MR. RUSSERT: You were an ordained Baptist minister. In November you appeared on “Believer’s Voice of Victory,” this program here with Kenneth Copeland.
GOV. HUCKABEE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: Also a televangelist.
GOV. HUCKABEE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: This is how your home state paper described Mr. Copeland’s difficulties:
“A televangelist under investigation by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee turned a national ministers’ gathering into a fund-raising opportunity for Mike Huckabee, reportedly helping to raise thousands of dollars for the cash-strapped presidential” campaign.
“The fund-raiser was held at Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ campus” “Newark, Texas. The Trinity Foundation, a group that monitors televangelists and viewed a live Internet broadcast of the event, said the fund-raiser took in $111,000″ “generated pledges nearing $1 million.
“Copeland authorized the fund-raiser after receiving a personal call from Huckabee pleading for help, the Trinity Foundation said.”
And this is a tape of Mr. Copeland’s characterization of your phone call with them.
GOV. HUCKABEE: OK.
MR. RUSSERT: Let’s watch.
(Videotape)
MR. KENNETH COPELAND: He hollered at me on the phone, he said, “Are you kidding me? Why should I stand with them and not stand with you? They only got 11 percent approval rating!”
Offscreen Voice: Amen.
MR. COPELAND: And then, and then he said, then he said, “Kenneth Copeland, I will stand with you.” He said, “You’re trying to get prosperity to the people, and they’re trying to take it away from them.” He said, “I will stand with you anytime, anywhere, on any issue.” That settled that right there. I said, “Yeah, that’s my man. That’s my man right there.”
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Is that a fair characterization of the phone call?
GOV. HUCKABEE: I don’t know the exact words were used, but, you know, Kenneth Copeland has been a friend of mine for a long time. His wife’s from Arkansas. They own property there. He’s been somebody that I’ve known for a long time. And my only experience with him is a positive one and a person of integrity. People who’ve worked with him have been there for 30 years. They love him. They speak of him in the most glowing of ways, of how he treats them. And that’s what I know about him.
And, you know, when other people make accusations, all I can tell you is, people make accusations about me every day. If all my friends abandoned me over it, I wouldn’t have any left.
MR. RUSSERT: But, Governor, Senator Charles Grassley is a Republican from Iowa.
GOV. HUCKABEE: Yes, he’s a great guy.
MR. RUSSERT: He, he has an investigation.
GOV. HUCKABEE: Right.
MR. RUSSERT: And this is how, a week after that, this was the article in the Fort Worth paper:
“North Texas televangelist Kenneth Copeland remains defiant in refusing to cooperate with a U.S. senator’s request for information about his finances, and despite the controversy he continues having a prominent role in helping raise funds for Republican presidential” candidate “contender Mike Huckabee.”
When you tell him on the phone you stand with him and not with Congress, are you interfering in a congressional investigation in his finances?
GOV. HUCKABEE:: Oh, heavens no. No, no, no. First of all, let’s, let’s be sure. People are innocent until they’re proven guilty. That, that’s the way we’re supposed to operate.
MR. RUSSERT: But shouldn’t he cooperate and turn over the materials that Senator Grassley requested?
GOV. HUCKABEE: As far as I know, he will fulfill his responsibilities. He’s taking legal counsel. But you know what? The whole issue with Kenneth Copeland/Chuck Grassley is not an issue that I’m dealing with as a presidential candidate. It’s not a part of whether or not I ought to be running for president. And what I’m saying is that I think he’s taking his legal counsel, finding out what he’s supposed to do and where he’s supposed to cooperate, but not in, in any way yielding over the constitutional rights he has under the First Amendment to be not just a person of free speech, but also a person of freedom of religion.
MR. RUSSERT: But if you tell him “I stand with you against Congress,” and then he raises money for you…
GOV. HUCKABEE: Behind him.
MR. RUSSERT: …isn’t that interfering in an investigation?
GOV. HUCKABEE: No, it’s not interfering with an investigation. I–it’d be interfering if I called up Chuck Grassley and said lay off Kenneth Copeland. I’ve not done that, nor would, would I do that. Because I think Kenneth Copeland will ultimately have to provide some responsible answer to the questions that have been raised. And, and that’s fine. And Senator Grassley, he can request whatever information he needs. He’ll have the legal authority to do what he does, or he won’t be able to get it done. That’s all in the world that, that has to happen.
MR. RUSSERT: But he should provide all the information that’s been requested?
GOV. HUCKABEE: If the information is reasonable and it’s not violating the, the rights that Kenneth Copeland has. I, I do have a little concern. It’s a little chilling when you start thinking about is Congress going to start going after nonprofit organizations? And if so, are they going to do all nonprofits? Are they going to start looking at Moveon.org? Are they going to start looking at some of these organizations, where every dime comes from? If, if we’re going to do it, let’s open it up and make sure everybody coughs up the information.
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:38 am
[...] tax - gun ban, Kyoto Protocol, Criminal Court…… (S.2433) Superhighways Threaten Sovereignty Mike Huckabee, Still Standing With the Pulpit Pimps. Remains Tight With False Teacher Kenneth Copela… Eagle Pass to Hazleton, PA: “Sodomize you and your citizens too!” More About The [...]
