The Christian faith isn’t just a story about how to get to heaven in the next life, it a way of walking by faith in all areas of your life.
“We’re going to show you how to get wealth and use it for the building of his kingdom,” [Ephren] Taylor shouted to the congregation one morning in 2009. It was all part of what he called his “Building Wealth Tour,” which crisscrossed the country touting his investments and financial advice.
It’s a popular theme in Christian circles. God actually wants you to be wealthy and successful, and people like Taylor are called by God to help share this good news. But?
But according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, what Taylor was actually peddling was a giant Ponzi scheme, one aimed to “swindle over $11 million, primarily from African-American churchgoers,” that reached into churches nationwide, from [Eddie] Long’s megachurch in Atlanta to Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church congregation in Houston.
Ah. The cost of teaching yourself how to uncritically swallow whatever men tell you in the name of God. Of course, the difference between Taylor and megapastors like Long and Osteen is that the latter two don’t promise to ever give the money back. Gullibility costs you either way, but the latter way goes unpunished.
via ABC News.
He’s hiding out in at least 40 states. I’m pretty sure that’s what it said. 😉
Anyhoo, “punishment” and “persecution” both have a lot of letters and start with a “p,” so I can see how some people could get them confused.
Bernie Madoff used his religion as well.
His marks couldn’t believe a nice Jewish boy would do fellow lansmen wrong.
If you’re credulous enough to believe in 2000+ year old myths, you’re credulous enough to believe that you really can buy the Brooklyn Bridge.
I wonder if the Jesus on his crucifex is blinged out.