In this episode we return to the blight on Chri$tianity that is Prosperity Gospel and this time look at one of the important conduits through which this hedonistic blasphemy finds its way into homes of everyday people, Paul and Jan Crouch’s Trinity Broadcasting Network or TBN for short.
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is one of the largest group owners of broadcast TV stations in the U.S and probably the biggest Chri$tian television network in the world.
Evangelical husband and wife preachers, Paul and Jan Crouch founded TBN in the 1970s, by the 90s the couple were so wealthy they owned, matching his and hers, multi-million dollar mansions and private jets.
The opulence of the Crouch’s would grow so out of control they even had a hundred thousand dollar air-conditioned motorhome for Jan’s beloved dogs, Pinky, Baby and Jazzie.
In 1973, the Crouch’s along with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker set up their own TV station in California.
This television station of theirs was only on air 3 days before they held their first telethon and raised $30 000.
This telethon style approach to money raising would become a signature of TBN. Always claiming they were on the verge of bankruptcy and donations were required to keep the word of the lord on the air. They would run what they called ‘Praise-A-Thons’ at least twice a year for the next 40 years.
The business model for this growing television network was pretty simple. Paul and Jan would host their own show,
The rest of the hours in the day were sold to other preachers. Imagine the Shopping Network but 24 hours a day of infomercials for Chri$t.
Much of the criticism aimed at Crouch over the years, even by other preachers was his particularly pernicious penchant for procuring payments from the most impoverished people. He would use all kinds of manipulations on the most vulnerable of people.
He often claimed giving money to TBN would free you of debt. He read out letters from alleged donors who had given him their very last dollar to find their debts would miraculously disappear just a short time later.
Or they would suddenly and unexpectedly receive a sudden and unexpected payment that would be more than they donated AND cover all their aforementioned debts.
In this episode we play a little game called, ‘Crouch or Caliph’ where Tee Teaz will read out a statement and I’ll give you a couple of seconds to guess, is it a quote from Chri$tian Evangelical Preacher Paul Crouch or are they the words of former caliph of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi? It’s not as easy as it sounds.
We’ll look into Jan’s puppet, Babushka, Paul Jr’s crusade against Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, Chri$tian film The Omega Code starring Michael York, Holy Land Experience Theme Park in Orlando Florida, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Creflo A. Dollar, Joel Osteen, Pat Robertson and even Kirk Cameron.
We also investigate the numerous controversies and legal battles that have plagued TBN for nearly 60 years!
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