Curious Muse

Yet Again #3

There is a desperate need for good governance, stewardship, and accountability in the church today.

On the heels of the abuse of funds situation at Oral Roberts University (ORU) the Senate Finance Committee has now requested that the financial records of six large Christian ministries (headed by Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Eddie Long, Benny Hinn, and Paula White). The purpose behind this inquiry is to discover if these ministers are enjoying a lavish lifestyle at the expense of their supporters.

As of now, only Copeland and Meyer have provided to the committee the requested financial information. Two, Dollar and Long, have stated that they are considering not providing their church's financials to the government. They believe that by doing so would be a violation of their constitution rights.

Joyce Meyer should be commended. Not only has she provided the requested information to the committee, but she has for the past several years posted the ministries audited financial statements on its website. Both Dollar and Long could learn a lesson from Meyer.

Here, just like in the Richard Roberts case, is a study of arrogance. First of all, the ministries are more than happy to accept a tax exempt status from the government. This means that the ministries "partners" can deduct their financial contribution from the personal tax liability and the ministries themselves are sheltered from property tax. So apparently, Dollar and Long are willing to accept some government involvement in their ministries.

By why not accountability?

It is interesting that these ministers teach that  honesty, accountability, and good stewardship are important attributes of a Christian. What would Jesus do after all, right? So why shouldn't the ministers walk the walk if the talk the talk?

Should not a ministry be held to at least the same level of scrutiny as a business?  So what is so wrong with transparency in a church? What is wrong with good governance and public accountability? There is nothing wrong with it. In fact, churches should be held at a higher level of accountability and ethics than the corporate world. Churches should operate at a level beyond right and wrong, they should be governed by a level of the "perception" of right and wrong. Donations given to a church are too be used for Kingdom work and not the lavish life style of "Pastor Steve Stunning". Those that faithfully pay their tithes and sow offering to any church should have the confidence that their sacrifice is not being wasted.

Hillary Clinton

I was thinking last night about Bill Clinton. He said the other day at a Hillary campaign rally that she is the best candidate for the presidency. But does Bill really want Hilary as president?

Think about these things: 1). Bill was president for two terms and he was the governor of Arkansas for almost a decade. Would a person that has "sat on the throne" really want to be demoted to be nothing more than a good will ambassador? Bill said that he would attend cabinet meetings "if asked". He ran cabinet meetings for eight years, and now we are expected to believe that he will attend meetings only if he is invited. How could he live with that?

Second, what if Hilary turns out to be a better president than Bill? Could his ego allow for that? Could he risk his legacy to be remembered as the second best Clinton administration?

Third, he was not help to Al Gore when the vice president ran for the presidency in 2000. Not only did Clinton not sign the Kyoto Treaty but he did not actively help Gore in campaigning or in fund raising.

And finally, are they "really" married, why should he help her? And if she were elected, would he be allowed to sleep in the White House?

My guess is that in his heart of hearts, Bill does not want HRC to be the president. He would rather be remembered for his eight "glorious years" than as a part time adviser. I bet that he does something, maybe rather small, to insure that she does not win the prize.

Commercialization of Christmas

A few days ago I watched Miracle of 34^th Street for the first time. This movie was made in 1947, 60 years ago. In the movie one of the characters complains about how commercialized Christmas HAD become. If it was too commercialized in 1947, what is it today?

Yet Again #2

If the allegations against Richard Roberts and family are true, the thing that sickens me the most is the arrogance. If true, the Roberts family has used Oral Roberts University as their personal ATM machine.

Parents from all over the world send their children to ORU, despite that fact it is very expense. Now I can appreciate how a private university is more expense than a public, but how much of the additional tuition expense is related to the supporting of the Roberts’ life style and how much of it is for the institution? And, has the waste of funds hurt the university?

ORU is more than a university. It is a Christian university that is to provide an education to those wanting to be in the ministry and those that wish to learn secular skills in a Christian environment. But what example is the leadership of the University providing for the students?

One of truth or skirting the policies and procedure of the university? The proper governance of funds or the wasting tuition dollars?

