JSUFYF Update: Weinland Tax Evasion Jurors Speak

As mentioned in the previous post, Ronald Weinland, the "prophet" and head of the "Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God," was convicted last week of five counts of tax evasion for the years 2004-2008.

Two jurors from the trial have since surfaced and are sharing their observations on this post.

If you're a person who wants to find out what it takes for the IRS to go after a religious figure for tax evasion, this will give you a pretty good idea of what the IRS is looking for -- and how much slack they cut these guys. (Although, in this case, it looks like the evasion was pretty cut and dried. No doubt, not wanting to fight over every penny was done for judicial economy.) Weinland is currently out on bail and should be spending his Sabbaths with his foot nailed to the floor of his pricey house until he's sentenced in late September.

Yes, it's to avoid situations like this that professional flock fleecers (pretty much any televangelist) have tax accountants to make sure that every bit of money gets categorized correctly so that it's all on the up and up with the IRS. Even if they are buying gold-plated bathroom fixtures or purple-tinted wigs. It's all for the ministry, y'see.

JSUFYF: False profit convicted of tax evasion

Ronald Weinland is a real piece of work. He's one of the heirs to the disintegrating empire that was Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. Weinland runs an outfit called The Church of God--Preparing for the Kingdom of God. He claimed to be one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 (the other was his wife). He also said that Jesus was going to return on May 27, 2012 (which obviously did not happen).

What did happen is his trial for tax evasion. Weinland was convicted by a federal jury of five counts of tax evasion, for the years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. (Story 1, Story 2, Story 3) Weinland is currently out on $300,000 bail, on what is basically house arrest. He had been traveling from church to church and around the world over the past few years, but I suspect his foot has just been nailed to the floor until he is sentenced on September 24.

I'm not going to post a special JSUFYF picture. Instead, in honor of Weinland, I cheekily lifted the following from one of the blogs following the Armstrong world and am posting it here for your elucidation and amusement.

Yes, this is Weinland, with cane and tikis. Oh yeah, and propeller beanie. For those of you who are sensitive about me making fun of a "Man of God," let me be clear:  the guy is not just a false prophet, he's a convicted tax evader and is due about as much respect as we'd give any other guy who said Jesus was going to come back and didn't report his income properly while doing it.

The wacky world of the late Herbert W. Armstrong and his many offshoots is well beyond the purposes of this blog. For more information, I recommend the following:

• Banned by HWA!
• The Painful Truth
• False Prophet Ronald Weinland (which occasionally makes side trips to other offshoots)

These blogs link to others...if you're interested, there is hours of reading.

ETA:  Weinland is not the first pious fraud out there, nor will he be the last. In fact, compared to Kent and Jo Delia Hovind, he's something of a piker. Kent, a notoriously stupid creationist, is currently cooling his heels in a federal facility in Florence, Colorado.

JSUFYF: Catholic teacher given the left foot of fellowship

Trish Cameron, a fifth grade teacher at St. Joseph's school in Moorhead, Minnesota, was honest on a self-evaluation questionnaire. She told her supervisors the truth when asked if she supported the Catholic Church's teachings.

She wrote:

“I do not agree w/ all Church teachings on a personal level but I do not bring my own opinions into our religion classes. We tend to focus on respect and love for one another and living out our call as servants whenever a ‘political’ topic crops (which it rarely, if ever, does).”

That was insufficient for the administration, which wants to make sure that all the children in its school are getting indoctrinated with the proper Hate The Gay doctrine. So she was asked to resign.

You can read the article here. I don't think I would have been nearly as nice as Ms. Cameron. I'd remind those administrators how much Jesus had to say about homosexuality and gay marriage. That would be NOTHING, ZERO, ZIP and/or NADA.

JESUS, SAVE US FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS!

JSUFYF Update: Caiden Cowger Off the Air

Per the Huffington Post:

On Friday, Spreaker, a free audio platform that hosts radio shows, pulled the Caiden Cowger Program, replacing the page with a note that now reads "Spreaker has deleted this show due to offensive contents."

