Creflo A. Dollar, Jr

[cu in 4years Dan 1]

any Christians here watch his tv show?I actually really enjoy them, although i have to get up at 4am to watch it.

[FOOSE1 0]

any Christians here watch his tv show?I actually really enjoy them, although i have to get up at 4am to watch it.

I haven't posted in here in a while but I happened to be reading this today and this caught my eye. I live in Ga. and pass this guys church often since it is only 12 or so miles from me. I know a lot of people who attend there and love it. However, I am not a big fan of prosperity preachers (which is what he has self-professed to be). They actually had one of these profile stories on him in the local news a few weeks back. He basically preaches that GOD wants us all the be "rich". Not comfortable, but "rich". On the outside it seems like a great idea, lets face it . . . who doesn't want to be better off. But, he claims that it is scripturaly based which I totally disagree with. GOD talks about money a lot in the Bible, but nowhere in there does it tell me that he wants us to be "rich". In fact, he tells us to NOT store up treasure on earth and to store treasure in heaven instead. Creflo Dollar, in this interview, says HE believes that Jesus was rich himself. He described how the disciples that traveled with him were no more that his servants. He claimed that only the "rich" had personal servants back then. Funny . . . I thought they were his disciples.If you ever happen to be in Ga. and drive by his church you will be absolutely amazed at what you see. The church is the size of a sports arena. It has a huge dome that looks like it is covered in gold. He literally owns the entire block that this building is on (no kidding). Think of one of those multi-stor shopping centers that have like a Home Depot, Target, Kroger, etc. all there together . . . that is what this place looks like . . . one HUGE complex. Also going up the street he has started buying buildings along Old National Highway.The biggest problem I have with this guy is the interview he gave. Not only did he twist scripture to accomodate what he preaches . . . he also had his own interpretation that even the christian scholars they interviewed said was ridiculous (Jesus being rich, etc.). They also started grilling him about his "gifts" from the church. Not only does this guy make in the millions for being the preacher . . . but he has accepted what he calls "gifts" from the church. His multi million dollar house, his Hummer, his Escalade, his sports car and best of all his personal Jet with pilot. His answer to questions about this was, and I quote, "these were gifts from my church, who am I to refuse gifts from my congregation". Odd . . . he runs the church and is head of the finance department . . . hhhhhhhmmmmm.With all that said, the guy does have some good organizations that help out the community. So there is a lot of good that comes from his church. But, overall, I feel like he is a bad example of what Christianity really is. To me, this is the type of pastor and church that non-believers look at and say, "see . . . they are only in it for the money". My personal opinion is this (and it is my opinion) . . . I believe he is using the word of God for his own personal gain. I do not believe God intends for us to have a personal plane. I believe he will bless us and take care of our needs . . . and yes there are good rich Christians, but as a whole, being rich is not the goal God has for our lives. I believe he has interpreted the bible the way he has only to accomodate what he preaches. I believe he is exactly the type of preacher that turns non-believers away from God, not the other way around. My opinion . . . take it for what it is worth.

[Zealous Donkey 0]

I haven't posted in here in a while but I happened to be reading this today and this caught my eye. I live in Ga. and pass this guys church often since it is only 12 or so miles from me. I know a lot of people who attend there and love it. However, I am not a big fan of prosperity preachers (which is what he has self-professed to be). They actually had one of these profile stories on him in the local news a few weeks back. He basically preaches that GOD wants us all the be "rich". Not comfortable, but "rich". On the outside it seems like a great idea, lets face it . . . who doesn't want to be better off. But, he claims that it is scripturaly based which I totally disagree with. GOD talks about money a lot in the Bible, but nowhere in there does it tell me that he wants us to be "rich". In fact, he tells us to NOT store up treasure on earth and to store treasure in heaven instead. Creflo Dollar, in this interview, says HE believes that Jesus was rich himself. He described how the disciples that traveled with him were no more that his servants. He claimed that only the "rich" had personal servants back then. Funny . . . I thought they were his disciples.If you ever happen to be in Ga. and drive by his church you will be absolutely amazed at what you see. The church is the size of a sports arena. It has a huge dome that looks like it is covered in gold. He literally owns the entire block that this building is on (no kidding). Think of one of those multi-stor shopping centers that have like a Home Depot, Target, Kroger, etc. all there together . . . that is what this place looks like . . . one HUGE complex. Also going up the street he has started buying buildings along Old National Highway.The biggest problem I have with this guy is the interview he gave. Not only did he twist scripture to accomodate what he preaches . . . he also had his own interpretation that even the christian scholars they interviewed said was ridiculous (Jesus being rich, etc.). They also started grilling him about his "gifts" from the church. Not only does this guy make in the millions for being the preacher . . . but he has accepted what he calls "gifts" from the church. His multi million dollar house, his Hummer, his Escalade, his sports car and best of all his personal Jet with pilot. His answer to questions about this was, and I quote, "these were gifts from my church, who am I to refuse gifts from my congregation". Odd . . . he runs the church and is head of the finance department . . . hhhhhhhmmmmm.With all that said, the guy does have some good organizations that help out the community. So there is a lot of good that comes from his church. But, overall, I feel like he is a bad example of what Christianity really is. To me, this is the type of pastor and church that non-believers look at and say, "see . . . they are only in it for the money". My personal opinion is this (and it is my opinion) . . . I believe he is using the word of God for his own personal gain. I do not believe God intends for us to have a personal plane. I believe he will bless us and take care of our needs . . . and yes there are good rich Christians, but as a whole, being rich is not the goal God has for our lives. I believe he has interpreted the bible the way he has only to accomodate what he preaches. I believe he is exactly the type of preacher that turns non-believers away from God, not the other way around. My opinion . . . take it for what it is worth.

Haven't posted in a while either, I was going to comment but you have covered it better than I could have. I agree with you !00%. I would also add Joyce Meyer (think that is right name) also has huge homes, cars, and planes and she responded in exact way as Dollar. Maybe these people are effecting a bunch of people in positive ways, I don't know what is in their hearts, but God does. To me, I think Rick Warren is on the right track, but probably struggling with shear size his church has become. Also there is a movement(slow, it started years ago with Pope John Paul II) in Catholic Church to move back to teaching of the original church started by the apostles.

[11 to 1 0]

However, I am not a big fan of prosperity preachers (which is what he has self-professed to be). They actually had one of these profile stories on him in the local news a few weeks back. He basically preaches that GOD wants us all the be "rich". Not comfortable, but "rich". On the outside it seems like a great idea, lets face it . . . who doesn't want to be better off. But, he claims that it is scripturaly based which I totally disagree with.

They are actually a syndicate based out of Chicago started by a former Amway distributor. They all have the same rap, they were sinners, they had a religious experience, they started all alone in a basement/ garage/storefront, and now they have these huge churches with television coverage. They go to each other's churches around the country to speak, they pay each other huge sums of money to do so. They are all rich, and all misquote Scripture to justify their completely heretical teachings and expensive cars and houses. Oh, and at the sermon, they all manage to work in how this church isn't like the bad Catholic Church or the other churches where they care how you dress or what color you are or how much money you make! EVERYONE is welcome!! So, they plant a lot of horrendous distrust and false ideas. On TV, what you don't see, is that at the service, the part where they ask for the money goes on for about a half hour or more. It's a scary thing, really. Then they promote one another to "Bishop" or whatever. The neat trick is, if you don't succeed, don't get rich, aren't happy - well - you just must be sinning! The biggest pyramid scheme in the country and the IRS can't touch 'em because they are each an "independently" organized religion.