Earlier in May, Inside Edition made waves with a report on the lavish lifestyles of Christian evangelists Jesse Duplantis and Kenneth Copeland , who, according to the report, “drive fancy cars and live inside lavish mansions” and “fly in some of the best private jets money can buy.”
Much of the report centered around the private jets owned by the pair, which can cost up to $54 million each — all paid for by church members.
The original segment featured Inside Edition Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero attempting to question Duplantis during a book signing about his need for a jet before she was quickly grabbed and pulled away by security.
“Hi, I’m from Inside Edition,” Guerrero said as she approached Duplantis. “I’d love for you to set the record straight, sir — why do you need a $54 million jet?”
“We’re not doing any kind of interviews now, I’m in a book signing,” he replied before she was accosted by security officials and whisked away.
On May 20, Inside Edition released some extended footage from the report, which shows Guerrero confronting Copeland has he was climbing into a car after appearing at an event. The exchange was truly something to behold.
Guerrero asked Copeland about past statements he made where he said that flying commercial with regular people was like “climbing into a tube with demons.”
According to Copeland, he wasn’t referring to people as demons, but if he flew commercial he “would have to stop 65%” of his ministry.
At one point in the interview, clearly flustered by Guerrero’s unexpected arrival, Copeland looked up to the heavens and said, “Thank you — Lord, help me .., let me pray just a second.”
Copeland went on to say that it “takes a lot of money to do what we do.”
“We have brought over 122 million people to the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
“It’s a biblical thing. It’s a spiritual thing. It doesn’t have anything to do with people. I love people,” he claimed. “Jesus loves people. But people get pushed in alcohol. Do you think that’s a good place for a preacher to be and prepare to go preach to a lot of people when somebody in there is dragging some woman down an aisle by her hair? It made me so mad to see that on television. I wanted to punch the guy out myself. I can’t be doing that while I’m getting ready to preach.”
When Guerrero pressed him on the “demons” comment, his eyes narrowed into a rage.
“No, I do not, and don’t you ever say I did!” he said, putting his finger right in her face. “We wrestle not with flesh and blood but principalities and powers.”
most of these hucksters are. they start believing the perverted bible bullshit they spew and have enough money to be surrounded by those that won't call them out on their hypocrisy. fortunately for sane Americans, these types of religious leaders frequently stumble and fall face first into the inevitable public sex scandal involving children, church members/employees, or exposed encounters with professional sex workers of either gender.
They are probably best described as gullible. However, I suspect a good portion are elderly and those who are desperate to appeal to God (e.g. a terminal illness). They buy the absolute bullshit that Copeland sells about his direct channel to the grandest possible entity. So by doing what Copeland says they believe he will intervene on their behalf.
That our culture (and many others worldwide) is stillsusceptible to religious control like this sickens me. This is why it is important for people to constantly challenge the idea that believing what others tell them on faith alone is a truly horrible way to operate. The key, IMO, is to enable the next generation to critical thinking and expose the game of religion to critical review.
In other words, I personally see a profound difference between believing in a sentient creator of whom we really know nothing at all vs. believing in a personal, attributed, anthropomorphic God who has provided instructions on how we are to behave to gain the grand rewards it dangles and avoid the eternal punishment it threatens and has designated, empowered human agents who provide the instructions to the masses.
Actually he has been applying Peter Popoffs ( another snake oil salesman for Jesus ) Miracle Water on a nightly basis. Not only has it smoothed his facial skin, but as an added benefit has given him that demonic facial expression.
Major creep factor right there !!!
Saw this interview a couple of weeks ago, what an absolute lunatic. Seriously, mentally ill.
most of these hucksters are. they start believing the perverted bible bullshit they spew and have enough money to be surrounded by those that won't call them out on their hypocrisy. fortunately for sane Americans, these types of religious leaders frequently stumble and fall face first into the inevitable public sex scandal involving children, church members/employees, or exposed encounters with professional sex workers of either gender.
He’s a heretic with an ever dwindling following
It surprises me that someone who appears to be this stupid has managed to bamboozle so many millions of 'faithful followers'.
You're surprised ? I'm not, not in this day and age.
I expected him to be slick, not stupid.
What does that say about his followers then?
They are probably best described as gullible. However, I suspect a good portion are elderly and those who are desperate to appeal to God (e.g. a terminal illness). They buy the absolute bullshit that Copeland sells about his direct channel to the grandest possible entity. So by doing what Copeland says they believe he will intervene on their behalf.
That our culture (and many others worldwide) is still susceptible to religious control like this sickens me. This is why it is important for people to constantly challenge the idea that believing what others tell them on faith alone is a truly horrible way to operate. The key, IMO, is to enable the next generation to critical thinking and expose the game of religion to critical review.
In other words, I personally see a profound difference between believing in a sentient creator of whom we really know nothing at all vs. believing in a personal, attributed, anthropomorphic God who has provided instructions on how we are to behave to gain the grand rewards it dangles and avoid the eternal punishment it threatens and has designated, empowered human agents who provide the instructions to the masses.
Gullible is a nice way of putting it. But I agree with you.
A major shyster and scum bag whose mentor and role model was none other than Oral Roberts!
giggity.
One more face lift and Kenneth Copeland will have an eyeball on each side of his head.
His face looks like its made out of play doh.
I thought prayer smoothed his skin.
He's a walking Botoxed, elderly Ken doll.
Actually he has been applying Peter Popoffs ( another snake oil salesman for Jesus ) Miracle Water on a nightly basis. Not only has it smoothed his facial skin, but as an added benefit has given him that demonic facial expression.
Forgive the derail, but Castro rocked.