DB,
You can quote all the misleading biblical phrases that you like religion has an answer for everything. The sad fact is that there is not a shred of tangible evidence to prove religion one way or the other. It remains the best and biggest business in the world, especially good for vulnerable people who need a crutch to get though life. Of course these people are the easiest to exploit.

i still do not see the logic behind the statements made towards the prosperity of these men and women of God. wealth and riches are in the house of the righteous...it is the lord that giveth thee the power to get wealth that he may establish his covenant...give and it shall be given...so shall your barns be filled and your presses burst forth with wine...prove me saith the lord if i... find these verses put the context to them and tell me god wants his people broke and poor. a poor person won't be heard even if they have the key to protect the city. it is unbiblical to stay poor as a christian. jesus came and preached the gospel to the poor. what would be good news to a poor person? folks poverty and sickness are curses. they are things to be pious about. jesus shed his blood on the cross so we could be free from the penalty of sin. lack and poverty are not the idea God has for his people. God does and always has made his people rich (at least it is there for us). God saves us now and will help us everyday in everything wealth just happens to be one of those things. let's not forget reaching out to the lost and healing the sick and preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. these ministries have scripture and a covenant keeping God on their side. i would say touch not mine anointed nor do my holy prophets any harm.

pmark see 1 Timothy 6:5

R0bert

pmark, I am not against pastors or religious leaders earning high incomes I just want them to pay their taxes just like any other taxable entity.

i just had one of my servants bring me a copy of I timothy 6:5 being that he was late i scourged him real good. seriously though that is a great scripture as all are. i am correct in thinking the part "supposing that gain is godliness" is the part for the topic and the first is not directed at me. but again gain could not be a substitute for godliness or a litmus test for being in the faith. rather a act of obedience towards the realm of God proving His Word in all facets of life. Salvation, healing, prosperity, righteousness... the list can go on and on of the things that can be had through the exercising of God's Word. The Word works when you work it by faith.
if the facts are that the ministers are breaking laws then they should lawyer up like anyone else would do and revisions of the laws should be made. but there are a lot of bunny trails being created by this topic mainly this idea that ministers should not be rich. i just don't see it in the Bible. if you sow you are going to grow. God just can't reverse His Word when ever it is convenient to someones ideas.

pmark - you say that religious figures have just as much right to be rich as anyone else.

Okay...

I'd argue however, that if they're genuine examples of christian generosity, they wouldn't need these mere material possessions - in fact, if they are indeed worthy of praise, they'd be selling items of ridiculous luxury like marble topped toilets.

I'm not saying they should be living in hovels, far from it. Of course they should live comfortably, heck, even a reasonably wealthy lifestyle.

But if you're trying to tell me I should admire these peopel for being leading religious figures, but their priority is to have a marble topped toilet over using that money to help others, I can't help but feel that their morality is nothing to admire.
I can quite honestly say that if I possessed those kinds of resources I'd not be wasting it on private jets or marble toilets - and yet, these people are supposed to be people we admire for their religious guidance.

Well screw that. I'd sooner listen to the generous pauper than the syndicated preacher with a hundred dollar haircut. I'm pretty sure Jesus had some pretty scathing comments for those who talked the talk but didn't walk the walk.

The focus of the article is that these multimillionaires aren't subject to the same scrutiny as standard multimillionaires because they funnel their money through religious organisations.

It seems to me, that allowing this to happen is allowing a loophole that detracts from the reasons why we let religious organisations go without paying tax - the idea being, of course, is that their primary goal is to help the less fortunate, not amass great wealth.
Something these people seem to have forgotten.