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Daily Maverick
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
In the wake of Pope Francis, who will champion humanity against the rising tide of greed and corruption?
The death of Pope Francis, one of the most humane and beloved of Catholic pontiffs, leaves the world's vulnerable and oppressed with one less voice against the cacophony of tongues of fire from evangelicals such as Paula White. White was Donald Trump's 'spiritual and campaign adviser' during his 2016 bid for the US presidency. Paula White Ministries now has an online store selling trinkets and blessings, and takes 'offerings' in return. Trump himself is selling a personalised 'God Bless the USA Bible', which will set you back about $60. Like a Vatican trinket shop selling blessed rosaries and bracelets of saints, Trump has set himself up as the Orange Pope of prosperity religion — his own prosperity. Moral compass Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the first Latin American pontiff, and the world that shaped him also guided his moral compass and his understanding of the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised and the powerful role of the church. As former archbishop of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, he chose Francis as his papal name, after St Francis of Assisi – the saint of prayer and peace. In a world where the richest man, Elon Musk, has claimed that 'empathy' is 'suicidal' for Western society and that technology, instead, will save humankind, a strong, moral countervoice is desperately needed. Who will it be? Scandals in the church The Catholic community numbers about 1.4 billion and is regarded as the largest church globally. Its head has enormous influence over the lives of these believers. Pope Francis' most pressing challenge was — and remained — the scandals of child sex abuse and predatory priests around the globe. The Church of England has also had to deal with this phenomenon, as have other religious institutions. It was Francis who made the reporting of abuse by clergy mandatory, the turning point occurring on a 2018 trip to Chile, where a paedophilia scandal had caused outrage. In February 2019, former US cardinal Theodore McCarrick was defrocked by Francis in a historic first after his sexual abuse of a teenager in the 1970s. In the same month, 114 heads of bishops conferences from around the world met with the head of the eastern Catholic Churches for a four-day summit on the protection of minors convened by the pontiff. In 2023, Pope Francis also waived the statute of limitations with regard to a Slovenian priest, Marko Rupnik, who abused a community of religious women in the 1990s. It was a start. Small men, big mouths That the vituperative US Vice-President JD Vance should be one of the last visitors to Pope Francis before he died is serendipitous. A portent, perhaps. Vance is a recent convert to Catholicism and met the pontiff on the morning of Sunday, 21 April 2025, to exchange 'Easter greetings'. Tensions between the US and the Vatican were heightened when the pope rebutted Vance's earlier claim that US actions with regard to immigrants were justified by ordo amoris, medieval Catholic theology of 'rightly ordered love', which Vance had invoked. Vance said there was 'a clear hierarchy of care, and that compassion should be focused on one's community and fellow citizens before it is extended to the rest of the world'. Christian love, the pope schooled him, is one which builds fraternity and is open to all without exception. A final plea Before his death, Pope Francis decried the hate towards 'others' such as migrants and refugees in his Easter Sunday address. 'How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants!' the pope said. 'On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas.' He leaves the world — the Catholic world and the world at large — with a huge vacuum and task: to elevate the voices of the just over the noise of the babblers. While on a trip to Mexico, Francis criticised Trump's 2016 plan to build a wall along the border, noting that 'a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel.' Pope Francis cast his gaze far and wide in the modern world, criticising right-wing populism and calling for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Before his death, he called for peace in Gaza, noting that he was thinking of 'the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation'. DM
The Guardian
05-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘False teacher': Trump's pick to head the ‘White House faith office' roils some fellow Christians
