Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

     
A  segment   from  HBO's "Last Week Tonight  with  John Oliver"  will be  putting new pressure  to the  IRS  to help  crack  straight down   with  televangelists,  stories  CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

Many  associated with   most of these  ministers preach  What\'s  called  ones  "prosperity gospel"  :   That  God  for  Christians  in order to   become  healthy  AND ALSO  wealthy.  many  church leaders  acquire   anybody  beliefs heretical, but  That  hasn't stopped believers  by  donating millions every year.

According  towards the  prosperity gospel, God lifts  your own  faithful out  regarding  poverty  IN ADDITION TO  cures them  involving  disease.

True believers prove  its  faith  via  seeding  -  giving  funds   to help  preachers  --   of which  God  are able to  reward  having a  bountiful harvest later on.

Televangelists reach  information on   a few   mil  viewers, Trinity Foundation president Ole Anthony said. His group investigates religious fraud. He thinks  people   are usually  being duped.

"They keep trying  to help  send  additional  money,  further  money,  additional   dollars   consequently  they  can   acquire  healed," Anthony said.

Anthony said  these types of  preachers have flourished  with   segment   considering that the  IRS  features  turned  the  blind eye  in order to   it is  tax-exempt churches.

The IRS  uses  14 criteria  with regard to  defining  an  church,  such as   having  ordained ministers,  a   acknowledged  creed  ALONG WITH   carrying  regular services. But  your current  agency  will probably  not evaluate church doctrine  Just as   long   As   these include  "truly  AND  sincerely held"  IN ADDITION TO  "not illegal."

"A few  a long time  ago,  your  IRS named Scientology  the  church.  because the   It  happened,  any individual   will  call themselves  the  church," Anthony said.

According  for the  Government Accountability Office,  your own  IRS suspended church audits  absolutely   via  2009  in order to  2013  AND ALSO  conducted  just  three  from  2013  for you to  2014.

To prove  the  point, Oliver  formulated  his own church  AND ALSO  registered  The item   from the  IRS. He called  The item  "Our Lady  of  Perpetual Exemption."

"You  usually are  always going  to find  abuses  AND  excesses  for the  non-profit community,  and even   for the  church world," Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Erik Stanley said.

He said churches  tend to be  constitutionally tax exempt  from the  free exercise  connected with  religion.

"There  can be   zero  surer  solution to  destroy  The idea  free exercise  involving  religion  than   to  begin  for you to  tax it," Stanley said.

He said  the  church community does  a   job   involving  policing itself, but Anthony thinks  added   will be   carried out   about  hucksters.

"My God, they  In the event   at least  say  The idea  fraud  can be  illegal  for the   title   involving  God," Anthony.