My Mother Wastes Money On Tbn

[LosingMyReligion]

Yesterday, I went to my mom's house. I don't live that far away so I basically go over there for dinner everyday(because I can't cook). Anyway, her television is always on TBN. She is a devout follower of this doofus named Paula White. Paula is a somekind of weird evangelical fundie motivational speaker. She's a little bitty white woman, but her audience is primarily black female. She has these stupid sermons about tithing(of course) and "getting ready for THE BIG" in your life...

 

So, my mom and I are eating dinner and she starts talking about, "Oh guess what, Paula White called me on the phone last night." I really don't want to talk about anything religious(she still has no idea that I'm an athiest now...or maybe she does), but I reply, "Oh for real..." trying to sound interested.Then she starts talking about how Paula White gave her a message from God; and that she knew she was authentic because she knew things about her life that she couldn't have possibly known. I don't believe this, because my mom will spill her guts to anyone if she's probed.

 

So, At this point I want to throw up...Paula White is nothing but a chicken hawk.

 

I moved out two months ago and approximately a month before I left I noticed my mom receiving regular mailings from Paula White. So I picked one of them up(she had already opened it), and it was a letter from Paula White(not personally)telling my mom, "Thank you for your 50 dollar donation..." There were several forms like this in the house, and it burned me up. You see, a month before I moved, my mom's cellular phone AND her house phone were shut off because she hadn't been paying the bills ontime...it turns out that she had been giving donations to Paula fuckin White. Now, whenever I see letters asking for donations from her I trash them. I know it is illegal, but I do trash her letters from Paula White when I see them unopened. My mom is a senior citizen on a fix income and Paula White is nothing but a goddamn poverty pimp...Personally, I think it is the reason Paula White(or one of her cronies) called the house...

 

Anyway, back to the conversation...

 

I tell her, "Mama, Paula White only called because you are giving her money..."

 

Then she says, "Oh no she's not. I never gave her my phone number..."

 

My first reaction is to say, duh, but I said, "Uhm, if she has your address and info I am pretty sure her people could find your number being that you're in the phonebook..."

 

Then she kind of chuckles, "So you don't believe God can work miracles like that?"

 

"Well, I believe that if someone is getting a monthly check from you they can track you down...it's really simple...You have to think rationally about things like that..."

 

My Mom: "Well, I don't believe in thinking rationally when it comes to this..."

 

I didn't say another word, because I felt an argument coming on. But I refuse to argue with her about religion. She is a slave to it for the rest of her life...so it's pointless.

 

But, Before I left, we got into it several times before about her being on a fixed income and using her retirement to pay for some televangelist expecting a "blessing." I tell her, "Do you really think God wants you to have your electricity cut off?"

 

"Well, God wants us to have faith in him and blah, blah, blah..." I wanted to tell her to shut up.

 

Now I know why she didn't want me to leave home. I was paying the majority of the bills while she gave away money to crooks.

Sometimes I am scared for my mother, because she is so gullible. This is why I will never be religious again.

[Thackerie]

Grrrr! It makes me really angry when I hear about those crooks taking advantage of gullible elderly people on fixed incomes -- and it's a story repeated so often.

 

Not my place to butt in, of course, but I suggest you might want to look into the possibility of gaining "power of attorney" or otherwise having some control over her finances if having her electricity or other utilities cut off becomes a regular occurrence.

[AgnosticBob AtheistPants]

Every time I pick my children up from my ex-wife's home, that DAMNED TBN is on the television. It doesn't matter whether they are watching it or not, it's on.

 

I hate Paul Crouch and his Tammy Faye-esque wife Jan. She's worse than Tammy Faye ever thought about being. I hate Benny Hinn and his goofy foof of a hair-do, his bullshit healings and his refusal to release financial information. I hate Rod Parsley. his "harvest" and his pompous air (don't know if he's still on TBN or not, but I'm sure he must be). He's the only one harvesting anything. Harvesting the millions of dollars people are suckered into funnelling into his ministry. I hate Creflo Dollar and his private jet flights from Atlanta to New York to hold evening services. How many could the cost of those flights feed?

 

I could go on for hours about the televangelist scumbags I hate on TBN. Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, Jesse Duplantis, T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Copeland...I swear, that TBN is fucking brainwashing Christians even more than they already are. There's probably all kinds of subliminal messaging going on with that station if anybody took the time to investigate it.

[Blue elephant]

Can I just as what TBN is? I'm from Australia.

 

The only one of those names I recognised was Benny Hinn.

[Piprus]

It's kinda sad in a way, LMR, that your mom has been duped by that money-grubbing phony. But sadly, unless she really is unable to think responsibly for herself, she has a right to align herself with the charlatan.

 

Not much you can do except live your own life of personal responsiblility and avoid the wiles of crooks like Paula White.

 

But of course if there is clear evidence that your mom is not responsible for herself, then pursue it. (But the evidence has to be clear.) Otherwise, it's her choice.

[Lycorth]

Can I just as what TBN is? I'm from Australia.

 

The only one of those names I recognised was Benny Hinn.

 

The Trinity Bullshit Network is a Xian broadcasting station, dedicated to bringing the terror of Jebus to the unenslaved unsaved world.

 

All such people, whether TBN or EWTN or whomever are indeed just a bunch of chicken hawks who prey on the fearful faithful. Scum.

