Gospel
IS RELIGION ONE GIANT PONZI SCHEME? - by John Tyler, Author and Bible Scholar - copyrighted 04/22/2017
Let's review the "MIRACLE CARS" ponzi scheme that was featured on the TV show - AMERICAN GREED.
A Ponzi scheme is so named because Charles Ponzi, born Carlo Ponzi, was an Italian swindler and con artist in the U.S. and Canada. His aliases include Charles Ponci, Carlo, and Charles P. Bianchi.
So, Ponzi Schemes are intended to SWINDLE people by setting up a way they can get something they want....with little effort or research, but end up in the end - with NOTHING but a heartache and great remorse for being so stupid!
Let's first visit the "Miracle Cars" ponzi scheme.
TWO YOUNG low-lifes con $21,000,000 (million) out of people who "bought" investments in the form of automobiles that never existed!
How does this happen?
Robert Gomez was a 19-year-old working as a security guard in Los Angeles, and rooming with his co-worker (another security guard) and friend, James R. Nichols.
It was Gomez who first alleged to Nichols that he was the adopted son of John Bowers, a wealthy food company executive living in Texas.
Later, Gomez would tell Nichols that this Bowers had died.
He asked Nichols to serve as the executor of the Bowers estate.
Nichols would also later claim to have on an earlier occasion, actually met Bowers at a country club in Long Beach, CA.
Three years later, just before Christmas 1997, the then 23-year-old Gomez stepped into the "discipleship pulpit" of the Christ Christian Home Missionary Baptist Church during the announcements segment of the regular Sunday services.
Gomez introduced himself as Bowers' adopted son, and the heir to an estate valued at $411 million. - The congregation believed him!
Gomez also announced that Bowers had been a devout Christian, and had left instructions in his will that his estate should "gift" a fleet of 16 low-mileage company and personal cars to fellow believers.
THAT GOT THE CONGREGATION'S ATTENTION!
While the vehicles were not individually identified by their VINs (vehicle identification numbers) or the serial numbers of their legal titles, they were described by their general types.
The vehicles were described as late model luxury coupes and sedans (i.e., BMWs, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Cadillac), now the property of the deceased’s estate.
People in the congregation wanted to be first in line to receive one of those 16 "Miracle Cars" promised only to Christians.
They fell for the scam. They put their faith in a Security Guard!
Gomez stated that Bowers' Last Will and Testament intended that the cars were to be gifted to Christians as a charitable bequest.
The Christian beneficiary only had to pay a "conveyance fee" of roughly $1,000 to $1,100, each vehicle's estimated title transfer and tax liability.
Once the estate cleared probate, the vehicles would be conveyed to their new owners.
And, the ponzi duo said, "A final probate of the "Bowers Estate" had been entered as both ruling and Order by the Court.
Until that time, it was plausible that the actual details of the dimensions of an "estate", and the proposed disposition of its contents, could be withheld from general release and/or publication by a gag order imposed by the probate judge.
Remember - this scheme was concocted by uneducated security guards - "Christian wolves" in sheep's clothing!
Therefore, Gomez suggested, that to speed the process of “God’s” cars going to “God’s” people, the intended recipients should pay their “transfer fees” in advance, up front, and then simply await the delivery of their cars."
The first 16 cars were "sold" immediately, but very soon, the dynamic duo fabricated new news!
"My step-father also had thousands of other cars owned by his vast companies and the employees and staff used them, but now they had to be part of the estate and sold off!"
HOW THE SCHEME WORKED - FOR YEARS:
First, Gomez and his co-conspirators used the “probate under seal” dodge to justify their immediate receipt of monies (as payment for title transfer and conveyance fees). Under seal means it cannot be opened untiil such time as Probate releases the contents of the Will.
So, the victims (victims are anyone looking for a quick easy way - without doing any research - a way that seemed "too good to be true") - fell for the words of a security guard!
Sales people were hired to sell this scheme to gullible people.
"The sales figures were staggering. One chief sales coordinator, Corrine Conway (an ORDAINED MINISTER IN A CHURCH IN HIGGINSVILLE, INDIANA) added credibility to the scammers and she made $992,000 worth of finder's fees in 2000 alone. WHO ISN'T GOING TO BELIVE AN ORDAINED MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL?
