(CROSSWALK)—Wealthy televangelists, or as some are referred to "Scamgelists," with outrageous claims are nothing new to Christian news. We've heard it all before—the mansions, the expensive cars, the private planes etc. But this is a new take on why famous pastors need private planes.
1. They can’t stand up on a commercial flight and talk to God out loud.
I'm pretty sure there are other ways to talk to God on a plane, but their point is that they prefer to talk to God this way when flying and because they have their own planes they can do it. I'm sure we'd all like a little more room on an airplane, but I don't think I'd consider it a primary reason for purchasing a private plane.
2. Commercial planes are long tubes filled with demons.
Yes they actually said that. Well if that's true I want a private plane too. Apparently we have been surrounded by demons every time we fly, and we never even knew it! In order to fly safely you need your own sanctuary, according to Duplantis and Copeland, aka a private plane. Private planes must be demon-proof. This is a worrisome justification for owning a private plane. And when I say worrisome I don't mean I actually think there are demons on planes, although there could be. I don't know where demons are at any given time, but I highly doubt that every person on a commercial flight is demon-possessed or sharing a seat with a demon.
3. & 4. They’re too famous and people might ask them to pray for them.
These pastors are so famous, people might recognize them and ask them for prayer. But they are tired from all their ministry work, so this is rather annoying to them. I'll admit that sometimes I want to sleep, read, or watch something by myself on the plane...but if the person next to me were to approach me in conversation I would oblige. You never know who will be next to you on a plane and what kind of conversations you will have; it could be an opportunity to share the gospel or simply love someone who feels rather unloved at the moment.
It is odd that televangelists, like these two, who ask for money from people not only in their church, but who watch them from afar would be annoyed that these people want to say hello or ask for prayer from the pastor they've been watching and supporting. They could at least say, yes let me write down your name and prayer request so that I can pray for you later. If they are being heckled that is a different concern, but neither pastor addressed that topic in the video.
5. The world is dying around us and the only way to get there is by private planes.