Originally published at: A Texas radio host given 3 life sentences for scamming his Christian listeners out of millions | Boing Boing
…
Jim Bakker and Peter Popoff when?
As true today as when it was written…
William Neil “Doc” Gallagher, Satan will see you now.
For when one life sentence isn’t enough:
Any preacher of any flavor needs to be licensed and registered. As well they should be required to take classes on ethics and classes regarding appropriate sexual behaviors. They should show certificates of passing the classes. Annual polygraphs should address any issues with kids and any kind money schemes they’re up to. Violators get jerked out of their scam position and or monitored for contact with children. Any attempt by any preacher to enter politics should be considered a felony and prosecuted. Other than that just let them lie their asses off.
How is this different than any of the “prosperity gospel” preachers etc…
The Venn diagram of wealthy religious leaders and scammers is essentially a single circle.
(but… but… how to spread the word of God without a private jet?)
He worked his way around churches preying on people who believed he was a Christian.
This line struck me as funny. Who says he’s not a Christian? Those who think Christians only behave “righteously”? Or did he convert to Islam while in Jail (or Judaism like George Bluth, Sr.)?
Now that’s “Good News”!
Yeah, that is such an amazing trick Christians play. If you do anything evil, you aren’t/weren’t a Christian. During the entirety of the Conquistador invasions, the Inquisition, and myriad religious wars, there must have been no Christians in those respective countries. Unless they were being massacred (Cathars, Hugenots, etc.)— but then again, they were being massacred, so, again, no Christians.
But to the subject, this guy was way too greedy. The old ways are best: rigorously tithe them (as Mormons and others do), and/or get them to deed their property to the church (as Jim Jones did). Commit legal fraud rather than illegal fraud. His rookie mistake was even attempting to offer something in return for their donation.
They should have made the life sentences consecutive just in case Jeebus comes back to grant everyone immortality. “Not so fast, scumbag, you have a few hundred years to serve yet…”
me too. im pretty sure all christians by definition are sinners. some guy even died on a cross because of it
( eta: maybe evangelicals decided original sin wasn’t sinful enough or original enough or something )
That’s one way to start a political career in that state
Based on all prior evidence, I’d say he’s the quintessential Christian. Too bad there isn’t a Christ around to flip his goddamn table.
ETA: I’ve known and been loved by good, Christian people all my life. So I should have said most prior evidence. The louder the works, the worse the witness.
Christ what an asshole (am I really the first?)
Hey, to be fair, he was just helping them sell their possessions so they could be perfect!
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The prosperity gospel is a helluva drug/con.
Like W.C. Fields’s wife in Tillie and Gus, talking about their missionary work: “We filled them with spirits, as it were, and relieved them of their material burdens.”
I can imagine something like this:
Still, I feel bad for the guard assigned to bring him back down to Earth…
I know some truly good Christians, but the most vile people I’ve ever met were Christians simply because they honestly believed they could sin all week and still be forgiven on Sunday just by showing up and saying the right words. They fully expected me to forgive them as easily as God does, apparently.
Nice to see Texas finally nail a crook instead of electing them, for once.