Formation | August 16, 2015 |
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Founder | John Oliver |
Dissolved | September 13, 2015 |
Type | Parody religion |
Headquarters | CBS Broadcast Center, New York City, New York, US |
Megareverend and CEO [1] | John Oliver |
Website | ourladyofperpetualexemption |
Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption was a legally recognized parody religion in the United States established by the comedian and satirist John Oliver. The church was announced on August 16, 2015, in an episode of the television program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver . Its purpose was to highlight and criticize televangelists, such as Kenneth Copeland and Robert Tilton, whom Oliver argued used television broadcasts of Christian church services for private gain. Oliver also established Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption to draw attention to the tax-exempt status given to churches.
During his show on September 13, 2015, Oliver announced that the church had received "thousands of dollars" and a variety of other items from viewers, and announced that the Church would be shutting down. The segments and later spinoff segments featured the comedian Rachel Dratch as Oliver's fictional wife, Wanda Jo. All donations were given to Doctors Without Borders.
Oliver created two spinoffs of the church in later segments. In April 2018, Oliver founded Our Lady of Choosing Choice, which owned the van labeled "Vanned Parenthood" (a reference to Planned Parenthood), for a segment about crisis pregnancy centers. In June 2021, Oliver set up a church in Florida called Our Lady of Perpetual Health, which owned the health care sharing ministry "JohnnyCare", satirizing the lack of regulations on such ministries.
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Televangelists: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) on YouTube |
On August 16, 2015, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver broadcast a segment about televangelism, the practice of using television broadcasts for Christian church services. In the segment, Oliver criticized televangelists like Kenneth Copeland and Robert Tilton for using donations from their programs to pay for private luxuries and pointed out that such donations were tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) regulations. [2] [3] [4] The host opined that part of this was due to the IRS's lax requirements; he pointed out that only three churches were audited in 2013 and 2014. [5] [6] Oliver established Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption partly to demonstrate the lack of legal requirements to establish a tax-exempt religious organization and to illustrate the "disturbingly easy" process. [7] [8] The host explained that he was able to found the church due to "vague" legal restrictions. He chose his New York City studio for the church's official location, [7] but registered the nonprofit organization in Texas. [9] During the satirical infomercial segment of the episode, the comedian Rachel Dratch appeared as John Oliver's fictional wife Wanda Jo Oliver; she later reprised the role in episodes featuring spinoffs of the church and in Last Week Tonight's 2019 segment about psychics. [10] [11] [12] The "megachurch" used a toll-free phone number to permit callers to donate to the church, and said that all monetary donations would be redistributed to the charitable relief organization Doctors Without Borders upon the church's dissolution. [13] [14]
Oliver criticized the practices used by televangelists for donations, which included promising that donations and prayer would cure sickness or that donations would get rid of credit card debt. [3] [4] [8] In his broadcast on August 16, the host revealed letters of his months-long correspondence with Tilton, in which he initially sent $20 to Tilton's church and received a letter back asking for more in donations; by the end of the correspondence, he had received a total of 26 letters and donated $319. [3] [7] [8] Oliver criticized pastors such as Tilton, Copeland and his wife Gloria, Creflo Dollar, and others for using the IRS's religious tax breaks for personal luxuries. [15]
Oliver later announced that in response to the episode, viewers of Last Week Tonight had sent in "thousands of dollars", international currency, a check for $65 billion, and different packages of seeds, including semen (in reference to the "seed faith" gospel the show was parodying). [14] [16] [6] Callers to the toll-free number heard a pre-recorded message from Oliver demanding donations. [13] [17]
A week after the announcement of the church's creation, Oliver devoted a short segment of his show to the donations the church had received, which included money from around the world. Oliver said he had received "thousands of envelopes with thousands of dollars" from donors, displaying several US Post Office containers full of mail. Oliver told viewers that the more money they sent in, the more "blessings" would be returned to them, adding that "that is still something I'm—amazingly—legally allowed to say". [16] [6]
On September 13, 2015, Oliver announced on Last Week Tonight that he was closing Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption. [14] [18] A message on the church's website stated: "We're also not closing down because you all kept sending us actual seeds, even though we explicitly told you not to. We're closing because multiple people sent us sperm through the mail." [19] Upon the church's dissolution, Oliver announced that the tens of thousands of dollars received would be donated to Doctors Without Borders and mockingly said that "if you want to send money to a fake church, send it to Scientology". [14] [18]
