Last night I was watching Larry King Live and one of his guest was Dr. Creflo Dollar, (partial transcript to follow). This man is surely a philosophical decedent of Reverend Ike and his like! We live in the age of Super Churches, MEGA corporations with Ministers who live in Multi Million Dollar homes
KING: And a return visit to LARRY KING LIVE for Dr. Creflo Dollar, the founder and senior pastor of World Changes Church International. He is one of six television and mega-church preachers being investigated by the Senate. His new book is "Eight Steps to Create the Life You Want, The Anatomy of a Successful Life." And we'll talk about the eight steps in a little while. But first, Senator Grassley -- last time you were with us, we discussed the fact that he wanted all the details of your finances and what goes where and I understand you have declined to give that?
DOLLAR: Yes, sir.
KING: Why?
DOLLAR: We don't believe there's any legal obligation to do so, based on the Church Audit Act of 1984, which Senator Grassley co- sponsored. He made it very clear that there were protections for church organizations. For example, there's a difference between a church and a tax exempt organization. All churches are tax exempt, but not all tax exempt organizations are churches.
KING: Right, like a charity.
DOLLAR: Like a charity, so what happens is the church is exempt from annual filings and disclosure requirements that other tax exempt organizations have to be responsible for. Churches are exempt from filing a 990 Form, which is basically information return form.
KING: But when you see people complain about billions of dollars being spent on a luxurious lifestyle, wouldn't it be smart to give the information morally?
DOLLAR: It wouldn't be smart to give the information for the entire public to examine.
KING: Why? DOLLAR: Because you don't want to get involved with excessive entanglement with the First Amendment. There are some people who don't want their information to be exposed so other people can take them through the scrutiny of why they decided to give to this ministry or why they decided to support --
KING: I'm talking about you, Doctor Dollar, what have you got to hide?
DOLLAR: I don't have anything to hide. I want to make sure that if a senator has some obligation and responsibility to keeping the law and the process -- if there are certain laws and processes that are there to protect privacy, then I want to make sure I take full example of those laws.
KING: So it has nothing to do with excessive spending.
DOLLAR: Nothing at all. We are fully compliant with the IRS. The IRS gets our taxes. The IRS, we comply with us 100 percent. And what I would prefer is if you wanted the information, then you would go ahead and tell the IRS to issue a subpoena, come in and evaluate it. And then we would have no problems doing that.
KING: Do you think they should do that?
DOLLAR: They have a right to do that. And if they chose to do that, then what we would have is protection by Code 6103, where the IRS is required to keep the Privacy Act for those who turn the information over.
KING: Do you ever, Doctor Dollar, that whether you should spend anything lavish on yourself, as long as some people are without?
DOLLAR: What's your question again?
KING: Do you ever think why should I spend lavishly on myself when there are some people who don't have anything? That's not God's message I don't think.
DOLLAR: The Bible says, Jesus said, the poor you will have with you always. But the miscalculated assumption is that if we buy anything nice, it doesn't necessarily mean that we are not helping people who are without. Our ministry helps people all over the world who are without. We give millions of dollars a year to help people who are without. We personally help people who are without. We have purchased homes for people. I have purchased over 100 cars for people. It's a part of the gospel that if you have to give to go and give.
KING: So then wonders why wouldn't you show all that?
DOLLAR: Again --
KING: That's a pretty good thing to show.
DOLLAR: If you could see it all, then what you would find out is a lot of good things. But that's not the point. The point is there are laws and processes in place --
KING: You're saying this is a principle?
DOLLAR: It's a principle.
I just loved this clip of him asking for money:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLAR: So it is Biblical to come into the church with an offering. Amen. Make sure that you can't be bought. Make sure that you have money, but make sure that money never has you.
And remember, you give because you love god, because you honor god, and because you respect god.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Dr. Creflo Dollar has a new book out, "Eight Steps to Create the Life You Want, the Anatomy of a Successful Life." Success meaning financial success?
DOLLAR: Success meaning being able to fulfill your purpose and the reason why you're here.
KING: And you figured it out and have broken it down into eight steps?
DOLLAR: I believe I have. It starts out with words. Words are very important. We have four basic needs that every human has to get met. Number one, you have the need of acceptance, feeling that you're loved and needed. You have a need of identity, feeling that you are significant and special.
You have a need of security, feeling that you are protected and you'll be cared for. And then finally, a need for understanding your purpose and the reason why you're alive and why you live. Now if those four basic human needs are not met, you're going to have trouble. If you don't get them met by parents, if you don't get them met somehow, you're going to end up in a bad situation.
So what I had an opportunity to do in this book is to divide it up into eight steps so that you can understand life. And if you don't like where you are, then you can at least diagnose life and then fix it and do some repairs and some adjustments so that you can live a successful life.
KING: Am I better person the more money I have?
DOLLAR: No, you're not. Prosperity -- money by itself cannot define prosperity. But prosperity is defined as wholeness in every area of your life, spirit, soul, body, family, marriage. It includes money, but money is not the basis of success.
KING: Are you successful?
DOLLAR: I'm successful because I believe I found the will of god for my life.
KING: Did you find it early on?
DOLLAR: Yes, sir, I found it at the age of 22 on a college campus. And I really didn't want to be a preacher. In fact, I didn't like preachers because in those days the preachers used to come over to your house and eat up all the chicken before anybody else got a chance to sit down and eat. But I had an opportunity to understand that there was a calling on my life and anointing to fulfill the will of god in my life.
KING: The book is "Eight Steps to Create the Life You Want." Dr. Creflo Dollar is the author. We have an email from Jaime in Bend, Oregon; are the monetary amounts you spend yearly for your multiple homes and cars and luxuries equal to or less than what the church provides to those in need within the congregation.
DOLLAR: Much less, much, much less.
THE MONEY SHOT
KING: But when they something -- Do you need plural -- do you need more than one home?
DOLLAR: No, you don't need more than one home. But, you know, people in our society today have always had a problem with excess. And we don't have any problems with movie stars having more than one home. We don't have any problems with sports people having more than one home. But, boy, if you get a man of god that has more than one home, then he's got to be doing something wrong.
KING: That's because the man of god claims to be preaching the word of god. And the sports star doesn't. The movie star doesn't.
DOLLAR: But the word of god says, and he makes it very clear in proverbs, the blessings of the lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. See, Larry, we also believe in the gospel of prosperity that god wants you to be successful in every endeavor of your life.
KING: Including rich?
DOLLAR: Including financially.
Okay, so let me see if I got this right. With all the hungry people in the world, the homeless, etc.... Do you think Jesus would be driving a Bentley, or would he figure out how many meals that Bentley could buy? I rest my case...
