John Oliver literally has his own church, Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption, as of Sunday night.
Following a seven-month correspondence with televangelist Robert Tilton (and more than $300 in donations on Oliver’s part), “Last Week Tonight” laid bare how sleazy televangelists can be, with the host explaining how they swindle thousands of dollars out of their followers.
“Not only is everything you’ve seen so far legal but the money people donate in response to it is tax free,” Oliver said. “Because if you’re registered as a religious nonprofit, or especially a church, you are giving broad exemptions over taxation and regulation.”
In response, Oliver set up his own church — and it was surprisingly easy. Now, Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption is soliciting donations.
Don’t worry though, according to the church’s website, “Upon dissolution, any assets belonging to the Church at that time will be distributed to Doctors Without Borders.”
Watch the video, from HBO, below:
Yes, churches do do a lot of good works…with out tax dollars supporting most of the programs.
Didn’t you mean “with OUR tax dollars supporting their programs”?
NO. The CHURCH does not do “a lot of good works”. The PEOPLE who make up the bulk of the money in the CHURCH do the “good works” and would still do them without the tax-exempt bureaucracy of the Church sucking it’s billions out of the economy.
Churches use billions of dollars in public assets (roads, sewers, power, police, fire depts., etc.) but pay NO TAXES to support the use of those public assets.
Don’t give me the CRAP about “well, their members pay those taxes…”
My Company pays those taxes, and so do my employees. What is the difference?
If we taxed JUST the Catholic Church (not to mention all the shysters, grifters, and TV Bible Thumpers) you would not need to pay ANY property tax. Period. Anywhere in the USA.
And the Church? They would be just fine. They have THEIR OWN BANK and are a Sovereign Country!!!
What other Sovereign Country has TAX EXEMPT STATUS in the USA for anything other than their official Embassies?
I say tax Churches at the same rate as any other BUSINESS. If they can’t afford it, they GO OUT OF BUSINESS. If their “members” can’t afford to pay the taxes, they just don’t “Believe” very much do they?
Robert Tilton was HUGE here in Dallas in the 80s.
And he was especially famous as “Pastor Gas”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtW5upD5oW4Nobody ever went broke underestimating religious charlatans’ ability to grift money from suckers. The Prosperity Gospel is only for the grifters. Tax free.
Maybe he ran out of time, but Oliver didn’t mention Joel Osteen, grifter extraordianaire.