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Independent Conservative,
Do you think when you read the Bible, or do you just regurgitate it? Where is your explanation of the scriptures, where is your understanding? Does the Bible not also say, “I will give you the power to create wealth”? It’s about a state of mind. It’s about believing that God can provide for all of our needs and we should not get hung up on our finances because if we are trusting God and being obediendt to His word, he will “do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could dare to think, hope, or imagine”, will he not? We are to have abundance in every area of our lives. That is what PROSPERITY is.
IndependentConservative reply on February 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 am :
I study the scriptures and you regurgitate the vomit fed to you by pulpit pimps.
I know, because I used to be like you once, but the Lord showed me out of that heresy.
You are stuck on a “the Bible says” ramble with no true understanding of context, covenants and audience.
You said:
You have totally lost your way with the following:
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (New American Standard Bible)
Notice, this is not directed to the church, but to Israel as affirmation of THE COVENANT BEFORE CHRIST. You are not guaranteed earthly riches. The command to the church is what I’ve already cited for you in the post above.
You have no idea what tomorrow holds and God has not given you ANY guarantees or promise of material gain.
James 4:13-17 (New American Standard Bible)
You boast in your own arrogance of financial prosperity or “total life prosperity” when all God has guaranteed you if you would believe on His Son in truth is the FREE gift of eternal life and that should be sufficient. Whatever comes as the Lord wills DOES NOT include any guarantees of that lie you pimped call “total life prosperity”.
You’ve also made a mockery of the following scripture.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (New American Standard Bible)
The apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ Paul was not speaking of money. The gift of eternal life is what is above the filthy lucre you desire.
Let me show you how Paul, a man who had the power of the Holy Spirit in ways no man can claim to have it today lived.
1 Corinthians 4:11-16 (New American Standard Bible)
Homeless and exhorting YOU to imitate the example of self sacrifice, first carried out in supreme manner by the Lord Jesus Christ.
So who are you striving to imitate?
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:26 am
Are we not offered the same covenant as Israel. Are we not given the same promises as a result of our faith and belief? Is there something wrong with total life prosperity? If there is where are reading two different Bibles. Don’t say you are just like me, we couln’t be more different. Why wouldn’t I be stuck on what the Bible says. What are you stuck on? You keep talking about material gain and filthy lucre, when I’m talking about freedom spiritually, emotionally, financially, ect. And you asked the question of who am I trying to imitate, but who are you trying to imitate. Are you imitating Christ with this blog. When Jesus forgave sinners did He gather everyone in a town and say look what this person did, or look how much better I am? Or did He forgive them and ask those who are without sin to throw the stones. Don’t ask me who I’m trying to imitate, becasue regardless of what YOU think I don’t know about the Bible, I do know that I am supposed to pray for people and bless them in Jesus’ name becasue God forgives the worst of sinners, instead of posting a blog to run their names thru the mud. I am so glad you made this statement, because this just shows what a contradiction you are:
“You are stuck on a “the Bible says” ramble with no true understanding of context, covenants and audience.”
The only reason I’m on this sad blog is because I was looking up Jamal Bryant and saw your post in Jesus Christology to a young lady about how she could never be in the ministry. Maybe the women in Paul’s day and in that location were not ready for ministry, but who are you to say who God will use as HE sees fit? Who are you to tell someone they are not called? As I said in Jesus Christology, I’ll be praying for you Independent Conservative, because there is no point in trying to see reason with someone with such a clouded understanding as yours.
IndependentConservative reply on February 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 am :
GMRM
What you are claiming is a heresy known as “replacement theology”. I invite you to read this write-up in full. You have been misled in what the promises of God are to the Church.
If you want to know what Jesus did, go read Matthew 23 and compare what he speaks of to the ways of these pimps you defend.
You’ve been given a false brand of the faith and need to come to real truth.
So then you cling to “what the Bible says” when you find it can be twisted to your desires for money, but you ignore commands to the church such as 1 Timothy 3, that show men are to lead the church? Again I repeat to you:
You need to learn to rightly divide the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15.
I’ll be praying for YOU GMRM, because there is hope that you might come out of your deluded state. I know, because I once used to be just like you.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
IC: Good work on trying to set GMRM straight. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit will open GMRM’s eyes and he/she will finally see the real Truth in the Gospel.
As for women in leadership, what part of women are not supposed to instruct men does GMRM not get.
I Corinthians 14:34-35,”let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.” (American Standard Version).
IndependentConservative reply on February 22nd, 2008 at 2:42 pm :
Her head is pretty messed up with the same typical garbage I’ve seen way too often and used to once spew myself. Lord willing she might learn better.
You can see some other words we had and in the last comment there I link to brother Job’s blog where she starts leaving comments that show even more of something not of God.
February 24th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Notice as soon as IC began putting the twisted Scriptures into proper context,GMRM vamoosed?? Didn’t bother to answer, just did the usual “You’re too far gone to reason with” spew and hit the road. Funny how much that happens, but Scripture in context is never addressed.
IndependentConservative reply on February 24th, 2008 at 11:57 pm :
GaryV, I showed her the door from here after some other exchange in this other thread showed me she was not willing to hear reason.
And we’ve had other words on Job’s blog.
And you can see there how twisted up her view of scripture is. She does not accept the words on the page. She sees scripture as some sort of living document as Liberals see the US Constitution. Something you can make mean a different thing for a different time. Like she sees where we cite God having Paul saying women should not lead men in churches, but she feels it does not mean that for our time
. As Job told her, God has not changed and nothing has shown his desire for the church ever changed.