When Senator Grassley thinks he smells something rotten, there probably is a problem. Grassley is not motivated by any anti-religious bias, and has not been a grand-standing publicity seeker. He currently is leading an investigation into the finances of several televangelists.

Story on Joyce Meyers from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I think my favorite detail is the marble-topped commode.

This story depends on the work of the Post-Dispatch, but also carries the list of other evangelists being investigated. These are

Creflo and Taffi Dollar of College Park, Ga., whose "Changing Your World" broadcasts are seen in 150 countries, owns two Rolls-Royces, private jets, a mansion in Atlanta and a $2.5 million apartment in Manhattan.

-Benny Hinn of Grapevine, Texas, whose daily television program, "This is Your Day!" is seen in more than 100 countries.

-Eddie Long of Lithonia, Ga., who preaches anti-gay themes and says God blesses people financially as well as spiritually.

-Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Newark, Texas. He is a practitioner of the Word of Faith movement which believes that faith will reward people spiritually and financially.

-Randy and Paula White of Tampa, Fla., who founded the Without Walls International Church, and listed as their possessions a $1.9 million jet and $3.5 million condominium in New York. In August, they announced their divorce.

Some days I despair of American Protestantism. One problem, while Protestants traditionally have criticized Roman Catholicism as "man-centered" because of the primacy of the pope, they have been quick to elevate leaders into celebrity status with no oversight. Look at the newspaper ads this Saturday for churches in your community. Notice that the pictures of the pastor appear in the Protestant ads, not the Roman Catholic, or Orthodox.