I suspect Cowger will show up on some conservative radio network in 3...2...complaining that he was CENSORED! No, young man, you weren't CENSORED, people just got up in arms about a 14 year old kid babbling on about hating the gays. You got pwned by people who were righteously indignant.

JSUFYF: Megachurch pastor chokes his daughter

...and is arrested.

Creflo Dollar was arrested last week for the following:

But Fayette County Sheriff's deputies say they found ample evidence to charge the prominent televangelist and author with simple battery, family violence and cruelty to children.

And what is Dollar alleged to have done to his 15 year old daughter?

Dollar's 15-year-old daughter alleged her father grabbed her by the throat in the family's home on Sandy Creek Road in Fayette County, pushed her to the ground and then beat her with his shoe, according to the incident report.

His followers are on the offensive:

"It's just something that's been blown out of proportion," said Randi Garrett, a longtime member of Dollar's World Changers Church International. "Kids misconstrue things, and they take them out of context."

But really, the problem is this:  A certain subset of Christians don't think it's a problem at all to apply some whoopass to their kids.

Here's some examples. This set is from Christianity Today's news blog:

I am a patent [sic] of GROWN children that got spankings ...no they got WHIPPINGS just like I did and turned out just fine. This CHILD was wrong!! I support Creflo Dollar. The police should have taken her to jail. The government need a ass whipping too!!!
Posted By: mvarner | June 8, 2012 12:07 PM

And...

If our Nation would just get back to to Biblical perspective and quit sparing the Rod we would be a lot better . That is what is wrong with our children today they have no respect for authority Posted By: John | June 8, 2012 12:21 PM

Here's one from a mama who hit her 15 YO in the eye and had her taken away, but eventually got her back.

when my 15 year old daughter began giving me fits i hit her with a broom and accidentally struck her across the eye - YES I MEANT TO HIT HER but not on the face. HOWEVER this was after years of taking her to christian/secular counselors; city/suburb counselors; black/white counselors; male/female counselors...she was initially taken into protective services and then released back to me after the judge blasted DFACS (out of state) for taking her out of the home reading testimonials from teachers, clergy, family, physicians that over the years I'd done everything else for my child and even my daughter said she knew she'd intentionally pushed my button. DON'T JUDGE...NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN TRIED IN THE PAST! I don't support any Mega Church pastors but on this one Creflo from one frustrated parent to another I have your back because of EXPERIENCE I UNDERSTAND...I won't be reading posts about my comment but she is today an LICSW who works in intake for DFACS in GA...and will still say my hitting her was without thinking, a last resort and a one time incident! Posted By: dolores | June 8, 2012 3:19 PM

And yet more defenses of whipping:

I am sorry that Creflo had to be subjected to this and have his exemplary reputation tarnished to this extent all because he loves his child enough to challenge her on the decision that she made. Without knowing all that there was to this I understand that the children need the parents to raise them and not just watch them grow up. Creflo took an actice role in his child's life where he felt that the behavior she displayed may have been a continual thing and would have escalated. When he approached her she felt that should be left to do as other children and knowing Reverend Creflo as I feel I do he took the firm position of "as for me and my household we will serve the Lord". He I am certain does not prevent his daughter from being a part of the world and interact by allowing her to go to places and do things but he is not going to tolerate bad behavior and disobedience. I fully support your firm hand Creflo because if you turn a blind eye and she gets in trouble society will be quick to hold you responsible for not discipling her so may GOD continue to bless and strengthen you. I came from a strict and firm hand of my Grandfther that raised me and I was whipped and disciplined with belts and switches and I turned out just fine. Posted By: Thomas | June 8, 2012 3:47 PM

The daughter is wrong she needs more .he's her provider but she calls police on him .any Posted By: undrea | June 8, 2012 5:39 PM

I plead the blood of Jesus and I bind and teenager living in a mansion to do such a horrible thing to their dad. This daughter is ungrateful and out of control. She would be calling the cops again, after I kick her butt from "Genesis to Revelation" for being too grown for her age. This young girl pays no bills and she has the nerve to argue with her father about going to a party. She lucky to have teeth in her mouth for talking back. My parents didn't play back talk. Posted By: faith | June 8, 2012 5:15 PM

