QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: THE TELEVANGELIST INVESTIGATIONS By The Trinity Foundation

Why is Trinity trying to expose the abuses of TV evangelists? Doesn't that do harm to the cause of Christ?

No. Paul calls for us to "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thes. 5:21,22). The Christian message should be able to withstand any scrutiny. Believers are called to "try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1). The TV evangelists have barged into our living rooms with their broadcasts and turned the spotlight on themselves. They have demanded attention, so we're giving it to them. The Bible is full of these kinds of confrontations. Jesus denounced the Pharisees as hypocrites and expelled the moneychangers from the Temple more than once. Paul says of those who were preaching a different gospel or perverting the gospel: "Let them be accursed," meaning anathematized, damned, everlastingly cut off from the presence of God (Gal. 1:6).

Strong words. But how can you recognize a false gospel or a heresy? Paul again warns against those who are "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction and whose god is their belly " or their own appetites (Phil. 3:17-19). False prophets will preach about Christ, but be an enemy of the cross.. Jesus said "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it." The cross of Christ means the death of self. You abandon control of your life to God. A "prosperity gospel" message that panders to the sensual desire for riches is the opposite of the message of the cross.

The prosperity gospel is merely a modern-day version of the ancient heresy of Cerinthus, a first-century preacher who promoted a kingdom of God on earth, focusing on sensual and physical "success." The chief characteristic of false prophets given in Jeremiah 23 is that they will preach pleasing messages that people will like to hear. "Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you. They make you vain; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. "They say still unto those who despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come unto you" (Jer. 23:17). In contrast, Jeremiah says that God's word is " like a fire" and "like a hammer that breaketh in pieces." It brings us to repentance
(Jer. 23:29).

But is it really being Christian to accuse and point fingers? Didn't Jesus say "He who is without sin, cast the first stone?"

Any accusations we have made have been proven with the biblical standard of "two or three witnesses." The damning evidence of these TV evangelists' greed and callousness comes from their own words and from the documents of their own organizations.

Aren't the TV evangelists' ministries doing some good, even though they themselves might be unethical or involved in scandal?

Many people are responding to God's Spirit under all kinds of conditions, and God is faithful to honor a response of faith. But James says "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" Any good being done by sincere believers in these organizations is polluted by the whole basis of the ministry, which is a gospel of greed. If they're honest with themselves, these believers will withdraw their support.

How can people continue to support these evangelists when they know they are frauds?

It doesn't make sense until you know what attracted them in the first place. First, everyone has inherent greed, and when a spiritual leader justifies that for us, it's a powerful incentive to continue to listen. But underneath that, everyone is looking for a sense of purpose, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of community. These needs are very strong. People want to give themselves to something bigger than they are, to have faith. The televangelists promise this, and it seems easy-- just turn on the TV. But the viewers can only touch images on a cathode ray tube. That doesn't fulfill them, so they give more money, they try harder.

Why does this seem to be a distinctly American phenomenon?

Because the TV evangelists are what you get when you take the American dream and change its focus from community to self. The early settlers had a real community-- they were forced to by circumstances, from persecution in the places they left and for survival once they arrived.

America started out as a group of people who were willing to die for each other. They made covenants and compacts that spelled that out. Now we don't even know our neighbors or co-workers. To a nation of strangers, the televangelists promise easy fellowship, and hundreds of thousands are responding.

What can be said to all the disillusioned followers of the televangelists who have no place to turn now?

Remember in the Wizard of Oz, how the characters were on their way to the Emerald City? They had faith in the wizard's power, but they found out he was a charlatan, a fraud. They had hoped that their heart's desire would be met by the wizard, but in their disillusionment they each found the answer was within themselves. Our heart's desire is to give our lives away. But we're afraid that we'll be rejected, that it won't work or that we don't have anything inside worth giving. But Christ said the Kingdom of God is within you. Believe that. Let go of your life, abandon yourself to Him. He will bring you together with others who you can lay your life down for in a real and honest way. Maybe if people all across America do this, we can rediscover the meaning of love and community.

Practically, what can be done to protect society from the abuses of the televangelists?

Unlike newspapers and other media, television and radio depend on using airwaves that belong to all of us. The Federal Communications Commission is charged with regulating these broadcasts in the public interest. England has a law that requires claims of healings and other supernatural phenomena to be verified before being broadcast. We'd like to see the American public join in a nationwide discussion of the merits of that option.

