How much of Joel Osteen's wealth is generated from religiously-based tax exemptions?
I knew Joel when he was a kid and his father John Osteen was preaching out of an old airplane hangar which became a feed store in South Houston. The congregation was no more than a couple of hundred, with about 50 in attendance. I think it was around 1980, I remember John praying to raise $3M to build a new church. I went away for a few year and when I came back, John died of a heart attack and Joel had become a pastor. They built Lakewood church on East Houston Road, I believe it was the firs mega church in the area. The congregation grew to about 30,000.Under Joel's 'management' they church kept growing. He bought the Compaq Center, a sports arena with a capacity of 16,800, which has several services in a week. They 'service' about 52,000 weekly. Tis is not counting the potential millions who watch the services on tv and send him money.The church has a day care center, and a book store where you can buy Joel's books and other religious literature and paraphernalia; it also has cctv so that if you go to the restroom or anywhere else, you won't miss the sermon.The religious and spiritual literature market is saturated, but Joel has an advantage because he promotes his book during services which are also viewed on weekly tv programs worldwide.So while most of his revenue comes from church services, his book sales are greatly successful because of the tax-free promotion from the church.he is more a motivational speaker than an evangelist; he is at the apex of the 'prosperity gospel.'
What are some slang terms used among police officers?
The most derogatory terms for the bad guys and citizens who are just pains in the rectum:A.H. = Adam Henry (A-dam H-enry) If you don’t get it…..sometimes you will hear it as “Jack Hole”…..now what starts with an “A” that ends with HOLE ?RICHARD CRANIUM= What starts with a “D” and is a nickname for Richard ? What is the non-medical layman’s term for the Cranium ? Do these clues HEAD you in the right direction ?
What is something you want to "get off your chest"?
I got gang raped.Gang. Raped.I'm going to give some details… so I guess trigger warningI went to a fish market with my uncle and grandma. My grandma is old and can't walk very well so I was waiting with her for my uncle to get some fish. This huge man comes and picks me up from behind. I'm pretty strong, but this man was much stronger. He grabbed me and ran as I screamed for my uncle to help me. He came too late.So. The big man “A”The other men are “B” “C” and “D”A grabbed me and brought me to a cornerB C D take turns throwing me against a fence as they all undress. They all are on me at the same time. One would be one my face making me suck his dick. One would be masturbating on my chest. One would be doing whatever he wanted on my vagina. One would be holding down my legs.They tied down my arms above my head, stripped me naked, did their rotations, and broke my ankle.I kept squirming so they punched me, gagged me, and stabbed right below my ribcage with a knife. I stopped moving and they rotated a few times. When they were done, about and hour later, they tied to me to fence.They would grab me from behind, touch all over me, cum on me, and then forced me to masturbate. They stuck their fingers up my vagina, put their dicks in my mouth. They made me masturbate on the floor, and then would smack me with their dicks wherever they felt like it.It was torturous. I was in so much pain. They ran Away. The police were searching everywhere, and then one found me on the floor behind a trashcan in an alley. They took me to a hospital, and it gave me so much emotional trauma.Right now, a year later, I am crying in my room, too scared to go anywhere, ripping at my thighs and stomach with a blade. Burning with lighters. I never told anyone else. The only people that know is my grandma, uncle, mom, and dad. I'm too scared to tell anyone.