CORRUPTION STARTED QUIETLY, BUT NOW RUNS AMOK in the CHURCH.
In similar fashion to events in America's Antebellum South, and later, in Nazi Germany, here's what may be now happening in many churches across the United States, and why...
Cover 1: YouTube video, “Mega Churches: The Dark World of Corruption & Destruction.” See the accompanying video.
Cover Notes:
This is an editorial. There may be many like it; but this one is mine. If you find an error, please let me know. If I agree, I’ll fix it and publish a correction. Thank you.
“Chattel slavery was a racialized system that treated enslaved people as property, or chattel, in the United States from 1776 until 1865. In the Antebellum South, which lasted from the end of the War of 1812 until the start of the Civil War in 1861, chattel slavery was a defining feature of society and the economy.” - Google’s AI Overview
PREFACE: BACKGROUND
FROM INQUISITION TO FINANCIAL ENSLAVEMENT, MANY CHURCHES HAVE LONG BEEN ABUSIVE:
From Google’s AI Overview on the Spanish Inquisition (used as an example):
“The Horrors of the Inquisition is a 1926 book by Joseph McCabe that provides a historical account of the Spanish Inquisition. The Inquisition was a brutal and oppressive institution that operated from the 15th to the 19th century to maintain Catholic orthodoxy and suppress heresy. McCabe's book explores the Inquisition's methods and practices, including torture, imprisonment, and execution, as well as the Inquisitors' use of public humiliation to extract confessions from their victims. McCabe also highlights the Inquisition's role in suppressing scientific and intellectual progress during the Renaissance period..”
Cover 2: YouTube video from Into the Shadows channel: “The Deadly History of the Spanish Inquisition”. This video admits extreme abuses, but also give the inquisitors great credit for instances of fairness, reasonable imprisonment, etc. But it also attests to torture and executions (via the secular authority’s assistance). Bottom line: it was horrifying no matter how you might try to defend it.
Cover 3: The Inquisition of the Catholic Church ran in various forms and nations from about 1160 AD up until abolishment of the Holy Office in 1925. Its most debased forms seem to have occurred in Western Europe in the High Middle Ages and Renaissance, and then in Spain during the infamous “Spanish Inquisition.” See:https://images.app.goo.gl/teKHm2cFcJ6Q618QA
INTRODUCTION
Now, let’s move forward in history:
My Overseer Whipped me:
Figure 1: “My Overseer whipped me.” Here’s the full quote from the article, in US History from Pressbooks - dev: “The original caption of this photograph of a slave’s scarred back (a), taken in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1863, reads as follows: “Overseer Artayou Carrier whipped me. I was two months in bed sore from the whipping. My master come after I was whipped; he discharged the overseer. The very words of poor Peter, taken as he sat for his picture.” Images like this one helped bolster the northern abolitionist message of the inhumanity of slavery. The drawing of an iron mask, collar, leg shackles, and spurs (b) demonstrates the various cruel and painful instruments used to restrain slaves.” See: https://pressbooks-dev.oer.hawaii.edu/ushistory/chapter/african-americans-in-the-antebellum-united-states/#:~:text=The%20original%20caption,to%20restrain%20slaves.
VALUE THEORY AND INFILTRATION
Nearly all the Christian churches of Weimar Germany, in the early 20th Century, at least officially opposed racist policies and persecutions of minorities. These churches included the Catholic Church and most Protestant Churches such as the dominant Evangelical, Lutheran, Reformed, United and occasional Baptist congregations. Yet, when the Nazi party begin its clumsy ascent into German post-WW1-politics, and its agents began to influence church officials, many Catholic and Protestant Christians - which together accounted for nearly all of Germany’s approximately 60 million people c1930) - aside from the notable exception of the Evangelical branch known as the Confessing Church - which did indeed object to Hitler and his Nazi thugs - accepted or tolerated the Nazis with remarkably little resistance. Afterall, the Nazis, while a bit rough, were essentially Nationalists - and German Christianity, like American Christianity - was all about nationalism.
