"Bishop" Rick Hawkins, another family-values megachurch pastor, has found value in families—especially the wives. Hawkins was joined recently at the Family Praise Center in San Antonio by Florida televangelist Paula White.

White is under investigation by the Senate Finance Committee, but she's not alone. According to Wes Allison and Sherri Day, Republican Senator Charles Grassley has requested financial records from six top televangelists—

Rev. Kenneth Copeland of Newark, Texas; the Rev. Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers Ministry in College Park, Ga., and New York City; Benny Hinn, a televangelist based in Irving, Texas; Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga.; and Joyce Meyer, a popular evangelist and author based in Fenton, Mo.
....

The federal tax code prohibits using income and assets from tax-exempt organizations for personal gain. Unlike many other nonprofits, churches and ministries are not required to file Internal Revenue Service forms outlining their spending.

Expect to hear quite a bit about "freedom of religion" in the weeks ahead. And say a little prayer for them, won't you?

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Rev. Ike gets a blow job, and I don't mean the pompadour (6/29/05)
The threat of evangelicism (8/9/05)
Praise the Lord! Jim Bakker's back and he wants your money (1/7/07)
Foreign Agents of the Day (7/24/07)

Tags: * televangelism corruption church-state relations Internal Revenue evangelicism evangelical church prosperity gospel