Then there are people who don't have a problem with spanking but are much more concerned with the "toxic Gospel" she's getting as her father's daughter:

Physical abuse is much more easily healed than the toxic false doctrine her father is propagating. Put the both together though, and it's really bad for the girl. These lying charismatic wolves are so much more of a problem than most people ever imagine. My ex was one of these and he was a total phoney, too, as most all of them are. We lived near Tulsa where so many of these false teachers set up their camps. I know many of them personally. I was in Tulsa a few months ago when Richard Roberts (Oral's son) was arrested for drunk driving on the freeway going over 90 mph and swerving all over. The idiot could've killed people. I don't feel sorry for these liars whatsoever. They rob ignorant people and make false promises to them, all for their own gain. A genuine Christian can only be involved for so long, then they will see the Truth. Otherwise, they're not believers and their end will be Hell just as their false teachers/"prophets" will be. Kenneth Hagin said the Lord appeared to him personally and said he would live to see His second coming. Uh, didn't happen. Hagin died a few years back and that was one of his many lies he told. The huge scandal going on with TBN right now where their own granddaughter has brought suit against them alleging all manner of evil....they are some of the most corrupt people on the planet. Posted By: terri | June 8, 2012 3:53 PM

This is not to say that everyone commenting on the CT blog is a spanking fanatic:

I am amused by how many commenters appear to have built an entire theology of child rearing out of a single sentence in Proverbs. Posted By: AmyRabbit75 | June 8, 2012 2:55 PM

And then there are people who remember all too well what it was like to be beaten as kids:

Spare the rod you say? Your kids turned out fine? As a 50 year old parent of four, (all past teen years ) I was physically punished as a kid and IT'S NOT OK and I'M NOT OK. I'm a Christian who regrets the spankings I gave my own kids, except those where their lives were in danger (ie running towards the road) did any of you read that he had his hands around her throat? Not ok. The kids who are treated this way struggle to see the grace of Jesus through their fear of his punishment for their sins. Its what they grow used to. It's not okay to put a stumbling block to their eternity for the sake of your wanting to be a "good parent". Hint: you're not being a good parent. God is your heavenly father he doesn't discipline you in that manner but in the case of abusing your kids I wish He would. Posted By: LizB | June 8, 2012 12:41 PM

Or this memory:

I have to agree - as a child I was spanked and I DID NOT turn ideal. Yes, I have a bachelor's degree, etc and most would say I'm "successful" but I struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (a well known side effect from spanking). I'm sure my parents loved me a lot but the way they disciplined me left me with the need for medications to function for the rest of my life. Just a thought for those parents considering spanking their children. Posted By: Nonya | June 8, 2012 5:03 PM

There are many more comments, too many to post here.

My opinion is this:  If it's assault and battery to hit an adult like this, then it should be assault and battery to hit a child. But we give an exemption to allow parents to whoop their kids' behinds, and worse. Where Creflo Dollar went wrong with the law as it currently is was to go beyond merely smacking his daughter around to choking her.

My opinion is that kids should not be beaten. And I say this as a woman who got hit with a metal flyswatter on the butt as a child. It didn't make me a better person. All it did was make me a better liar.

Jesus, save us from your child-abusing followers!

Comedian Maria Bamford on Sneaky Churches

Maria Bamford comments on the tendency for churches these days to call themselves something non-churchy to lure people in. 

Church people should watch this a few times. I know I have and giggled inappropriately.

JSUFYF: President Obama Lynched in Effigy

Terry Jones, the Qur'an-hating head of "Dove World Outreach" in Gainesville, Florida, lynched Obama in effigy on the front lawn of the church.

And if you're not convinced it's Obama, here's a closeup:

I can't even begin to tell you how horrifying this is. It's not typical anti-Obama crap. It's not even typical racist crap. It's lynching...and Terry Jones is f***ing old enough to know what the f*** he is doing here.

Here's a website of photographs of lynchings, which were taken and sold as souvenirs.

Here's a Google image search of "lynching photographs."

I hope Jones gets a visit from the Secret Service that scares him down to the depths of his soul. This is just crazy.

Here's your Jesus Facepalm, Terry.