A professional car finder in the Los Angeles area bought $120,000 (120 CARS) in one day."
Yes, but smart folk don't fall for schemes.....Do they?
From Wikipedia - "Former NFL players Neil Smith and Ricky Siglar bought a total of $700,000 worth of cars."
Wiki - "Without the need to fabricate false or bogus VIN numbers or title serial numbers the conspirators avoided committing the crime of fabrication of, or improper use of, such documents, which is both a state and a federal crime. If the conspiracy had created a single bogus title serial number or VIN number (or used the identification numbers of wrecked or exported cars), the fraud would have been discovered when any of the new "owners" had checked with an auto dealer, or a state DMV office. The conspirators would have been arrested for motor vehicle title theft or fraud the first time one of their fraudulent i.d. numbers surfaced, long before thousands of bogus "cars" could have changed hands in forward sales transactions. By staying away from the creation of counterfeit, or, bogus vehicle i.d. numbers and State Title Serial Numbers, the scheme was able to last much longer."
WORD SPREADS!
Church people from one church told their friends and relatives from other states and from other churches about the "MIRACLE CARS" that would only be sold to Christians for $1,000.
Mercedes, Lincolns...Corvettes......and people bought into this.
"How can I get some of this?", they asked....and there were connections linking back to the sales staff to ensure that anyone "who qualified" - and sent $1,000, could own the cars once they came out from the Probate Court.
BOTTOM LINE:
The PONZI SCHEMES all feed on people's emotions.
"Oh how nice it would be to own a beautiful car for only $1,000."
"Boy, look at the profit I can make buying 700 of these cars for $700,000."
Buying into schemes that can get you something - something that is far easier than the normal way of buying and paying a reasonable price for an automobile - attracted so many people - in 49 states. How could people fall for this?
These people lined up for a "better deal" - one that sounded far-fetched, but they were willing to "take a chance". Woulld it ever materialize? - NO!
There were NO CARS.
THERE IS NO 10% to 20% deal where, for an investment of say $100,000, you can earn $10,000 to $20,000 interest in a year and in five years....you get all your $100,000 principle back...plus all that interest!
Ponzi Schemers pocket the money and lavish it on themselves.
By the way, all ponzi schemers come to a "day of reckoning" when their scheme is revealed....and they always come to an end at some point when future investors start seeing bounced interest checks, or they want their money back...or police, FBI etc. catch wind of it.
ALL RECIPIENTS (suckers) of Ponzi scheme religions also come to a sad ending!
The ponzi scheemers may send checks to the "investors" for a few months or longer while raking in millions of dollars from other "investor/suckers" to pay those interest payments....and the schemers get more money from original investors because they have seen money.....and they have built TRUST in the schemer.
THIS IS WHY I SAY - "RELIGIONS ARE A GIANT PONZI SCHEME"
RELIGIONS PROMISE AN EASY WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET INTO HEAVEN...WITH LITTLE OR NO EFFORT ON THEIR PART.
ALL "RELIGIOUS INVESTORS" HAVE TO DO IS "TITHE" OR PAY MONEY TO THE CHURCH LEADERS, AND DO GOOD WORKS...AND THEY CAN GET INTO HEAVEN.
BUDDHISTS, HINDUS, MORMONS, MANY PROTESTANT "RELIGIONS", CATHOLICS....YOU NAME IT..."GOOD WORKS", FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE, ADHERENCE TO WHAT YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT, AND DOLLARS INTO THE PLATE WILL GET YOU INTO HEAVEN.
PEOPLE FALL FOR ANYTHING THAT SOUNDS "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE".
ALL "VICTIMS" FELL INTO THE SCHEME BY HAVING "FAITH" IN WHAT THE SCHEMER, LEADER, PRIEST, GURU, RABBI, CLERGY IS SELLING.
