Yesterday, a Minnesota “prosperity gospel” preacher, whose theology is based upon the un-Biblical precept that God wants his followers to be economically successful, stated that an intensive IRS probe of his church’s income and expenses is “politically motivated.”

Reverend Mac Hammond told the Christian Post that “enemies of the gospel” are behind the inquiry. Though Hammond could not be reached by email by this author for comment, he appears to maintain that the IRS probe into his church’s income is based on purely material or political gain rather than on an authentic, principled desire to enforce IRS tax regulations that are suspicious of any religious entity’s gaining for itself a particularly strong annual income from donations and investments.

This IRS probe comes in the wake of (Republican) Senator Chuck Grassley’s battle to ensure that six profitable megachurches adhere to IRS regulations of non-profit, non-political entities amassing great wealth adhere IRS religious-based tax exemptions.

Reverend Hammond did not provide any details about whose political ends are being served, or what possibly political gain other than principled enforcement efforts of existing regulations are provided by the investigation of successful American megachurches for their lavish economic gains.

Megachurches, which comprise a relatively small (but growing) percentage of mostly Protestant congregations, typically draw thousands of worshipers from across their host states to single, highly profitable locations, often providing strong economic gains for popular pastors. Among Senator Grassley’s targets is the infamous megachurch reverend Creflo Dollar, whose personal benefits for presiding over a large (apparently unaffiliated Protestant) congregation include at least two private Rolls-Royce automobile for Dollar’s personal use as well as numerous other kickbacks.

The principle of separation of church and state, which dates back to the time of Jefferson, requires that local and federal government officials be wary of any religious organization that unnecessarily abuses its tax-exempt status for the purpose of personal gain by clergymen. No fault has yet been found in the enforcement of such regulations other than personal offense by the wealthy religious pulpit-men who have profited the most from exploitation of IRS tax exemption.