This all goes back to the primary problem with most personality driven churches and Para-church organizations (which I am including ORU). That is the problem of  the lack of accountability and proper stewardship.

So often a dynamic personality, such as an Oral or Richard Roberts, are trusted to operate a organization. They surround themselves with a board of yes-men (James Bakker and the PTL Network) or they are just given the benefit of the doubt (such as Benny Hinn and his book royalties). “O, Richard is a good guy, we can trust him” the board may say. But power and money corrupt, which is why everyone should be held accountable, everyone should have a boss, and everyone should have to explain his actions.

What churches and para church organizations need is to take a lesson from the business world. Require that organization are operated for the maximum benefit of the organization (or to whom it serves) and no the founder and his family. Require annual audits by third parties. Require that procedures are followed and hold the board of directors accountable for the resulting actions.

It seems that ORU is in need of a good house cleaning. It just might save the University.

Yet Again

While in Minnesota this past Friday I learned about the latest televangelist scandal. According to the Associated Press, Richard Roberts (the president of Oral Roberts University) and family have been using ORU as a personal ATM. The allegations, based upon an internal document prepared by the sister-in-law of Roberts, included Roberts’ daughter use of the ministry jet ($29,411), abuse of the tax status of ORU (Robert’s wife Lindsey spending $39,000 over a year at a SINGLE clothing store), and inappropriate telephone calls/ texts with “underage males” (the phone bill paid for by the University).

Now I totally believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But I was troubled by a statement posted on ORU’s website by Richard Roberts. In the post, he speaks of the university being annually audited by a CPA firm, certain policies and procedures that exist at the University, and new procedures that are being put into place.

But there is no denial of the allegations.

He further states that “any expenses, including trips, errands, food, etc., deemed personal are charged back to me and are paid personally by me on a monthly basis.”

But Richard is missing the point. Why should his daughter be able to take her friends on a plane trip to the Caribbean utilizing the ministry’s plane? If the ministry/ school has a legitimate use for it fine, but do all the students at ORU get to use the plane? In addition, his wife, it is alleged, is making a mockery of the tax code.

ORU is an expensive school to attend. It is a private school and if parents want to send the kids there then fine. But why should parents pay an extra ordinary tuition so that the Roberts family can use the University as their personal ATM? ORU is too improtant of an institution to be abused.

Trees and Global Warming

Thursday morning (January 12) I listened to a story on NPR Radio concerning global warming. Christopher Joyce reported that German scientists have discovered that plants produce methane, a "greenhouse" gas. Thus we have now learned that trees contribute to global warming.

What is really causing global warming? Coal plants, cows, trees, the ocean, or sun spot activity? Does the Earth go through cycles of warming, cooling, and warming again? Does anyone know?

Now I do acknowledge that humans contribute to the situation, but we are not all of it. We maybe a far smaller part of the equation than we realize.

It also caused me to wonder about those militant environmentalists that are so vocal about global warming. Why aren't they ever happy? This band of hair heads are always waiting for, or maybe hoping that the world will come to an end. Just think for a minute. It started with the fear of atomic annihilation during the 1950s. In the 1960s it was the Vietnam War. In the 1970's it was the fear that we were going to starve to death, run out of oil, and global cooling. In the 1980s it was the Ozone Hole and that the evil President Reagan was going to destroy the world with space based weapons. In the 1990s it was global warming and the World Trade Organization. How did we survive?

If global warming is such a terrible threat why didn't President Clinton fight for the Kyoto Agreement when he was president?

I would wager that many of these unwashed militants have gone from one "end of the world cause" to another. They must have some type of psychological disorder. They are unable to enjoy life. They are unable to believe that the future can be better than today. Are their lives so miserable that all they can think about is death? Is marching in parades, smoking weed, and burning SUVs more fun that working a job?

So should we kill cows and cut down trees in order to save the Earth?

Simple Minded Society III

I read yesterday in the Wall Street Journal that there is a growing concern in the housing market. Many people now own houses that have no business owning houses. What I mean by that is that they did not put any money down (100% financing) and did not have the credit history to show that they can repay the debt.

In addition, with the increase in values of homes, many are now using the equity that they have in their homes as a sort of ATM. Borrowing the equity to finance the purchase of crap that they don't need.