Figure 2: No, they’re NOT saying ‘hello’! Catholic bishops and priests right along side of Nazi thug officers, like shithead extraordinaire Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels. all issue the Nazi Salute! And why not? They pretty much agreed on things; you know, like slave labor, antisemitism, political violence, suppression of human rights. You know, normal things. Nice guys, really. See: Holocaust Encyclopedia: “The German Churches and the Nazi State,” at: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state
And Nazi policy was also about suppression and persecution of minorities - especially Jews. Hitler never denied that; in fact, his own biography, published well before he achieved power, made his racist views quite clear. Surprisingly though, very few German “Christians” ever really objected to Hitler or his Nazi Party’s racism or to the Nazi intent to suppress minorities. Afterall, the Jews had always been “a problem,” for Germans. Jews stayed apart, acted aloof, and seemed to have much more wealth than most hard working German citizens. So, German “Christians” really didn’t care much for Jews anyway.
…And this attitude was the one that allowed Hitler to carry out the Holocaust without paying a terrible political price from his own people. See: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state
CHURCHES ABUSING THE PUBLIC AND THEIR OWN CONGREGATIONS, FROM THE ANTEBELLUM ERA UNTIL TODAY:
Let’s start with the biggest, oldest and arguably most corrupt: The Catholic Church. And for the Catholic Church's argument in defense of its behavior in the Southern States, see the ridiculous article they put out attempting to show the Catholic Church of the South as “dealing with the issue of slavery” while the north did not; showing that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was at least an Episcopalian when he really desired to be a Catholic (the Dominicans rejected him long ago), and revealing that the Church objected to slavery as a real evil, but the bishops, law abiding citizens, did not challenge the secular authorities there, see: https://catholicism.org/catholicism-south.html
In America during the Antebellum- South era (c1812 -1861) and to include the US Civil War Years, there were many Catholic Congregations living in the southern states; never was a single bishop of the Catholic Church in any the Southern States on record as opposing the actual slavery-policies of any of the Confederate States - even though the Catholic Church as a body officially objected to slavery as an “evil institution.” So, the institution was evil, but the Catholic Churches there were not moved enough to actually oppose it functioning in the very society the Catholics were supposed to be serving!
In fact, the bishop appointed over the south by Pope Pius VI, one John Carroll, was himself a slave owner; and many BLACK members of the Catholic Church in the southern states beginning in the 1780s were Catholics - and usually slaves - were under his kind bishopric.
Figure 3: Wonderful Christian leader and slave owner, too? How can that be? Illustration of Bishop John Carroll, who led the Catholics of the southern states during the early years of the nation’s existence. During this time, enslavement and forced dependence were key features in the Catholic and Protestant southern churches. See: American Catholic History Classroom article, “Whites and Blacks in the Antebellum Catholic Church.” See: https://cuomeka.wrlc.org/exhibits/show/fcc/fcc-intro/background--whites-and-blacks-
The bishops and priests simply let the institution be - and they generally compiled with runaway slave capture programs. After the Civil War ended, and during Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ imprisonment, Pope Pius IX even sent him his personal consolations in the form of a Crown of Thorns fashioned by his own hand to show empathy for what poor ol’ Jefferson was enduring! And Jefferson wasn’t even a Catholic! And I don’t believe the good pope ever sent any slave - you know, the ones who really had to endure crowns of thorns - such a consolation. But again, officially, the Catholic Church’s leaders and congregations “opposed all forms of suppression,” including slavery. They just didn’t do anything to improve the situation; they let the slaves suffer and allowed the consequences to come.
Even more disturbing to anyone with an active conscience, some of the notable Protestant denominations, such as the Sothern Baptist Convention (SBC), openly supported Chattel Slavery. From its inception in 1845 to set itself apart from Baptists in the north who did object to slavery, and up well into the 20th Century, the SBC supported slavery, then voter suppression, then Jim Crow Laws, then racial segregation. Many of its members were secretly also members of the KKK. The terrifying racial strife and related consequences arising out of the racial hatred within the SBC are still being felt today in the racial strife that continues all across America. And it took 150 years (1845 to 1995) for the SBC to finally apologize to African Americans! Makes you wonder if they really meant it. See: https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2015/06/13/dipped-in-controversy
Figure 4: Screenshot from Christianity Today article, “Uncovering My Church's Ku Klux Klan Connections.” The article asserts that fifty years ago, the KKK connection was ‘not a problem.’ But by 1996, it was. Bummer. See: https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2005/spring/my-churchs-ku-klux-klan-connections.html
Figure 5: No, its not Santa in Drag! It’s actually the “infallible” Pope Pius IX; who was not all that Pius and really was just another power-mad, over dressed, fat snob. He reigned over the Church from 1846 to 1878, some 32 years. And he led the church back into a far more conservative position on many issues, including, through VATICAN I, the Infallibility of uh, oh yeah - himself! No wonder he had no problem with a tyrannical Jefferson Davis’ Confederate States of America, and this “good pope” was the only potentate of endorse the chattel slave Confederacy, albeit quietly. Image from Civil War Blog, February 2013.