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to 'protect religious liberty', and two weeks after his inauguration he acted: creating a 'White House faith office', which will be led by Paula White, a millionaire televangelist known to speak in tongues who called the Black Lives Matter movement the 'Antichrist' and once encouraged people to buy 'resurrection seeds' for $1,114. The move brought renewed focus on White, Trump's longtime spiritual guru. And for White, not all of it will be welcome. In March, she was criticized over an alleged cash-for-blessings scandal, while other rightwing Christians are unhappy with her new government role, with one describing White as '100% a false teacher'. White will be 'senior adviser' of Trump's faith office, which Trump announced along with an executive order which created a 'Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias'. 'While I am in the White House, we will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals, and in our public squares, and we will bring our countries back together as one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,' Trump said in a speech announcing the creation of the faith office. The appointment of White suggests some of those methods of protection could be unorthodox. In March, as Easter approached, White was criticised for a video in which she appeared to offer 'seven supernatural blessings' for the price of $1,000, including the assignation of a personal angel. White, whose preaching has been described as adhering to 'prosperity gospel' theology – the belief that praying will result in financial gains – said the blessings would also include prosperity and 'increase in inheritance'. White denied that people had to pay to receive the blessings, a spokesperson for Paula White Ministries telling the Christian Post: 'This story is a deceptive smear. Pastor White specifically says in the very same video, 'you're not doing this to get something,' and the solicitation, which was later in the program, makes it clear that any donation to the ministry should only be 'as the Holy Spirit leads.' Moreover, donations to the ministry do not directly benefit Pastor White.' Still, even some rightwing Christians were unimpressed with White's appointment. Jon Root, a Turning Point USA contributor and conservative influencer who supports Trump, told Notus: 'Anybody that you know holds true to strong biblical conviction and discernment wouldn't be involved with Paula White. She's 100% a false teacher.' In any case, the 'seven supernatural blessings' was not the first time White has introduced finances into faith. In 2016, she offered 'resurrection seeds' for sale for $1,144, claiming in a recorded speech that God had told her the price point. 'There's someone that God is speaking to, to click on that donation button by minimizing the screen. And when you do, to sow $1,144,' she said. 'It's not often I ask very specifically but God has instructed me and I want you to hear. This isn't for everyone but this is for someone. When you sow that $1,144 based on John 11:44, I believe for resurrection life.' White said people could also pay $144 or $44 if they could not afford God's suggested total. The money appeared to grant individuals a metaphorical, rather than physical, seed, and the price included a prayer cloth, which White said could bring 'special miracles', and recommended it be placed under a loved one's bed. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion It is unclear how many seeds were sold. But it is known that there have been questions over White's financial maneuvers. CNN reported that White's former church, Without Walls International, received $150m between 2004 and 2006, and a three-year investigation by Chuck Grassley, a Republican senator from Iowa, described how the church and White's personal ministry used tax-exempt funds to pay a million dollars in salaries to family members and spent money on a private jet. The investigation closed with no penalties – although investigators said they were stifled by lifelong confidentially agreements that had been signed by church employees. Other questions about White relate to her beliefs and statements on issues including race and immigration. The Grio reported that White had particular animus for the Black Lives Matter movement, and said in a 2020 speech: 'Christ's likeness is not found in my gender, it is not found in my culture, it is not found in my ethnicity, it is not found in KKK, it is not found in Antifa, and it is not found in Black Lives Matter. All of which are anti-Christ, and even terrorist organizations.' Trump, whose commitment to true freedom of religion has repeatedly been questioned, in January rescinded guidance that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from carrying out immigration enforcement in churches – more than two dozen Christian groups are suing the government over the policy – but that apparent lack of sympathy appears to match White's views. During Trump's first term, White, then the president's spiritual adviser, raised eyebrows when she said Jesus would have been 'sinful' and not 'our Messiah' if he had broken immigration law. 'I think so many people have taken biblical scriptures out of context on this, to say stuff like: 'Well, Jesus was a refugee,'' White told the Christian Broadcasting Network. 'And yes, he did live in Egypt for three and a half years. But it was not illegal. If he had broke the law, then he would have been sinful and he would not have been our Messiah.' From questionable financial accounting, to strident views on protests against the killings of young Black men, to a disdain for immigrants, it seems White could be a perfect match for Trump.
New York Times
03-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Angels for Sale. Only $1,000.