Matt Wilstein, writing in Mediaite , compared Oliver's stunt to the comedian Stephen Colbert's "Colbert Super PAC", which Colbert used to test the limits of the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC . [7] Many reviewers agreed with Oliver's characterization of televangelists as "frauds". [20] [21] [22] Some reviewers found that Oliver's criticism of the IRS was incomplete and useless; [23] [24] others criticized Oliver's failure to discuss the long history of tax-exempt status for churches. [24] Steve Thorngate, writing in The Christian Century , suggested that the question of religious tax exemption was more difficult and nuanced than Oliver portrayed, and not a simple matter of government regulation. However, Thorngate agreed that Oliver's exposure and criticism of televangelists was accurate. [23] After the segment aired, the IRS was pressured to investigate televangelists and their use of tax-exempt status. [25] [26] [27] The IRS and the televangelists discussed in the segment did not publicly comment. [28]
External videos | |
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Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) on YouTube | |
Health Care Sharing Ministries: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) on YouTube |
On April 8, 2018, Last Week Tonight broadcast a segment about crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which dissuade pregnant women from getting abortions, often through misinformation. [10] [29] [30] Oliver highlighted an image of a van that would park outside centers to advertise free ultrasounds. [30] Oliver filed paperwork in New York to start the nonprofit Our Lady of Choosing Choice, which owned the CPC van labeled "Vanned Parenthood" (a reference to Planned Parenthood). [10] [30] [31] Oliver announced the van at the end of the segment on CPCs with Rachel Dratch as Wanda Jo, who made multiple incorrect medical claims to point out the right CPC workers have to misinform patients. [10] [32] [33] Oliver finished the segment by saying: "This is all perfectly legal and there is absolutely nothing stopping us from parking outside an abortion clinic tonight and haranguing people in the morning." [34] Pro-life organizations and CPC operators criticized the segment for presenting a "one-sided" argument, with one CPC founder calling it a "hate piece". [35]
On June 27, 2021, Last Week Tonight broadcast a segment about health care sharing ministries (HCSMs), which are religion-based organizations where members' premiums directly pay the healthcare costs of other members, exempt from tax. Oliver discussed the lack of regulation on HCSMs, allowing the organizations to deny coverage for anything, and advocated for states to pass laws mandating that HCSMs disclose their practices and properly allocate funds. [11] [36] [37] In 2018, Florida eased restrictions on HCSMs, changing the criteria from mandating that an HCSM have people of the same religion to having people who "share a common set of ethical or religious beliefs". [36] Due to the lax requirements, Oliver founded the church Our Lady of Perpetual Health, which owned the HCSM "JohnnyCare". [11] [38] Oliver announced the new organization in an informercial at the end of the Last Week Tonight segment about HCSMs, bringing back Rachel Dratch as Wanda Jo. [39] Oliver stated that 5,000 Florida residents could sign up for a $1.99 fee and receive a JohnnyCare-branded set of bandages in return. [11]
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, or simply a nonprofit, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, as opposed to an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a profit for its owners. A nonprofit organization is subject to the non-distribution constraint: any revenues that exceed expenses must be committed to the organization's purpose, not taken by private parties. Depending on the local laws, charities are regularly organized as non-profits. A host of organizations may be nonprofit, including some political organizations, schools, hospitals, business associations, churches, foundations, social clubs, and consumer cooperatives. Nonprofit entities may seek approval from governments to be tax-exempt, and some may also qualify to receive tax-deductible contributions, but an entity may incorporate as a nonprofit entity without having tax-exempt status.
Televangelism and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of religious messages, particularly Christianity.
Creflo Augustus Dollar, Jr., is an American pastor, televangelist, and the founder of the non-denominational Christian World Changers Church International based in College Park, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Dollar also heads the Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association, Creflo Dollar Ministries, and Arrow Records.
Kenneth Max Copeland is an American televangelist associated with the charismatic movement. He is the founder of Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. (EMIC), which is based in Tarrant County, Texas. Copeland has also written several books, resources, and is known for his broadcast "Believers Voice of Victory".
Robert Tilton is an American televangelist and the former pastor of the Word of Faith Family Church in Farmers Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. At his ministry's peak in 1991, Tilton's infomercial-style program, Success-N-Life, aired in all 235 American television markets and brought in nearly $80 million per year; it was described as "the fastest growing television ministry in America."
Prosperity theology is a religious belief among some Charismatic Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive scriptural confession, and giving to charitable and religious causes will increase one's material wealth. Material and especially financial success is seen as a sign of divine grace or favor.
