Who is driving the Bush fiscal policy:
In an era when conservative Christians enjoy access and influence throughout the federal government, the organization that fueled their rise has fallen on hard times.
The once-mighty Christian Coalition, founded 17 years ago by the Rev. Pat Robertson as the political fundraising and lobbying engine of the Christian right, is more than $2 million in debt, beset by creditors’ lawsuits and struggling to hold on to some of its state chapters.
In March, one of its most effective chapters, the Christian Coalition of Iowa, cut ties with the national organization and reincorporated itself as the Iowa Christian Alliance, saying it “found it impossible to continue to carry a name that in any way associated us with this national organization.”
“The credibility is just not there like it once was,” said Stephen L. Scheffler, president of the Iowa affiliate since 2000. “The budget has shrunk from $26 million to $1 million. There’s a trail of debt. . . . We believe, our board believes, any Christian organization has an obligation to pay its debts in a timely fashion.”
Alright. I will fess up. That was a cheap shot. But it was fun.
ppGaz
All I can say is:
Jesus.
Bill White
Rapture means never having to pay your debts, at least your debts to Caesar that is.
SeesThroughIt
Looks like they’ve gotta step up their efforts to shake down little old ladies. C’mon, granny, that faith healing ain’t free!
Paul Wartenberg
You know, makes you wonder where all that money went in the first place…
JWeidner
Don’t you watch South Park? Pat Robertson built a spaceship in order to bring Christianity to aliens.
The Other Steve
Booze, drugs and prostitutes.
Zifnab
Maybe the 700 club just stopped getting those big commerical contracts after Robertson put out one too many hypothetical hits on political opponents. I can understand how a preacher with one eye in the sniper scope could lose sight of being marketable to his investors.
Tulkinghorn
So it is OK for local chapters to secede, leaving all the debt at the national level?
I would think the Christian thing to do would be to pay their pro-rata share to all the creditors on the way out, no?
canuckistani
And the rest of it they just wasted.
the friendly grizzly
Maybe even some of the more effervescent Christians got a bit put off by all the “gawd hit Flawduh cuz of Day Day at Disney World” prattling.
Otto Man
Wait, I thought Pat Robertson could reverse the course of deficits with the power of his prayer?
Does that only apply to hurricanes?