"SEND ME $1,000.00 "SEED MONEY" AND GOD WILL OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING THAT YOU CANNOT CONTAIN." - certaqin TV preachers/scammer
PART OF THAT STATEMENT IS BIBLICAL....MALACHAI 3:10 READS, " I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"
THE TV PREACHERS DEMANDING $1,000 "SEED MONEY" COMBINE THEIR DESIRE TO SEPARATE YOU FROM YOUR $1,000 WITH THE PROPHET MALACHAI'S WORDS.....BUT IT'S NOT WHAT GOD SAID.
GOD SAID TO THE JEWS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, "BRING 10% OF YOUR FOOD THAT YOU GROW OR THE MEAT THAT YOU RAISE OR THE MONEY FROM YOU INVESTORS INTO MY STOREHOUSE SO THAT THE PRIESTS CAN BE PAID AND SO THAT THE POOR IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN HAVE FOOD....THEN, IF YOU ARE FAITHFUL TO DO THAT, I WILL BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY."
BUT, THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF "SUCKERS" WANT TO BE MILLIONAIRES AND JUST HAVE GOD PAY THEIR WAY THROUGH LIFE...SO "INVESTING" $1,000 (MAYBE USING CREDIT CARDS OR BORROWING ON A MORTGAGE), IS A NICE, EASY WAY TO MAKE GOD DO WHAT THE TV PREACHER SAYS HE WILL DO.
SOME GUY NAMED JOSEPH SMITH APPEARED ON THE SCENE IN THE EARLY 1800s AND DECLARED, "THE ANGEL MORONI SHOWED ME A HOLE IN THE GROUND. IN THERE, I FOUND A GIZMO THAT I LOOKED THROUGH, AND SAW LOTS OF REVELATIONS - SO I WROTE THEM ALL INTO A BOOK - THE "BOOK OF MORMON".
THIS IS 1700 YEARS AFTER THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN...WHEN JOHN THE APOSTLE FINSIHED THE "BOOK OF THE REVELATION" AROUND 100 A.D.
DID ANYONE BOTHER TO READ THE NEW TESTAMENT?
NO!
INSTEAD, THEY CHOOSE TO FOLLOW WHAT A MORTAL MAN HAS TOLD THEM TO BELIEVE!
SO....IS THE WORD "RELIGION" IN THE BIBLE?
YES...FIVE TIMES.
THEY REFER TO THE RELIGION OF THE JEWS, BUT THE JEWISH APOSTLE - JAMES...THE HALF BROTHER OF JESUS, SAID THIS IN JAMES 1:27 - " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
JESUS SAID THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GET INTO HEAVEN. JOHN 3:3 - "UNLESS A MAN OR WOMAN IS "BORN OF WATER FIRST, AND THEN BEOMES BORN OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD", THEY CANNOT ENTER INTO HEAVEN."
THAT MEANS - WE HAVE TO FIRST BECOME HUMAN (WHEN YOUR MOM'S WATER BROKE....YOU WERE BORN), AND THEN, WE MUST CHOOSE TO BECOME "BORN AGAIN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD".
GOD ALSO TELLS US THIS - THAT TO BE "BORN AGAIN" OR SAVED FROM HELL INTO HEAVEN...ACTS 4:12 - " Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
THAT NAME IS JESUS BECAUSE HE PAID FOR YOUR SINS AND MINE ON THE CROSS, AND ONLY HE CAN FORGIVE SIN.
SO, THE BOTTOM LINE, MY FRIEND, IS YOUR CHOICE!
DO YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE WHAT SOME MAN OR WOMAN HAS SAID....AND ALL OF THEM IN THE PAST HAVE DIED AND REMAIN DEAD (EXCEPT FOR THE SON OF MAN - JESUS).......
AND DO YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE BELIEVING IN THEIR "PONZI SCHEME" -
OR DO YOU CHOOSE TO ACDEPT JESUS AS YOUR LORD, SAVIOR AND THE ONLY WAY INTO HEAVEN?
"WHOSEVER (THAT MEANS YOU)...SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." - ROMANS 10:13
FOR A REFERENCE ON HOW TO BE SAVED...AND WHY YOU NEED A SAVIOR, PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK: www.johntyler.com/SALVATION.htm
John Tyler, Author - Bible Scholar
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