A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code. Such organizations are exempt from some federal income taxes. Sections 503 through 505 set out the requirements for obtaining such exemptions. Many states refer to Section 501(c) for definitions of organizations exempt from state taxation as well. 501(c) organizations can receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, and unions.
The Trinity Foundation is an American watchdog ministry founded by Ole Anthony in 1972. Its main mission is to expose abuse of public trust by televangelism and religious organisations. It has provided information to news outlets as well as state and federal agencies. As of 2020, the president of the organisation is Peter Evans.
The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, incorporated in 1982, which owns all the copyrights of the estate of L. Ron Hubbard and licenses their use. CST does business as L. Ron Hubbard Library. The Church of Spiritual Technology points to Hubbard as the “focal point,” with the structure designed to realize what Scientologists understand to be his vision. The stated purpose of the archive in CST, according to the church is “so that future generations will have available to them all of L. Ron Hubbard’s technology in its exact and original form, no matter what happens to the society.”
John William Oliver is a British and American comedian who hosts Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work in the United States as the Senior British Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2006 to 2013. Oliver won three Primetime Emmy Awards for writing for The Daily Show and became its guest host for an eight-week period in 2013. He also co-hosted the comedy podcast The Bugle with Andy Zaltzman, with whom Oliver had previously worked on the radio series Political Animal and The Department. From 2010 to 2013, he hosted the stand-up series John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show on Comedy Central. His acting roles include Ian Duncan on the NBC sitcom Community and voice work in the animated films The Smurfs (2011), The Smurfs 2 (2013), and The Lion King remake (2019).
Michael Dean Murdock is an American Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter, televangelist and pastor of The Wisdom Center ministry based in Haltom City, Texas. Murdock preaches around the world and is best known for his promotion of prosperity theology. He hosts the School of Wisdom with Mike Murdock television program.
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the US.
A religious corporation is a type of religious non-profit organization, which has been incorporated under the law. Often these types of corporations are recognized under the law on a subnational level, for instance by a state or province government. The government agency responsible for regulating such corporations is usually the official holder of records, for instance, the Secretary of State. In the United States, religious corporations are formed like all other nonprofit corporations by filing articles of incorporation with the state. Religious corporation articles need to have the standard tax-exempt language the IRS requires. Religious corporations are permitted to designate a person to act in the capacity of corporation sole. This is a person who acts as the official holder of the title on the property, etc.
Scientology was founded in the United States by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is now practiced in many other countries.
A nonpartisan organization, in American politics, is a non-profit organization organized United States Internal Revenue Code that qualifies certain non-profit organizations for tax-exempt status because they refrain from engaging in certain political activities prohibited for them. The designation "nonpartisan" usually reflects a claim made by organizations about themselves, or by commentators, and not an official category per American law. Rather, certain types of nonprofit organizations are under varying requirements to refrain from election-related political activities, or may be taxed to the extent they engage in electoral politics, so the word affirms a legal requirement. In this context, "nonpartisan" means that the organization, by US tax law, is prohibited from supporting or opposing political candidates, parties, and in some cases other votes like propositions, directly or indirectly, but does not mean that the organization cannot take positions on political issues.
Health care sharing ministries (HCSM) are organizations in the United States in which health care costs are shared among members with common ethical or religious beliefs in a risk-pooling framework in some ways analogous to, but distinct from, health insurance.
The United States Senate inquiry into the tax-exempt status of religious organizations was an investigation of six 501(c) religious organizations conducted by the United States Senate Committee on Finance lasting from 2007 until 2011.
In 2013, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), under the Obama administration, revealed that it had selected political groups applying for tax-exempt status for intensive scrutiny based on their names or political themes. This led to wide condemnation of the agency and triggered several investigations, including a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal probe ordered by United States Attorney General Eric Holder. Conservatives claimed that they were specifically targeted by the IRS, but an exhaustive report released by the Treasury Department's Inspector General in 2017 found that from 2004 to 2013, the IRS used both conservative and liberal keywords to choose targets for further scrutiny.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is an American late-night talk and satire television program hosted by comedian John Oliver. The half-hour-long show premiered in the end of April 2014 on HBO and currently premieres simultaneously on the network and Max. Last Week Tonight shares some similarities with Comedy Central's The Daily Show, as the show takes a satirical look at news, politics and current events, but on a weekly basis.
This is a timeline of events during the year 2015 which relate to religion.