But what’s going on in many of today’s Mega Churches in America and elsewhere, (especially in Evangelical congregations) is equally terrifying - a relentless, guilt driven, oppression of the mind by master manipulators disguised as caring pastors - men and women who compel congregations to nearly bankrupt themselves in order to support the wealth and opulence of criminal exploiters of the worse kind! This is mental slavery and it is a vicious form of abuse! See:
Figure 6: Ferocious Madman: The “Reverend” Ken Copeland, the wealthiest and sleaziest Preacher to ever Screech at a gaggle of goofballs. Oppression of the Mind of the gullible and spiritually desperate; the constant message seems to say, “if you don’t give me as much money as you can scrape up, then God might not bless you at all!” YouTube video from Incredibler, “Megachurches: The Dark World of Corruption & Destruction.” Osteen: $55 million; Copeland: $40 million in a ministry valued at $750,000,000. Where does it stop? At YOUR wallet. The Mega churches in the United States and many other nations are doing enormous harm to Christianity in suggesting a link between giving and receiving - as though its automatic. AND IT IS NOT. In fact, Jesus made clear that His followers WOULD suffer tribulation, perhaps even death! Nothing about being wealthy at all! Basic needs would be met for the faithful - that’s it! Further, many wonderful Christians are desperately poor, and not because God is punishing them for not giving enough. They’re poor usually because they were born into it.
We need to face the fact that many churches, especially most Mega Churches, are simply businesses - and often corrupt businesses at that!
Figure 7: YouTube video from Tattooed Theist. AND WHAT A BUSINESS!! ABSOLUTELY TAX FREE AT ALL LEVELS - FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES ARE NOT APPLIED TO CHURCHES. ITS A GREAT ADVANTAGE AND PROVIDES ENORMOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. AND THE CASH THEY RECEIVE IS NOT REGULATED OR EVEN TRACKED. ITS A RECIPE FOR CORRUPTION.
Another report states about 40 MILLION Americans have STOPPED ATTENDING LOCAL CHURCH SERVICES!! That’s about 12% of the entire national population. But who’s ringing the alarm? Certainly not the Mega Churches; they can just blame the devil and keep glad-handing the wealthy to support their business!
But the behavior of the “Christian” leadership of these churches is destroying the faith of the American people. Maybe its not a sin — but its sure as hell a crime!! See: July 19, 2023 article in The Atlantic, discussed below. See: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/07/christian-church-communitiy-participation-drop/674843/
Still another report, this one from Christianity Today, is shown below here:
Figure 8: Christianity Today Nov 2021 article regarding corruption in the evangelical churches. See: https://www.christianitytoday.com/better-samaritan/2021/november/corruption-runs-rampant-in-church-who-should-we-hold-respon.html
IN CLOSING
Just like in the case of the Confederacy and later, the Nazis, Many of the Churches troday are corrupt, money grubbing and morally compromised! - AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE REGARDING THE MEGA CHURCHES - in America today these were among the first to comply with the Government’s outrageous, illegal, unethical, and absurd, “lockdowns,” during the Covid-19 PLANdemic. So, in my view the federal Government, many State Governments, and many of the largest churches worked together, aware or not, to bring about The Great Reset - a plan of the Globalist Goons to take over the entire world and lead it into a ruinous, extreme socialist tyranny. And why wouldn’t the biggest churches in particular go along with it? They were reimbursed for locking down! Only their congregations were hurt. And this reasoning, so common now, is why the church body is suffering and shrinking.
Demand better behavior of the leadership in your church. Tell them to knockoff the bullshit.
You couldn't find any decent mega churches?
Well reported, Larry, no surprises for me here.
We will always have these "Saviors" until we have enough autonomous, truly grown up adults with mature minds who have claimed their own Authority.
And I consider this will only come about through peaceful, responsibly free parenting, that raises truly autonomous persons.
Then, and only then, will the Mega Churches, Governments, Gurus and all such Saviors disappear since there will be no parasitic persons to give them power and credibility.
They will remain the deluded, mentally ill, individuals they are, left to mutter in the gutter with the pitiable homeless.
Get free, stay free.