Since Jesus specifically stated to pay taxes, why are so many religious leaders in jail for tax fraud?

Answer 1

Kent Hovind was framed by atheist judges.
Jim Bakker was framed by Atheist Judges.
Wesley Snipes was framed by atheist judges.
Nostrum Mogul was framed by atheist judges.
Juan Gabriel was framed by atheist judges.
K.A.S. Seka was framed by atheist judges.
Joe Francis was framed by atheist judges.
Jimmy Scott Chambers was framed by atheist judges.
Gunvantrai H Patel was framed by atheist judges.
Dave Hawk was framed by atheist judges.
Christopher Miracle was framed by atheist judges.

You can see the pattern, good honest Christians are constantly being investigated and framed and convicted for tax evasion by atheist judges

Answer 2

He said to give unto Ceasar what is due. He did not mean to blindly give your money away! That is why I make as many deductions as I can! Now some of these religious leaders may have bad accountants (or dont use TaxSlayer like me) or they may be trying to hold back. Obviously, what the governemnt thinks it is due was more than what they thought the government should get, thus the jail time.

Honestly, Jim Bakker mislead many people and deserved jail time. He is the only religious leader that I know of that has gotten charged with tax fraud.

EDIT: To the guy above me, they are not-for-profit organizations. All not-for-profit organizations get tax breaks; even the Church of Satan.

Answer 3

Because religious leaders are often men who become religious leaders for the power and adoration they receive.

Note the corruption of the Church when Constantine made it the official religion of the empire. It became a way to shelter money. The first son of nobles inherited the title, the second went into the military, and the third was given some of the families holdings and joined the church to protect the land from taxation but keep it in the family.

This lead to the upper echelons of the church being filled not with people who were really devoted to Christ.

People have always used religion to justify their evil actions. It doesn't make the bible false. Actually, it reinforces the bible, since it is full of depictions of religious leaders who were hypocrites and used religion to exercise power over people.

Answer 4

A few are in jail, but what's more alarming is that many have just not been caught yet. I know a few personally who should be in jail but just haven't been caught. One of the most egregious is a minister at a church in Oak Cliff (South Dallas) that I work with. He frequently takes advantage of his church's tax exempt status to buy appliances, clothing, groceries, etc. for his personal use or for his home to evade taxes. He buys them on his church credit card and then pays the bills from his own pocket (or so he claims). Another Jehovah's Witness elder in Dallas I know owns some strip clubs and other unsavory businesses under a front company and uses his legitimate cleaning business to launder funds from these ventures; he also employs illegal immigrants in his cleaning business to avoid paying taxes on them. Once, he even bilked a bunch of his fellow JW's out of their money by getting them to invest in one of his businesses. After he had their money, this business mysteriously went bankrupt while he used the funds to buy a new Jaguar and a house. The JWs took his privileges away, but he switched to another Kingdom Hall and got them back.

What about Robert Tilton, Phil Driscoll, Jim Bakker, Warren Jeffs, Morris Cerullo, and the list can keep going.

The problem is that these folks are usually pretty sophisticated and educated. They are good at hiding their misdeeds.

Answer 5

One again an anti-Christian overstates the matter. OK let us know from your thorough investigation of the matter how many religious leaders are statistically in jail for tax fraud.

Answer 6

They are hypocrites. Not all of them, but a lot. They use love offerings from the...flock...to buy luxurious estates they call "parsonages"--thats what Jim Bakker called his huge mansion. Cute, huh? Or Rev. Ted Haggard used money to pay male hookers and buy meth while denouncing gay people in order to take in more money from the Flock. Or Rev. Paul Crouch who used money from the Flock to bribe a staffer at his TV ministry (TBN) to be quiet about their homosexual tryst in the TBN chalet high in the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking Los Angeles. (LA Times article) I think that Jesus would have thrown fakes like these out of their churches just like He threw the money changers out of the temple 2000 years ago.

Answer 7

Good morning Baalam

Several reasons

First reason, Since they ignore a large part of scripture anyway, always the parts that are inconvenient for them, its not surprising they ignore that particular one either.

Second reason, They forgot what the tax code means for non-profit church organizations, The minute you get involved in politics you open yourself up to paying income tax on church funds. The church does not belong in politics.

Third reason, They are human after all. Even I make mistakes, seldom but enough that I am aware of it, like well a certain fondness for you. I can't help it you make me laugh.

Answer 8

Because they chose to ignore Jesus' statement. Sadly, not all religious leaders follow Jesus like they say they do. It is a fallen world, but that only explains why, it's not an excuse. They will still be held accountable for it.

Answer 9

Because they're just that " Fraud Religious leaders"... Jesus also said by their fruit you shall know them...

Answer 10

I'll bet there are more atheist in jail for murder than religious leaders in jail for tax fraud.

Answer 11

Because they didn't do what Jesus said to do? But you knew that, so that wasn't the purpose of the question. Here's the answer to your implied question:

"For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;"