Did you ever expect to see the day when the Vatican suspended bishops for rich living and Bible-belt Protestant pastors stepped in to fill the gap?

Haters are taking note as Charlotte pastor Steven Furtick builds one of Charlotte, North Carolina's largest homes. Apparently though, only 8,400 square feet of the total 16,000 will be heated. The rest will be garages and other space.

From The Charlotte Observer:

Furtick, 33, is paying for the five-bedroom house with income from the books he's written and will write.

It's not a parsonage or a gift from Elevation, Corbett [Elevation's CFO] said, "and it's not tied to the church in any way."

Though Furtick said in a recent sermon that "it's not that great of a house," it will be among the biggest in the Charlotte area, featuring 7.5 bathrooms and, according to a building permit, an electric gate.

…he's building this house on his book advances, while allowing the church to be a beneficiary of the sales," Corbett said.

What say you, Ur? Ostentatious and ...