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InternetHero
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If those Monks are raking in millions upon millions of dollars and aren't giving it away, then yes, yes they should.
Know a lot of rich monks?
To be fair Buddhist monks aren't buying Leer jets every other year and living in a 100 room 2 billion dollar mansion.
I'm all for the IRS going after the Olsteen or however you spell his name types. The Buddhist monks, local churches where the pastors work a REAL job and do the preaching on a volunteer basis and such shouldn't be gone after IMO.
I hear you on that.
Any power hierarchy throughout time is subject to abuse, no matter how good the intentions.
Stricter regulations and oversight of guys getting super rich off proselytizing would be better, although I am not sure what kind of legal framework that would involve. I understand organizations like the Catholic Church understanding that gravitas and power/influence move the world, but the corruption that this has invited through the history of the church is also too bad.
For every Olsteen there are many, many modest religious figures doing low/middle wage work for the good of a lot of people.
Something that comes to mind is this - if you have something like a megachurch, or a pastor raking in millions, it might trigger greater oversight and taxation possibilities.