America needs to nail 95 theses to the megachurch door. Last month, Paula White, one of President Trump's most faithful and powerful evangelical supporters and a senior adviser to his new White House Faith Office, began offering 'seven supernatural blessings' for the Easter season. If you 'honor God' during the period of Passover and Easter, 'God will assign an angel to you, he'll be an enemy to your enemies, he'll give you prosperity, he'll take sickness away from you, he will give you long life, he'll bring increase in inheritance, and he'll bring a special year of blessing.' The suggested price for these extraordinary gifts is an offering to Paula White Ministries of $1,000 or more, and if health, wealth and an angel weren't enough, White's ministry will also give you a gorgeous Waterford crystal cross. If you think White is alone in her cynical, heretical grift, then let me introduce you to Lorenzo Sewell, another of Trump's Christian favorites. He's a Detroit-area pastor who delivered a benediction at Trump's second inauguration in January. On the afternoon of Jan. 20, hours after he prayed in the Capitol Rotunda, Sewell posted on X, 'The crypto community was kind enough to send me $Lorenzo, so I have permanently locked my tokens into a Liquidity Pool, so that I will never sell on the community but rather just earn fees as our token continues to flourish!' 'Amazing day, all the glory to God,' he added. At this point, it's safe to say that evangelicals are more responsible than any other American group for Trump's political power. It is my community that has made him president — twice. If you removed white evangelicals in particular from his coalition, he would have lost all three of his presidential races by a landslide. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump creates faith office led by controversial Florida pastor. Who is Paula White?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to form a task force under Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice to "eradicate anti-Christian bias" inside the federal government and prosecute violence against Christians, although he did not provide any examples. And Trump also issued an executive order forming a White House faith office and appointed controversial Florida pastor Paula White-Cain to lead it. White-Cain, a pastor at StoryLife Church and president of Paula White Ministries, both based in Apopka, has been a longtime friend and personal minister to Trump. "This week, I am also creating the White House Faith Office led by Pastor Paula White, who is so amazing," Trump said Feb. 6 in remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. "From the very beginning of our republic, America has always been a nation founded by people of faith, strengthened by the power of prayer, and united by four simple but very beautiful words: In God We Trust," Trump said. "In God We Trust," adapted from the 4th verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner," was not added as the official United States motto until 1956 during the Cold War, after Democratic Representative Charles Edward Bennett of Florida introduced a bill to put the phrase on all banknotes and coins. The phrase replaced E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one"), the nation's official motto for the previous 180 years. Here's what to know about Paula White-Cain. Tupelo, Mississippi native Paula Michelle White-Cain, 58, is a pastor, motivational speaker, author, and personal minister to celebrities such as Michael Jackson, former baseball star Daryl Strawberry and President Donald Trump. Critics have accused her of being a proponent of the prosperity gospel, the teaching that sufficient devotion to God in the form of generous donations brings wealth and health. White-Cain has denied teaching the prosperity gospel "as I've been accused of teaching it." White-Cain has described how she overcame a troubled childhood in which her parents divorced, her father died by suicide, her mother became alcoholic and she was sexually and physically abused. After her mother married a two-star general in the U.S. Navy and the family moved to the Washington, D.C. area, White-Cain said she converted to Christianity at the Damascus Church of God in Maryland and received a vision from God shortly afterward. After a brief first marriage as a teenager, White-Cain married a pastor from the Damascus church, Randy White, and they founded the Tampa Christian Center in Tampa. The church struggled and moved several times in the early years, finally becoming the Without Walls International Church. In 2001, White-Cain began the "Paula White Today" show, which became extremely popular and was picked up by multiple networks. By 2004, Without Walls had a second location in Lakeland and was reporting 20,000 members, which would make them the 7th-largest church in the country at the time, but the church suffered financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy in 2014. By then, Randy and Paula White had divorced, Randy White had stepped down as senior pastor and Cain-White had moved to become pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka. White-Cain has received the 2011 Impact Leadership Award during the 5th Annual International Financial and Leadership Sumitt in Houston, Texas; the 2009 Humanitarian Award by the Trumpet Award Foundation; the 2007 Behind the Bench "Mind, Body, Spirit Award" from the NBA Wives Organization, and the 2006 "Trailblazer Award" by Jesse Jackson and Rainbow Coalition. In 2017, Orlando magazine named her one of the 50 Most Powerful in the Philanthropy & Community Voices category. Joe Kilsheimer, the mayor of Apopka at the time, praised her church's programs that mentored school students, donated food to the needy, assisted families victimized by violence and ministered to young women trapped in the adult entertainment industry. 