I can remember driving around Broken Arrow (OK) this past summer. Many people had the garage doors open for what ever reason, maybe they were mowing the yard it dosen't matter. I remember seeing their garages so full of crap that they had bought that they were unable to get their cars in the garage. Think of the growth of mini storages over the past few years to have an additional area to store the crap we buy.

When will we learn that buying things will never bring satisfaction into our lives?

Hate and Intolerance at KU

Dr Paul Mirecki, a Religious Studies professor at the University of Kansas announced that he planned to teach a course on creationism and Intelligent Design (ID) for this upcoming semester. There were several students that signed up for this class; possibly because of the “press” ID has received lately. This course was terminated after several intolerant emails written by Dr Mirecki were reported in the Kansas City Star.

The reason for bringing up this issue is not ID or whether or not it should be taught. Nor is it an issue that Dr Mirecki holds a view contrary to ID or creation. The issue is that he has admitted that the purpose of the class was to promote his own personal views, as evidenced by the following excerpt from one of his emails:

“The fundies (meaning fundamentalists) want it all taught in a science class, but this will be a nice slap in their big fat face by teaching it as a religious studies class under the category "mythology". I expect it will draw much media attention. The university public relations office will have a press release on it in a few weeks, I also have contacts at several regional newspapers.”

In other emails Mirecki ridiculed Christians, Jews, Catholics, and Pope John Paul II.

Professor Mirecki lacks respect and is intolerant toward those who don’t share his views. As any university, KU should be a place where students can learn in a scholarly environment. Where information can be provided and students allowed to make up their own minds in the Academy. Professors have a position of power over their students and they therefore have a means to bully students. If this past week’s events are indicative of Dr. Mirecki teaching style, it proves that he is not an educator, he is an indoctrinator.

Simple Minded Society II

A New Need for Responsibility

My good friend Brad commented on a previous post of mine about that for some people spending for a short-term gratification (his example electronics equipment) is a more admirable attribute than saving for a longer-term goal (starting a family business). This is what our society has become. I therefore am a mutant.

When asked what I want for a present I will say “cash”, because I will save it. Or if I find some money that I did not know I had, maybe in my winter coat, I will put that money toward the home mortgage. And because of this I have been accused of “not being very fun”.

I have taught several classes on personal finance in Churches that I have previously attended. I have also been a lending officer at a bank for several years. It no longer amazes me to see people with $40,000 or $50,000 in credit card debt. May of these people make good incomes, yet have nothing to show for it.

I also remember a few months ago when the bankruptcy laws was changed (thus making it harder to declare bankruptcy) and listening to people complain. Complain about what? That they would be held accountable for their spending. Imagine that.

Yes, I realize that credit card companies charge fee and interest rates. But that is how those companies make money. Don't you charge a fee in exchange for your time you spend working a job?

There is no requirement that you have to use credit cards. The human race existed before the invention of credit cards. You can survive without them.

The problem is that we are not taught how to use money. My degree is in accounting. I was taught how to "do the books" for a Fortune 500 company but I was never taught how to balance my check book. In high school, my useless counsler kept telling me that I could make a "lot of money" at this job or doing that job. But I was never asked "what job would you be happy doing". Instead we are taught that we should practice impulse buying, live for today with do concern for tomorrow.

Santa = Satan

It was the Church Lady that first showed me that rearranging a couple of letter would change Santa to Satan.

Why do parents life to their children about Santa Claus? I just don’t understand why parents tell their children that by night a stranger has come into their house and left presents for them? My Mama told me not to take candy from strangers.

Parents sacrifice months of their lives working to buy hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of presents. Then instead of letting their children know that a loving parent has sacrificed, the love and appreciation is given to a fat stranger.

Maybe children would be more appreciative if the sacrifice was made known to them. Maybe children would be more appreciative of the love of a parent instead of the instant gratification of opening a present. Maybe, it would be a way of teaching a child not to be manipulated by advertisers (of course not letting the child mindlessly watch countless hours of television would achieve the same effect).

Parents, why share your child’s love with a lie?