Many cities have laws that require those who solicit more than 50 people to obtain a license from the city. TV and radio preachers, with massive direct mail campaigns, are routinely breaking those laws. Voters could urge their city government to tighten those restrictions. Many of the televangelists say they're raising money for a certain project, then use the money for something else-- sometimes to buy property or items in their own name. People should urge their state comptrollers and the IRS to target these operations for tax violations.

You've been accused of lying when you go undercover to get the facts about the televangelists. Isn't that unethical?

We always try to talk personally with any televangelist we receive a complaint about, but usually we get no response. If their operations were open to public scrutiny there would obviously be no need to go "undercover." It is not unheard of for a believer to conceal his true intentions in order to free his people from tyranny. The Bible is full of these stories. Jael invited the Canaanite general Sisera in for a cup of milk and then drove a nail through his head while he slept (Judges 4:21). Rahab concealed the Israelite spies inside Jericho and lied when questioned about them (Joshua 2:4,5). We read a story on Hanukkah about Judith, who tricked the Babylonian general by playing to his own lust, got him drunk and then cut off his head (Judith 13:6-10). Esther invited Haman to a feast in his honor, only to use the occasion to seal his doom (Esther 5-7). But perhaps the story that fits best is about Israel's second judge, Ehud, found in the third chapter of Judges. The Moabites were demanding tribute from Israel, and their extortion knew no limit. Eglon their king grew fat from the burden he placed on God's people. Ehud, who was left-handed, made a dagger and concealed is on his right thigh under his clothes, where weapons wouldn't normally be carried. He accompanied the tribute to King Eglon, but quietly told the king he had a confidential message for him from God. He knew the king's vanity would compel him to listen. Sure enough, the king sent his entourage away, locked his chamber door and leaned forward to receive this message. Ehud then rose from his seat, and with his left hand pulled the blade from its hiding place. With one stroke he plunged the dagger deep into King Eglon's ample stomach--so far that "the fat closed upon the blade." Then he let himself out and secretly returned to Israel. Obviously, Trinity Foundation is not out to kill anyone like Ehud. But in this instance we hope the use of a concealed camera, by bringing hidden things to light, will be just as effective as a concealed dagger in freeing God's people from ministries growing fat off their "tribute." Another Old Testament example of concealed identity is David in the palace of Achish, king of Gath, when he fled from Saul. David, in order not to be recognized, "changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard." It worked. They let him go. -- (I Samuel 21:10-15)

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Just as Christ was the fulfillment of the law, He also was the culmination of the Old Testament tradition of tricking the enemy. All through His early ministry, He repeatedly tried to hide His identity until the time was right according to His purpose; He issued evasive answers that flustered His enemies; and He refused to answer direct questions from those whose own motives were not honest. A few examples out of many:

3:11-- "And unclean spirits when they saw him fell down before him and cried, saying Thou art the son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known."

5:43-- After raising Tabitha from the dead-- "And he charged them strictly that no man should know it...."
8:26-- After healing a blind man-- "And he sent him away to his house, saying neither go into the town nor tell it to any in the town."

11:33 -- after the Pharisees press him to answer by what authority he does his miracles-- "Answer me and I will tell. The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?""We cannot tell. "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Luke 22:67-- When being questioned by the authorities after his arrest-- "Art thou the Christ?""If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go ....... Ye say that I am."

We know that neither the televangelists nor their followers are "the enemy." The enemy is Satan, who would like to deceive the whole world and the church through anything that detracts from Christ and Him crucified. We're not immune from deception ourselves, of course, and we welcome comments and exhortaton from fellow believers. The popular saying is that you can justify anything from scripture. God will be the final judge of everyone's motives. Still, we try to have more than two or three witnesses for everything we do in regard to these investigations, as well as everything else we undertake as a church. We hope the questions and answers above have crystalized our thinking for you on these topics.

See Also TELEVANGELIST INVESTIGATIONS: Corruption in Televangelism and Paganism in the American Church - By Ole Anthony

Contact me about this article

Blog Me - Feel passionate about this subject? Join my blog and lets talk about it. You'll have to register but it's quick and easy.