'What I see her doing in the community,' he said, 'is of tremendous value to Apopka and northwest Orange County.' The property gospel, also called the "health and wealth" gospel, is a fast-growing movement that teaches people can transcend poverty or illness through sufficient devotion to Christianity (often measured in the amounts of their donations) and wealth and success can be seen as an indication of the approval of God. "The PG is popular among impoverished communities, where at best it is considered to offer the poor a means of imagining and reaching for better lives (at times accompanied by sound financial advice), and at worst is criticized as predatory and manipulative, particularly when churches or pastors require heavy tithing," the Harvard Divinity School said. "Members of the socioeconomic elite may also be drawn to PG messages, which affirm the religious and spiritual legitimacy of wealth accumulation and reinforce a worldview in which financial success is an indicator of moral soundness." The prosperity gospel is popular in the United States, especially among Pentecostal megachurch preachers. From 2007 through 2011, the Senate Finance Committee investigated six megachurch televangelists, including White-Cain's ministry Without Walls International Church, that had been accused of misusing charitable, tax-exempt funds. According to the final report, Without Walls paid salaries for extended family members, owned and operated a private jet and frequently chartered flights including trips to the Cayman Islands and a boxing match in Las Vegas, and paid for down payments on an 8,072 square-foot mansion in Tampa and a $3.5 million condo in Trump Tower in New York City. No action was taken on the report. "You have the 'it' factor," Trump reportedly told White-Cain. Trump called her "out of the blue" after seeing her television show late one night, White-Cain said, and praised her sermons. She told The Christian Post that she and Trump met and talked multiple times and he appeared on her show while she held hands in prayer with him before his former "Apprentice" TV shows, during the presidential campaign and eventually in the White House. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson credits her with converting Trump to Christianity, although she has said that Trump has always been a spiritual man. In 2017, she called Trump "a man of repentance." White-Cain was instrumental in introducing Trump to hundreds of religious leaders, she chaired an evangelical advisory board for his 2016 campaign, delivered the invocation at Trump's first inauguration, she was present when he nominated a U.S. Supreme Court justice and signed an executive order on religious liberty, and she held prayer circles with him in the White House. She enthusiastically supported him for re-election in 2020 and 2024. In 2020, White-Cain claimed at a prayer service that 'demonic confederacies' were determined to steal the election from Trump and claimed 'angels are being dispatched from Africa right now.' Keyboardist-songwriter Jonathan Cain of the rock band Journey started seeing White while he was married to his second wife and married her after his divorce. According to the executive order, the new Faith Office was established to "assist faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families, promote work and self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty." The office, housed in the Domestic Policy Council, would empower faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship to serve family and communities. The duties of the office would include: Consult and seek information from experts and various faith and community leaders identified by the Faith Office Make recommendations to the president regarding changes to policies, programs, and practices that would affect the ability of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to serve families and communities Work with the attorney general to identify concerns about violations of constitutional or federal protection for religious liberty Coordinate with all other agencies to identify and promote grant opportunities for faith-based entities and help teach them how to procure grants Help agencies develop and implement training and education about religious liberty exceptions, accommodations, or exemptions Consult with public and private businesses regarding their policies for employee volunteerism, charitable giving, and payroll deductions Showcase innovative initiatives by faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship that serve and strengthen individuals, families, and communities Establish Faith Liasons in every federal agency that does not already have a Center for Faith This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Paula White is Trump's Faith Office pastor. She's from Florida
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump creates faith office led by controversial Florida pastor. Who is Paula White?
Trump creates faith office led by controversial Florida pastor. Who is Paula White? Show Caption Hide Caption AG Pam Bondi's first day ends in flurry of new policies Pam Bondi wasted no time after she was confirmed as US Attorney General Tuesday, issuing multiple directives in line with President Donald Trump. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to form a task force under Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice to "eradicate anti-Christian bias" inside the federal government and prosecute violence against Christians, although he did not provide any examples. And Trump also issued an executive order forming a White House faith office and appointed controversial Florida pastor Paula White-Cain to lead it. White-Cain, a pastor at StoryLife Church and president of Paula White Ministries, both based in Apopka, has been a longtime friend and personal minister to Trump. "This week, I am also creating the White House Faith Office led by Pastor Paula White, who is so amazing," Trump said Feb. 6 in remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. "From the very beginning of our republic, America has always been a nation founded by people of faith, strengthened by the power of prayer, and united by four simple but very beautiful words: In God We Trust," Trump said. "In God We Trust," adapted from the 4th verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner," was not added as the official United States motto until 1956 during the Cold War, after Democratic Representative Charles Edward Bennett of Florida introduced a bill to put the phrase on all banknotes and coins. The phrase replaced E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one"), the nation's official motto for the previous 180 years. Here's what to know about Paula White-Cain. Who is Paula White? Tupelo, Mississippi