[Jella]

The 700 Club got me for $20 in 1976.(All my paper route money for that week). I wonder if Pat Robertson would send it back, now that I'm a homo, and don't believe?

 

ya right...lol

 

LMR, I'm so sorry to hear that, it's pure evil.

[Onyx]

May TV evangelists burn in hell...

[Vixentrox]

Bunch of con artists peddling salvation. Greedy Assholes all of them. Sadly, most people sending in thier money are adults who should know better. A fool and thier money are soon parted. I was such a fool once but glad I wised up.

[Thurisaz]

Sometimes I am scared for my mother, because she is so gullible. This is why I will never be religious again.

 

Aah, the shatterproof delusion. "I don't believe in rational thinking in this case (because It would make me realize what a moron I have been to let myself be tricked so totally)".

Sorry if this sounds like I'm insulting her, but reading this...

 

It sounds to me just like she openly said "I prefer staying dumb so that I can be fooled easily", literally.

 

That must suck royally for you.

[LosingMyReligion]

Every time I pick my children up from my ex-wife's home, that DAMNED TBN is on the television. It doesn't matter whether they are watching it or not, it's on.

 

I hate Paul Crouch and his Tammy Faye-esque wife Jan. She's worse than Tammy Faye ever thought about being. I hate Benny Hinn and his goofy foof of a hair-do, his bullshit healings and his refusal to release financial information. I hate Rod Parsley. his "harvest" and his pompous air (don't know if he's still on TBN or not, but I'm sure he must be). He's the only one harvesting anything. Harvesting the millions of dollars people are suckered into funnelling into his ministry. I hate Creflo Dollar and his private jet flights from Atlanta to New York to hold evening services. How many could the cost of those flights feed?

 

I could go on for hours about the televangelist scumbags I hate on TBN. Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, Jesse Duplantis, T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Copeland...I swear, that TBN is fucking brainwashing Christians even more than they already are. There's probably all kinds of subliminal messaging going on with that station if anybody took the time to investigate it.

 

 

As Varahkor says it is the Trinity Bullshit Network. It is nothing but a huge propaganda machine that specializes in the demonization of anything non christian. They are a bunch of wicked svengalis who dupe the ignorant masses into handing them their hard earned money all based upon the hopes that a fictional God will bless them abundantly...

All they are doing is using the money to build their personal compounds and get decked down in Prada/Gucci/Dolce and Gabbana(well, that is what Paula White dresses in). Meanwhile, little old women suffer needlessly because these greedy sons of bitches care about themselves...

 

Here is the list of all the television svengalis that I loathe...

 

1.) Joel Osteen - He looks like a rodent and he talks like a whining brat who has a lump of dog shit lodged in his throat. He is nothing more than a snake oil salesman. He spins Christianity to be pretty and sweet and all about how "Gawd Loves ya and wants ya ta Prosper," but in the end he is not different...He just won't touch the hot button issues.

 

2.) Paula White - self explanatory

 

3.) Benny Hinn - A fraud.

 

4.) Rod Parsley - An asshole and a fraud

 

5.) Paul and Jan Crotch(misspelling of the surname is intentional) - for creating the station, and they probably do have subliminal messaging...

On a more positive note, for the last two years TBN has been on the verge of cancellation...They have to have regular fundie drives to keep staying on the air. Perhaps their reign of terror is nearing and end?

 

6.) T.D. Jakes - The missing link between man and bulldog...Like every other baptist preacher I grew up with. Screams really loud and wears tacky suits...Only he manipulates people on a mass level.

 

7.) Kirk Cameron - That banana experiment pretty much speaks for itself...

 

8.) Joyce Meyer - will probably come out as a lesbian in a few years.

 

9.) John Hagee - The polar opposite of Joel Osteen. He's a mean old bastard, and if there is a heaven I would rather be in hell than spend eternity with him.

 

10.) Creflo and Taffi Dollar - sound like cartoon characters, but they fleece millions of people every year out of money.

 

I am thinking of becoming a minister so I can make tons of money and be on television. It really is lucrative.

 

 

As it is my mother is a healthy and vibrant 60+ year old woman. It is a conscious choice she is making. However, if she calls and hits me up for money she will be out of luck. I am not enabling her habit. My mom is like a heroin addict when it comes to that religion.

[Guest Nick R]

My grandmother is like this with Joel Osteen, I hate that bastard. He is a damn good speaker though, thats why so many people believe everything he says.

[Amethyst]

That lady sure sounds like a scam artist to me. She's probably very adept at it too.

[Leaf]

I remember reading that Paul Crouch was also doing a Ted Haggard gay relationship stuff. His Wife looks like a cheap hooker.

I hate TBN!!!! That shit has scam written all over it!!!

I also hate that fucking Parsely guy...Every time I seen him he was begging money..or tring to sell a 1 dolalr cross for 100 dolalrs in "love offernings" Fucking Scandrel!

[riverbank]

it's bloody scandalous how much money these preachers make out of the gospel. And I bet they don't give very much away to the poor or charities. Bloody greedy bastards.

 

LMR, that story about your mother is just .. WRONG. Maybe she thinks God will bless her financially by her giving her money away. CORRECTION. That TV evangelist somehow manages to do a horrible fraudulent job of convicing her that by giving her money away, even if she hasn't got it, that GAWD will prosper her.

 

To think that once I approved of Benny Hinn and the like. Fucking bunch of money grabbing (insert preferred word here)'s.