Quote:
Originally Posted by Hope
... we were contacted about a savings program that the LSM was sponsoring to encourage the young people to save their surplus. It was called “the little bankers.” An elder in a church would collect and record additions and interest to someone's account ... We all thought we could just withdraw at any time. Then I learned the money went for a last ditch effort to keep Daystar afloat. Say goodbye to it. Later, WL asked me to sign a waver of forgiveness from the LSM.
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This is most disturbing. It's even hard for me to believe. Obviously the whole "
little banker" scheme was concocted knowing full well in advance that the young saints "surplus" moneys would be used for Daystar business debts. No doubt about it, there was no accident here. Is there any way that this could not be called embezzlement?
For years I heard WL condemn all Christianity and all Christian leaders for compromising the purity of the gospel and the truth relating to money, boasting that he and his ministry alone upheld the standard pleasing to the Lord, without any trace of compromise. One verse often used by WL to support these claims was 2 Cor 2.17, "
For we are not like the many, adulterating (or peddling, retailing, hawking) the word of God for profit." How can we ever excuse or coverup this blatant contradiction and hypocrisy?
What's even more troubling to me is the fact that LSM never went back and attempted to make good on their past debts. Wasn't Message #2 of the
New Beginner's Series entitled "
Clearance of the Past?" Right after the message, "
Knowing You are Saved." Why doesn't that message apply to LSM too?
At the time LSM purchased that huge La Palma Campus, the price tag was $30 plus million dollars, with 1/3 from Taiwan, 1/3 from the US churches
(remember that $2,000 quota per offering unit!), and 1/3 from LSM's cash reserves. If LSM had over $10 million in cash reserves, (
and how did they ever come up with that?!?) why couldn't they go back and make good on bad debt? Practice what they preach and clear the past?