Crystal Cathedral - giving out free nails for Halloween!

[onager]

:rofl:

So while having breakfast this morning I was scanning the TV channels, and saw that the Hour of Power! was on, from the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County.

With all the recent news about that joint going bankrupt, I was pretty sure I'd see an impressive beg-a-thon and some INTENSE marketing.

I was not disappointed. They even wheeled out 500-year-old Bob Schuller himself again, to plead for MO' MONEY!!! BTW, what's up with that fancy gown and huge medallion he wears? The old coot must think he's the Archbishop of Garden Grove Canterbury or something. His daughter is currently giving the sermons.

Anyway, the whole theme of today's sermon was...drumroll, please...debt!

Insert another ROFL...

You see, when Jebus died on the cross, all of us humans incurred an invisible debt! Because he died for...well, insert usual Xian boilerplate here.

The impression I got: the easiest way to pay that invisible debt is by going thru a middle-man...you know, like the Crystal Cathedral!

And to remind the suckers of that "debt," everyone was invited to pass by a bucket today after the service, and take home a Free Souvenir Nail! Xian messages are usually taste-free and hokey, but that one really took the cake. Or communion wafer.

The Schuller family debts are anything but "invisible." They currently stand at $55 million and growing.

Much of that money represents small vendors stiffed by the Schuller family. Like this one:

Kristina Oliver, who supplied livestock for the Cathedral's "Glory of Christmas" last year, has lost her house in Hemet after the church failed to pay her about $56,000 for her services. The Crystal Cathedral was her biggest client. Her family has supplied livestock for the "Glories" for nearly three decades.

On Wednesday, Oliver said she and her family were locked out of their house in the rain by the bank that acquired the property after foreclosure. Oliver has two young children and a husband who is recovering from cancer.

"We had no jackets, no medication...it was awful," she said.

The Oliver family will get one last opportunity to pack up their things and move to a trailer, she said.

That's from the Orange County Register, which also provided a helpful list of the Schuller employees and their current salaries. Many of these names are Schuller children and their spouses, so a lot of double-dipping is going on:

Robert A Schuller, $196,478, Hour of Power

Fred W. Southard, $156,710, Hour of Power

James B. Penner, $156,710, Hour of Power

Louise Dunn, $154,731, Church

Charles L. Smith, $135,519, Hour of Power

John A. Townsend, $125,027, Hour of Power

Carol Milner, $108,415, Hour of Power

Robert H. Schuller, $108,415, Hour of Power

Donna Schuller, $80,308, Hour of Power

Gretchen J. Penner, $69,792, Hour of Power

Sheila Coleman, $69,792, Church

Source: Fred Southard declaration, Oct. 19, 2010, bankruptcy Exhibit 1

The Register has a lot of good info on the family infighting and bankruptcy - http://www.ocregister.com/news/hour-272561-schuller-southard.html

[Liberal Veteran]

1. For Christmas are they going to pass around a bucket of coal?

[MineralMan]

2. Nah. They're giving out Buddy Christ action figures.

[backscatter712]

3. Can I get three nails, then I can do the Jesus walked into an inn joke!

Jesus walked into an inn, gave the innkeeper three nails and said "Can you put Me up for the night?"

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Three nails? Heretic!

http://calitreview.com.nyud.net:8080/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-78.jpg

http://objectiveministries.org/pastorscorner/#12-15-2003

[eleny]

4. Maybe some day they'll put that place to good use as a homeless shelter...

...for their parishioners.

[Historic NY]

5. They need duct tape to hold the crystal together,

[Angry Dragon]

6. And the Jesus they say they believe in

walked around in sandals, owned very little or nothing, slept where he was invited.
These people would not know how to save a soul if it was handed to them.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. You would think the morans who give give give to these hucksters would smarten up

For decades, these televangelists have fallen spectacularly and publicly from their golden thrones,
after being caught in varied transgressions,chicanery and theft, yet people STILL give away them money to
support their lavish lifestyles.

**You can't cure stupidity, but you can give it a plastic bag to play with.**

[AlecBGreen]

14. the same thing could be said for voting

career politicians have shown themselves over and over to be crooked beyond belief, yet we still vote.

[charlie]

8. They got a $22.5 million infusion that only lasted a little over 4 months

In May, the church sold land donated by a San Juan Capistrano couple for $22.5 million.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/MellodyHobson/crystal-cathedral-files-bankruptcy/story?id=11961404&page=2

If any of them are living the Jim and Tammy lifestyle, now would be a good time to downscale before the snooping starts. Watch for gold-plated bathroom fixtures and air conditioned doggie condos on eBay.

[onager]

11. Thanks! That SJC deal is a perfect storm of Fundie asshats.

The land was bought by the Xers who own Hobby Lobby, then leased to Rick Warren's spookery, right next door.

Fortunately, Rick Warren has a more gullible better class of faith partners than the Schullers:

Published: May 11, 2010
Updated: May 12, 2010 10:11 a.m.

LAKE FOREST – Saddleback Church – headed by Pastor Rick Warren – on Tuesday announced a deal to lease and take full responsibility for the 170-acre Crystal Cathedral retreat property in San Juan Capistrano.

The property has been purchased by Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. of Oklahoma City, officials said. According to Saddleback officials, the decision to sell the land to Hobby Lobby was decided a month ago by Crystal Cathedral Ministries and finalized late Monday night...

Saddleback Church, like many other religious and nonprofit organizations facing an economic downturn, also had financial issues. In December, Saddleback Church members heeded Warren's call to quickly raise $900,000, exceeding it by at least $1.5 million. The church, within days of Warren's request, collected about $2.4 million, leaving them with a surplus.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cathedral-248261-church-property.html

[charlie]

12. Creee-ipes. Hobby Lobby. Again!

They're the guys who saved Oral and Richard Roberts' asses a couple of years ago. To the tune of $70 million. Probaby kept Oral's boy out of jail, too.

Thanks a whole fucking lot, Hobby Lobby. I'm sure brandy and cigars, with the finest white-linened servants are waiting for you in Grifter Heaven.

[charlie]

9. Suffering is for the little people

While the Crystal Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy, senior pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman is off on a 11-day cruise to Greece.

On Sunday, Schuller Coleman wrote on her Facebook page:

"Flying out to Greece, Turkey and Germany. My hubbie is holding down the home front, but I have no idea how often I will be able to respond to all of you here for the next 3 weeks. Remember--God loves you and so do I!"



http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2010/10/as_the_crystal_cathedral_teete.php

[salvorhardin]

13. Lovely n/t