Baaaaahahahaha John Oliver nails it again--want to be part of a new church? I'm joining!

[onager]

7. "Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption"

Thanks. Saw this at another site but it's worth watching twice!

I called the IRS once to check on religious tax exemptions. Asked if there were any way to track what church income is really being used for, etc. Such as planes and cars as opposed to charity.

What an eye-opener. The IRS rep said: "No. Once a church is tax-exempt, it doesn't even have to file tax returns. Would you bother filing a tax return if you didn't have to?"

Well, no I wouldn't. But WT actual F? No oversight or accountability whatsoever for all that cash.

The televangelists tried to set up their own accountability board years ago, after the Bakker/Swaggart/Tilton debacles. But that's strictly voluntary and many of them just refused to participate. I remember one who refused was Creflo Dollar.

ETA - Tilton to the debacles. IIRC, he sparked a famous column by Chicago reporter Mike Royko. One of Royko's elderly readers wrote in that she had saved money for years to take a dream vacation. But she was feeling guilty and thought she might give the money to a televangelist. Royko's response was something like: "Go ahead and take your vacation. That's probably what the televangelist will do with your money anyway."