NEWS: God Gives Pastor Ben $4M Home

CULTURE: God Gives Pastor Ben $4M Home

Priests and Pastors show us what's important. Each and everyday they guide us through teachings and through example. While it is believed their sacrifice will be rewarded in the afterlife, just in case we're wrong about that, we should do like a Detroit World Outreach parish has done and buy all who deliver God's message a pad worthy of being featured on Cribs.

In addition to buying the World Outreach pastor and his wife this luxurious pad, they have also fought to keep the land tax free, making the 11000 square foot home church owned property, and passing the $40,000 tax bill onto the pastor's neighbors. The neighbors are thrilled.

The World Outreach church believes that wealth is just God's way of letting you know that you're right and others are wrong, so get with it. If you're not rich, God's just letting you know that you would be, but you just don't go to the right church.

I actually think putting a ball in a hole is God's work, Marvin. So unless Pastor Ben Gilbert can dunk, I think this whole thing is some crazy hooey.

But, as the Bible says, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy man to get into Heaven."

But I'm sure if you told them, their heads would explode.

How did that old Metallica song go?

"Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
and you'll get a better seat"

Ain't it a shame that somethings just don't change with time?

what? He didn't get a 5 million dollar house? He isn't doin' enough jeebus praisin'

It kills me that churches and ministries aren't considered to be a taxable business - let alone con artists.

your surprised at this?

Pastors like the one in the article are just like your favorite entertainers. They bring crowds who bring mad donations. So it's no big deal compensating a good priest like this.

And when you think about it, if the priest brings a few thousand followers who tithe, at 40k a year (national average), you are talking 4 million per thousand followers. And any decent sized church is going to have well over 4-5k followers

The power to tax is the power to destroy

Good for him. Really. If people want to give their money to the latest snake oil salesman, fuck 'em.

Just please keep the assholes out of my government! (Ooops, to late.)

I'm just waiting for the second coming of Martin Luther and a new reformation...

This is for real? For really real? Because it seems like it has to be a joke.

The average person tithes $40k a year? I find that very hard to believe. Do you have a source for that? Not that that is really the issue here. I won't begrudge them the lavish lifestyle. If the parishioners of the church want to pony up, great, whatever (though to contest the church's claims, I've received much more joy from Michael Jordan's jump shot than I ever have from a preacher). I do, however, take issue with their tax status. But I'm sure if the kids in that school district pray a little harder, god will make up for the money they'll be getting screwed out of because of this.

i love suicidal tendencies

I believe he meant $40k was an estimated average salary....so it would be roughly 10% of that which would be $4k per follower/household.

I wasn't going to comment on his other thoughts because it's essentially futile.

Right, yeah, that makes a lot more sense.

I understood his comment to mean that forty-thousand was the average tithe. As I understand it, tithing is usually encouraged of the particularly wealthy (though sometimes not, if they're able to be squeezed) parishioners. If you look at it like that, his claim isn't outlandish.

Or I could just be making this all up.

Edit: Tithing tidbit. Also note the mention of Properity Thelogy

Assholes like this are the greatest atheist recruiters out there. Thanks for the help.

Think of all the people $3.65 million dollars could help. But naw, Jesus wouldn't want that, would he?

disgusting.

He's just feelin' the spirit.... cha ching!

*faints to the floor*

Unfortunately for me you can't be on God and the Devil's rolodesk.

Are we collectively out to make the Americans of the gilded age look like socialists?

Surely that's a goal that God can get behind!

Well, it seems like the selling of indulgences will be back in style soon. As an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church I am authorized to offer you this one time only offer. All venial sins forgiven for $175. Each mortal sin is $25 (that's each individual sin, not $25 for all Lust based sins, $25 for all Wrath based sins, etc. $25 a pop). This offer ends in one week so act now!

I can go you one better:

Every man, woman and child on Earth is born into the Church of the Four-Sided Triangle (a religious body duly chartered in the State of Utah). Upon accepting excommunication, the individual obtains the rights and authority of a Priest Outside the Church. Excommunication is the only sacrament offered by the church. Anyone want out? $1000.00 a pop, line forms on the right. Cash Only, in bills $50.00 or less, please.

Sadly, no. Congregations of "shepherds" like this are so enthralled that the Lord speaketh through this man that they are totally blinded. My family's church (of which my father and I are not members of, much our choice as the pastor's) built a parsonage for the preacher. A spread much smaller than this but nonetheless lavish for these parts. He doesn't live there, he lives in his bigger home several miles away. He begged them not to build it, to use the money in better ways but they insisted. It seems congregations are as stupid as holy men are corrupt.



This is not what Jesus had in mind, much like the Roman Catholic Church's wealth. It is stuff like this that confirms my belief that their is no God. According to the Bible God has wrath. We need a plague or flood now more than we ever did then.