native Paula Michelle White-Cain, 58, is a pastor, motivational speaker, author, and personal minister to celebrities such as Michael Jackson, former baseball star Daryl Strawberry and President Donald Trump. Critics have accused her of being a proponent of the prosperity gospel, the teaching that sufficient devotion to God in the form of generous donations brings wealth and health. White-Cain has denied teaching the prosperity gospel "as I've been accused of teaching it." White-Cain has described how she overcame a troubled childhood in which her parents divorced, her father died by suicide, her mother became alcoholic and she was sexually and physically abused. After her mother married a two-star general in the U.S. Navy and the family moved to the Washington, D.C. area, White-Cain said she converted to Christianity at the Damascus Church of God in Maryland and received a vision from God shortly afterward. After a brief first marriage as a teenager, White-Cain married a pastor from the Damascus church, Randy White, and they founded the Tampa Christian Center in Tampa. The church struggled and moved several times in the early years, finally becoming the Without Walls International Church. In 2001, White-Cain began the "Paula White Today" show, which became extremely popular and was picked up by multiple networks. By 2004, Without Walls had a second location in Lakeland and was reporting 20,000 members, which would make them the 7th-largest church in the country at the time, but the church suffered financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy in 2014. By then, Randy and Paula White had divorced, Randy White had stepped down as senior pastor and Cain-White had moved to become pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka. Paula White named as community leader White-Cain has received the 2011 Impact Leadership Award during the 5th Annual International Financial and Leadership Sumitt in Houston, Texas; the 2009 Humanitarian Award by the Trumpet Award Foundation; the 2007 Behind the Bench "Mind, Body, Spirit Award" from the NBA Wives Organization, and the 2006 "Trailblazer Award" by Jesse Jackson and Rainbow Coalition. In 2017, Orlando magazine named her one of the 50 Most Powerful in the Philanthropy & Community Voices category. Joe Kilsheimer, the mayor of Apopka at the time, praised her church's programs that mentored school students, donated food to the needy, assisted families victimized by violence and ministered to young women trapped in the adult entertainment industry. 'What I see her doing in the community,' he said, 'is of tremendous value to Apopka and northwest Orange County.' What is the prosperity gospel? The property gospel, also called the "health and wealth" gospel, is a fast-growing movement that teaches people can transcend poverty or illness through sufficient devotion to Christianity (often measured in the amounts of their donations) and wealth and success can be seen as an indication of the approval of God. "The PG is popular among impoverished communities, where at best it is considered to offer the poor a means of imagining and reaching for better lives (at times accompanied by sound financial advice), and at worst is criticized as predatory and manipulative, particularly when churches or pastors require heavy tithing," the Harvard Divinity School said. "Members of the socioeconomic elite may also be drawn to PG messages, which affirm the religious and spiritual legitimacy of wealth accumulation and reinforce a worldview in which financial success is an indicator of moral soundness." The prosperity gospel is popular in the United States, especially among Pentecostal megachurch preachers. Was Paula White's church investigated? From 2007 through 2011, the Senate Finance Committee investigated six megachurch televangelists, including White-Cain's ministry Without Walls International Church, that had been accused of misusing charitable, tax-exempt funds. According to the final report, Without Walls paid salaries for extended family members, owned and operated a private jet and frequently chartered flights including trips to the Cayman Islands and a boxing match in Las Vegas, and paid for down payments on an 8,072 square-foot mansion in Tampa and a $3.5 million condo in Trump Tower in New York City. No action was taken on the report. Paula White and Donald Trump "You have the 'it' factor," Trump reportedly told White-Cain. Trump called her "out of the blue" after seeing her television show late one night, White-Cain said, and praised her sermons. She told The Christian Post that she and Trump met and talked multiple times and he appeared on her show while she held hands in prayer with him before his former "Apprentice" TV shows, during the presidential campaign and eventually in the White House. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson credits her with converting Trump to Christianity, although she has said that Trump has always been a spiritual man. In 2017, she called Trump "a man of repentance." White-Cain was instrumental in introducing Trump to hundreds of religious leaders, she chaired an evangelical advisory board for his 2016 campaign, delivered the invocation at Trump's first inauguration, she was present when he nominated a U.S. Supreme Court justice and signed an executive order on religious liberty, and she held prayer circles with him in the White House. She enthusiastically supported him for re-election in 2020 and 2024. In 2020, White-Cain claimed at a prayer service that 'demonic confederacies' were determined to steal the election from Trump and claimed 'angels are being dispatched from Africa right now.' Is Paula White married to a musician from the band Journey? Keyboardist-songwriter Jonathan Cain of the rock band Journey started seeing White while he was married to his second wife and married her after his divorce. What does the White House Faith Office do? According to the executive order, the new Faith Office was established to "assist faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families, promote work and self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty." The office, housed in the Domestic Policy Council, would empower faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship to serve family and communities. The duties of the office would include:
