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| | | | Commenting testing | 2008-05-08 15:49:02 |
| | 4 non-profit | 4non-profit@juno.com | Grassley may "believe" in tithing, but obviously doesn’t practice what he "believes" his personal income was at $164,000 per year among other hefty perks paid by tax payers yet you only gave $2000 to charities. Sorry Mr. Grassley, I'm sure that you can do a simple division calculation. $2000 out of $164,000 isn’t anywhere near 10% of your income. You are not a tither and as a Free Mason you are not a Christian either. Repent and believe the Gospel. | 2008-09-16 17:53:44 |
| | Darren | britches96@hotmail.com | I would have to agree here. People are soooo ignorant as to assume that such ministers are personally pocketing multiplied millions of dollars in donations. The truth is that the money raised has to fund the multi-million dollar operation that is having a global impact for the Gospel. Such expense is GARGANTUAN.
People foolishly assume that such money is going to the minister personally and don’t realize that it isn’t.
If they were personally "pocketing" the IRS would have come in for the kill already or many years ago. The IRS is WAY more aggressive toward ministries than people know.
The reality is that there is the huge expense of running a global ministry who has to pay the same rate as any other profit making business. Ministries don’t get “freebies” as many would assume.
These ministries are NOT publicly owned stock traded companies where the donors receive dividends on their investments. So to attempt to make these ministries subject to scrutiny of the public who are by and large anti Christian would be disastrous.
If people don’t like churches that is their tough luck.
If there were no churches there would have been no founding of America. To insinuate that the CEOs of these ministries are running around spending millions of dollars of donations on themselves and having a party is pretty stupid...ignorant to say the least.
Why don’t we call the Pope on the carpet? He is the one who is riding around in his gold plated chariot, speaking in Cathedrals painted with 24 Karat Gold leaf and wearing expensive garb every where he goes. The Catholic Church is a MULTI-BILLION dollar operation and is the richest non profit- tax exempt entity, not only in America, but also the world.
It wouldn’t be “holy” to confront the Catholic Church for its extravagance though...right?
Give me a break.
Darren
PS I would have to agree, the agenda of Grassley on this blog is disappointingly ignorant.
| 2008-09-15 20:31:21 |
| | c | cills@aol.com | c | 2008-09-17 12:31:04 |
| | Barry Mikguires | ibarry@ymail.com | Isn't Iowa already the leader in wind energy in the U.S.? I think they are... | 2008-09-19 18:06:39 |
| | Rolland McNamara Ph.D. | mbalaw@email.phoenix.edu | I find the commentary here quite entertaining yet soberingly truthful. The fact is, as the former U.S. Attorney General points out, Mr. Grassley doesn’t have the executive or legislative power to do what he is attempting to do through the METHOD that he is using. Therefore I would challenge and require the Senator to subpoena. If the subpoena would be valid, then certainly comply. This would insure confidentiality and avoid a media circus that Mr Grassley has tried to stir. Further, NONE of the ministries under scrutiny are refusing information. They are simply forcing the Senator to comply with the law.
Moreover, the IRS does INDEED have the ability to give the Senator what he is asking. I am surprised at the responses of good senator of this blog as he stated that the “prosperity gospel" extorts the poor in order to facilitate the lavish lifestyles of greedy preachers.
What he fails to realize is that these so called “greedy preachers” pour literally multiplied millions of dollars into the underprivileged, hungry and destitute. They have given way more than the senator has I assure you.
Moreover Copeland’s yearly earnings from the ministry are at an estimated $300,000 per year. This is nominal (next to nothing) compared to CEOs who make multiplied millions of dollars over the course of a few year and then bail out of the corporations with their golden parachutes. Or Madonna who does a virtual striptease perpetrating debauchery for 80 million in revenues a year. The Copelands have gone strong for over 40 years non-stop and by all indication, impeccable integrity. The owner of this blog is am intelligent fellow and I would assume that he would see the folly of his remarks toward these ministries.
Rolland
| 2008-09-15 22:07:09 |
| | Mulloverthis | mulloverthisblog@aol.com | Senator Grassley,
Does the IRS have the same goal of making sure tax exemptions for non-profits being used for legitimate non-profit purposes? Isn't this part of the purpose of audits? If these ministries were in good standing with the IRS, then why the Senate Inquiry? Don't families, friends and relatives approve salaries for one another on a commensurate basis with other like positions such as the Trumps? The Knowles? And, is a $23,000 commode improper use of funds when it is used in the headquarter offices of a ministry with over $100 million dollars in donations/revenue each year? Are religious organizations not permitted to have marble floors, gold accented high-end downtown office building look amenities because they are tax-exempt? Is that not good business, for the ministry headquarters to reflect the best like a CEO of a for profit? How come it would be great taste for a successful law firm, or hi-end restaurant bathroom, but needs review b/c it is a non-profit? If your office answers, I will post an unadultered, and unedited response. Thanks. | 2008-09-13 08:33:22 |
| | Rich Mueller M.B.A., J.D. | phd_leadership@hotmail.com | Mr Grassley's approach here is totally bogus.
Any rational person who knows anything about the church tax inquiry process would know that the IRS does indeed initiate an extremely rigorous audit process which, if in the event that there were violations, would take action against such organizations.
Such violations including revocation of tax exempt status, levies, liens, criminal indictment ect. would be public record in a very short period of time. Fact is...there have been no such violations over a 40 year time frame. There has only been a media slant and barrage of accusations stemming for “whistle blowers” of extremely questionable or absolutely no credibility at all.
As Copeland’s organization has undergone repeated audits (much more than normal) without said violations there is no need to assume that I think I have some “inside information.” The fact is, the IRS DOES have such “inside information” that has not found any of the allegations as even remotely accurate.
Mr Grassley and friends need not exploit these particular ministries in such a manner. If Billy Graham (who owns a personal air craft and a mansion as well as a multi million dollar operation) everyone would be up in arms…probably including Mr Grassley. That said, why don’t we go after him? We all love Billy Graham including myself... so such a statement is no mark against Billy.
I am a Baptist myself and have no interest in these ministries, so I do not speak from a personal theological agenda. I say if we go after a handful of “charismatics” we go after all. And if we go after all, we go through the legal process that Grassley helped promulgate. Mr Grassley has no right to violate the very law he helped enact. Mr Grassley is under the law as is any other public servant. He is not free to “pick” and “choose” which portion of due process he wants to do today.
Rich
| 2008-09-15 20:22:18 |
| | testing 2 | tester@senate.gov | test is comments the people! | 2008-05-08 15:48:41 |
| | test | tester@senate.gov | this is a comment! | 2008-05-08 15:48:02 |
| | Tester | tester@senate.gov | This is a test comment. I think this blog application is great! | 2008-04-24 11:28:16 |
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