which asserts the Bible promises physical and financial blessings to followers of Christ. Evangelical critics, however, say such doctrine mistakenly equates God's promises of blessing with temporal, materialistic success.
Grassley said his probe is based on accounts of abuses from watchdog organizations and whistleblowers, as well as investigative news reports. Accusations of contributions being used to support lavish lifestyles have been leveled against at least some of the televangelists.
The lawyers said Copeland and Dollar objected to the investigation's infringement of the First Amendment and the its failure to operate through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) process. They are two of six ministries asked to provide financial records in a probe initiated in November by Sen. Charles Grassley, R.-Iowa, Baptist Press reported Tuesday. The other targeted televangelists — Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, and Randy and Paula White — provided the documents by the Monday deadline or pledged to do so.
"Word of faith" teaching normally includes the "prosperity gospel," which asserts the Bible promises physical and financial blessings to followers of Christ. Evangelical critics, however, say such doctrine mistakenly equates God's promises of blessing with temporal, materialistic success.
Grassley said his probe is based on accounts of abuses from watchdog organizations and whistleblowers, as well as investigative news reports. Accusations of contributions being used to support lavish lifestyles have been leveled against at least some of the televangelists.