Holy Crap: Gimme Your Money Edition UPDATED
Most of y’all know who Robert Jeffress is but I’m gonna include a picture just in case you forgot. Jeffress is the preacher at First Baptist Church Dallas.
He’s a big buddy of Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee. He peaches politics from the pulpit and he generally comes down on the side of the Nazis.
Well, Jeffress has a friend who is financial planner. W. Neil “Doc” Gallagher is an unlicensed investment advisor in Texas. He purchased radio time on Christian radio shows … where he ran a Ponzi scheme and stole $19.6 million from mostly old people who thought they were investing their retirement money the way Jesus wanted them to.
Gallagher is also an author. In 2016, he published “Jesus Christ, Money Master,” a book offering faith-based financial advice.
“Jesus was the wealthiest person. Ever! When you own the universe, you own it all,” wrote Gallagher. “If the whole world is his, including our money, it just makes sense to look to the owner of all wealth to look for direction on how to use it.”
The book drew praise from prominent Christian figures, including Jeffress, the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, a Fox News contributor and a member of Trump’s informal evangelical advisory board.
In a review published on the Amazon page of “Jesus Christ, Money Master,” Jeffress called the book “required reading for anyone who is looking for a highly practical and thoroughly biblical guide to financial success.”
I guess Gallagher and Jeffress just conveniently forgot that whole Jesus with the moneychangers in the temple thing.
Thanks to Sarah for the heads up.
Oh, lookie what Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen found while looking to see who Gallagher paid off donated to.:
Nice, right? Steal from the poor and give to the obscenely rich.
Jeffress seems to be the only one of Trump’s preacher posse to regularly show up in public anymore.
1Crime in the name of Christ. Sweet. Makes a person ask: have you given your 10% today? Tax ’em, then render unto Caesar every last scammed dime available under the provisions of the RICO Act. Revoke their passports, too. I’ve seen up close and personal the damage they do in other countries.
2I should really stop being surprised by the brazenness of men claiming to be Christian leaders who say the exact opposite of what Jesus said, and the number of people claiming to be Christians who go right along with them. But then Jesus was a very radical dude, telling people to give away all of their money to the poor and take no thought for what they were going to eat or wear tomorrow. Anybody who DID follow him exactly would be considered a nutcase. Still, it sure would be nice to see “Christians” who are a lot more like Jimmy Carter.
3“Unlicensed investment advisor”
Lo, I ask unto ye. What institutions of man have sway o’er the servants of the Lord Almighty? Who among the men appointed by Caesar shall pass judgment upon one so righteously annointed by God?
Surely any man who would seek to condemn such a humble servant of Jesus, and any who would follow him, will have visited upon him the wrath of the Traveler. The fury of the Destructor.
The goop of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
Amen.
4As Molly Ivins said: “The problem with Baptists is that they didn’t hold them under water long enough when they baptize them”.
5Biblical lesson on how to own the universe:
6Step 1. Inherit it from your father.
Yes, Jesus DID give very specific investment advice, alluded to above. And it started with ‘give away all you have’…and I believe the poor, the widowed and orphaned, the oppressed, etc. were all in the mix somewhere. At least, that’s what I hear on Sunday mornings.
7I have been watching “TheHandmaid’s Tale” , a story of right wing Christians run amok in America. These scammers would fit right in.
8Now, don’t be hasty. I’m sure that in a few days Mr. Ponzi will announce that he has confessed his sins, and Jesus has forgiven him. With the subtext of “you must be a bad Christian if you don’t welcome me back into your hearts and bank accounts”.
Guys, go to the link JJ gave above. His mug shot is worth a tithe or two. And Opinionated Hussy: you are one of the people who keep me from completely losing hope in Christianity in the US.
9Between the Midwest floods and Mozambique there are some excellent current opportunities for these greedy stinking rich bible hustlers to show just how Christian they are. And none of them involve doggy humping Trump’s leg. The cynic in me says they prefer Trump’s leg.
10Years ago I decided tithing was an excellent idea…not to any organized religion but to charities of my own choice. It’s worked well for me, and I think Jesus would approve.
11The Great W.A. Criswell built the pulpit of FBC Dallas into the uber-church of the SBC. Criswell supported nacilbupeR candidates in my memory from Nixon in 1960 through George W. While Jeffress does essentially the same thing, his leg humping of the current president while he was a candidate was more irritating to me than even the essay Criswell wrote on how Catholics could/should not be elected PotUS because this allegiance was first to Rome.
12Not sure if I follow “Doc” Gallagher’s logic. (I don’t.) If Jesus owns the universe, including this world, why in the hell would He need money anyway? Maybe the logic is if Jesus doesn’t need it ol’ “Doc” may as well grab it. In His name, of course.
13Sounds like Doc Gallagher should run for Texas Attorney General. More qualified that the current AG
14