# Why do people send money to churches on TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2000, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833 "2000-06-09T02:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madd1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@madd1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madd1)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/1 "2000-06-09T02:51:06Z")
Why do people send money to churches on TV? These people sit on expensive looking, plush, gold gilded chairs. They wear Rolex watches and thousand dollar suits. It is so obvious they HAVE money, yet scream poverty. Question two: What is up with the Christian TV Tammy Faye Baker look? She has a clone on TBN. She wears 50lbs of makeup and a wig that could be used as a warm coat by a small needy child. ---
**Author:** ![tbea925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@tbea925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbea925)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/2 "2000-06-09T03:25:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Why do people send money to churches on TV? > > \*\* Many reasons, some tragic, some not… Loneliness - contributing gives people a feeling of “belonging” somewhere. Greed - Many evangelists promise that contributors will “share in God’s blessing” (by sending money they will receive money). Guilt - Charismatic influence can make folks believe that if you keep your money, you are inherently bad. Send all that sinful money to the mailbox on the bottom of your screen, and we’ll…ummm…sanctify it, yeah, that’s the ticket. Hunger - in their lives of quiet desperation, some believe that they would be complete and content if they only had the blessed polyester prayer hankerchief or tiny vial of Holy Water being offered for $50 in U.S funds. A few people do actually get spiritual nourishment from the shows and services they see. I fear these are sadly in the minority. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/3 "2000-06-09T04:40:39Z")
Because of what P. T. Barnum (actually Hannum) said. ---
**Author:** ![QirQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/848f3c/32.png) [@QirQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QirQ)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/4 "2000-06-09T06:33:31Z")
If you really really,TRULY want to know. Then send me 100 dollars to the adress below… ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/5 "2000-06-09T14:12:46Z")
This reminds me of the “Reverend Robert Tilton”. He would be on BET at about 6:00 AM soliciting “vows” to God, which were nothing more than monitary donations. I don’t remember all his spiel, but he was able to jusitfy sending money and then turn it around so that you felt like you HAD to send something in. I was roflmao when I first heard him say, “You could make a $100 vow…”, and I thought “how could people be suckered into this?” Last I heard, he wasn’t doing it anymore. Anyone else heard anything about him? ---
**Author:** ![lemartel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lemartel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lemartel)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/6 "2000-06-09T14:18:32Z")
Perhaps the simplest answer is they enjoy the program and want to make sure it stays on the air. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2000, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/7 "2000-06-11T04:45:52Z")
That woman on TBN is not only frightening because of the Tammy Faye resmeblance and the massive hair–the most terrifying thing is that her hair is pink! ---
**Author:** ![Commander\_Fortune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Commander\_Fortune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Commander_Fortune)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2000, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-send-money-to-churches-on-tv/21833/8 "2000-06-11T11:24:41Z")
Its like it ranges through most of the pastels except green. I can say that I’ve also seen it lavender and blue at different times.