Televangelists

Gauracandra · February 16, 2004

This week’s Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program is about televangelists.

Today I am reading an article from the Los Angeles Times titled “Evangelists cashing in on the mail.” A letter is sent out to people saying “Greetings in Jesus’s name. Someone at this address needs prayer. We have mailed you a golden prosperity cross…” The article is about so-called Christians trying to get money. I won’t talk about the trinkets. The main thing continues… This guy named Ewing is a real master and he helps other preachers raise money. He understands the consciousness of people. He has discovered that when he mails trinkets and promise to get the person rich or healed that they will send him money.

The letter continues “I’m loaning you my green and white hankerchief to print your name in the center and return to me in the morning. On Christmas day I’ll hold this hankerchief and pray for you. I’m asking you to send $5, $10, or $20 for these prayers. I’m waiting for this hankerchief back from you.”

Its funny, so let me laugh a little longer. You know Oral Roberts brings in $50-$70 million per year. Ewing saved Roberts from financial disaster by having all of his followers send in prayers to his prayer tower. Donations doubled in 1 year. It increased his mailing list dramatically.

This is a very important contradiction to spiritual laws. Contradiction is not the right word. Duplicity or dishonesty. The dishonesty is not in asking for money. We are not against donations. What makes it cheap, prayer cheap, God cheap… can someone turn down the air conditioner?… they are not asking people to send in a prayer request because he actually wants to pray. He knows it is a technique. In his mind he just wants to increase his mailing list. “I the intimate one with God, I am going to place my holy hands on these letters. And because I am so close to God, He’ll hear your prayers, since God won’t otherwise listen to you.” That’s what he is saying.

He already has something else in mind. It was a method he used because his empire was falling apart. Ewing taught him this technique. Send them something and you’ll “pray” for them. This is called cheating. This is very serious business. Cheating gurus. Phoney gurus. He doesn’t care for those people. It’s a method.

What is the primary motivating force for a bonafide servant of God?

Audience member: His concern for others…

Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Yes. Compassion. He is feeling sad. The transcendentalist is very happy but unhappy that the children of God are suffering. I don’t just want to pray for you in general. Otherwise it is just a technique and is repugnant. Therefore this person is not a bonafide representative of God.

“I really love you and I really want to help you get it. I’ll try to get God to help you out. Just send me your money.” He doesn’t care if your horse wins. It’s the cheaters and the cheated. They really are having a dance together. Pray for this for me. Pray for that for me. He won’t sincerely pray. He just gets thousands of names on his computer and puts his hands on it. Why do they have to send a letter if he doesn’t read them all? Shouldn’t he read for each specific person? That’s the only reason to have them send the letter. Unless maybe he is just in it for getting a mailing list.

The whole thing is a scam. How can you say this on tv? Isn’t this libelous? That guy’s on tv more than me and he has more money. Its just equal time here. There are certain spiritual characteristics of bonafide representatives of God. I mean really, this is not acceptable.

Money is not bad. Mail order isn’t bad. Television isn’t bad. Donations are not bad. We are pointing to a specific contradiction. He is doing it not out of compassion. It is a method to raise money. This is a very sad thing. What is a real representative of God? What is his real character? We’ll talk more in the future on this subject.