‘Charlatan’ evangelist at Trump inauguration?

Last updated on: December 29, 2016 at 4:58 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

‘Charlatan’ evangelist at Trump inauguration? 2016-12-29T16:58:08-05:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Details:

A televangelist who encourages her followers to get closer to God by sending money to her has been invited to Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Paula White spent much of the 2016 presidential campaign convincing evangelicals to vote for Trump, assuring them that he “accepts Jesus as his Lord and savior,” she told Politico. Now she’ll be praying with Trump at his inauguration.

But the popular pastor, who Trump originally became smitten with after seeing her preach on television, has some issues of her own. White is often criticized for preaching the “prosperity gospel,” which suggests that God is happiest when his followers are rich, The Daily Beast points out. She’s even written a sermon titled “Why God Wants You Wealthy” (it costs money to download).

And if being rich is an indicator of holiness, White must be in His good graces. White told Politico she was once worth “millions,” and her business practices suggests she knows how to handle money while manipulating her followers.

In 2007, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) launched a congressional probe into the spending habits of White’s ministry, along with five other pastors. Grassley had questions regarding the televangelists’ use of church-owned airplanes and luxury homes. The Senate inquiry was eventually dropped, in part because White refused to cooperate with investigators.

Read more.

Meantime, some evangelical Christians are sharply critical of Paula White’s involvement in the inaugural:

The loudest voices against White are anti-Trump evangelicals who have been warning their coreligionists against the president-elect since the campaign. But many Christians regard the prosperity gospel as incompatible with Scripture and view pastors who promote it as likely to take financial advantage of their flocks.

White has drawn attention for her own lavish lifestyle, as the owner of expensive homes (including an apartment at Trump Towers) and cars. The Tampa Tribune reported that her broadcast business earned between $50,000 to $80,000 a week while a decade ago she and her then-husband were taking compensating ranging from $600,000 to $1.5 million a year.

Eric Erickson argues that her theological problems go beyond the prosperity gospel to rejecting core Christian doctrines agreed upon across denominations, as evidenced by comments she made to worshippers that were captured on video.

“The President of the United States putting a heretic on stage who claims to believe in Jesus, but does not really believe in Jesus, risks leading others astray,” he wrote. “Christians have an obligation to speak in defense of their faith. Trump letting this heretic pray in Jesus’s name should offend every Bible believing Christian.”

“I’d rather a Hindu pray on Inauguration Day and not risk the souls of men, than one whose heresy lures in souls with promises of comfort only to damn them in eternity,” Erickson concluded. “At least no one would mistake a Hindu, a Buddhist, or an atheist with being a representative of Christ’s kingdom.”

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 29, 2016

Bishop calls for prayer, fasting ahead of inauguration

Next Post

December 29, 2016 Debbie Reynolds, forever unsinkable

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian group is known for its liturgical calendar?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Anglicans Baptists Methodists

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »