Evidence for God from Science

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLH7LHrY ... r_embedded

A slightly comical, but very disturbing depiction of what goes on in the church of Benny Hinn. I put this in the "Aberrant Christianity" because what's going on in the video seems pretty aberrant to me.

inlovewiththe44 wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLH7LHrY ... r_embedded

A slightly comical, but very disturbing depiction of what goes on in the church of Benny Hinn. I put this in the "Aberrant Christianity" because what's going on in the video seems pretty aberrant to me.

Thank you for posting that video, inlovewiththe44. I was trying to eat my Cocoa Pebbles, and then I
Just kidding. I think it is quite obvious that this guy is a charlatan. Anybody with any discernment, can see that. The video, just makes this fraud more obvious. I don't remember who it was, but a while back someone kept correcting Hinn, and he kept apologizing for being in error. But then, he doesn't stop his charade.

Hinn is just one of many 'word of faith' preachers infecting the Christian culture today. I would strongly recommend Hank Hanagraff's book, 'Christianity in Crisis,' which deals with these morons.

joel

I know of a local pastor and Church in my area that had him comes as a guest around 1988 (I attended the Church at that time but missed that particular meeting). The pastor later announced to the whole congregation, that after speaking with Benny in privet first, that he would never have him ever appear again at the church due to the demands Hinn made about hotel rooms and other things.

The Pastor then mentioned to the church for members to reconsider their support of Hinn's ministry as that was all he could do. I know more than I write here as I was in training at the Church at the time but I am not at liberty to share any more details without permission from the pastor who is now retired. My prayer for Hinn would that he repent and change his ways, maybe he has, or hasn’t yet, but he needs too before it is too late…
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RickD wrote: Thank you for posting that video, inlovewiththe44. I was trying to eat my Cocoa Pebbles, and then I
Just kidding. I think it is quite obvious that this guy is a charlatan. Anybody with any discernment, can see that. The video, just makes this fraud more obvious. I don't remember who it was, but a while back someone kept correcting Hinn, and he kept apologizing for being in error. But then, he doesn't stop his charade.

Had to look up charlatan

Definitely the right word to describe him. What I'm wondering is if the people affected actually believe that he has power or they're all part of his elaborate scheme.

inlovewiththe44 wrote:

RickD wrote: Thank you for posting that video, inlovewiththe44. I was trying to eat my Cocoa Pebbles, and then I
Just kidding. I think it is quite obvious that this guy is a charlatan. Anybody with any discernment, can see that. The video, just makes this fraud more obvious. I don't remember who it was, but a while back someone kept correcting Hinn, and he kept apologizing for being in error. But then, he doesn't stop his charade.

Had to look up charlatan

Definitely the right word to describe him. What I'm wondering is if the people affected actually believe that he has power or they're all part of his elaborate scheme.

Actually, both. There is a thread here that I'll post the link to, that speaks of something very similar to what Benny Hinn does. It's a long thread, but if you get the time to read it through, it's nothing short of amazing, how God worked in Danny. Well, you'll see, if you read it. God is faithful, and he does answer prayers. This link is evidence to God's faithfulness, and love for us. And how, by praying for discernment, God works wonders:http://discussions.godandscience.org/vi ... 12&t=35739

Reminds me of this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I

*Edit* Benny reminds me of him, not Danny - just incase

Proinsias wrote:Reminds me of this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I

*Edit* Benny reminds me of him, not Danny - just incase

At least that guy paid up, when he lost, and was found to be a fraud. Benny Hinn is still raking in the cash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuE3y53h ... re=related

how sad to do this to a young girl

During a charismatic Mass, I floated to the cement floor when a faith healer priest put two fingers on my shoulder. Although I didn't feel any physical pain when I landed, before volunteers put me back into my wheelchair, I sobbed for 20 minutes. From then on, I quit obsessing about whether Christ would cure my Cerebral Palsy. I even told Him that I would be happy to keep it for the rest of my life if He would use it and me to help other people.

Fr. Vincent Michelli interviewed Professor Russell Hittinger who described a Kathryn Kuhlman service, where Kuhlman invited another woman to join her onstage because she thought God had healed the woman's back problem. The woman thew off her back brace, ran back and forth, her spine split, and a few days later she died. Something good happened to me at the charismatic Mass. But charismatic services frighten me now. I worry, too, because I believe charismatics probably cause their physical and emotional states when they believe mistakenly that God is causing them. That's partly why I don't go to charismatic events anymore. I've never been a charismatic.

Bill McEnaney wrote:During a charismatic Mass, I floated to the cement floor when a faith healer priest put two fingers on my shoulder. Although I didn't feel any physical pain when I landed, before volunteers put me back into my wheelchair, I sobbed for 20 minutes. From then on, I quit obsessing about whether Christ would cure my Cerebral Palsy. I even told Him that I would be happy to keep it for the rest of my life if He would use it and me to help other people.

Fr. Vincent Michelli interviewed Professor Russell Hittinger who described a Kathryn Kuhlman service, where Kuhlman invited another woman to join her onstage because she thought God had healed the woman's back problem. The woman thew off her back brace, ran back and forth, her spine split, and a few days later she died. Something good happened to me at the charismatic Mass. But charismatic services frighten me now. I worry, too, because I believe charismatics probably cause their physical and emotional states when they believe mistakenly that God is causing them. That's partly why I don't go to charismatic events anymore. I've never been a charismatic.

Thank you for that testimony. That is so desperately tragic about that girl. It makes me so angry that there are people out there that will do that.

One thing that makes me instantly sure that they are frauds is the fact that they would go on TV in the first place and start showing off their "powers". I generally believe that there are true healers in this world - but they do not have constant healing power - they are vessels that God uses from time to time to heal. True healers I believe are humble and are not exhibitionists. Charasmatic performances in my opinion is dangerous and an incorrect interpretation of scripture.

Silvertusk,

Healing is real and for today, I believe, but most of the "healers" today are personality cults, in my opinion. I say that, having attended the University in the US most associated with this and having been "trained" in numerous chapels and a few specialized courses about the history and theology of it.

As best I understand it the gifts described in I Cor 12 include 'Gifts" of healing (the only plural in the listing of the 9 Charismata.) The very word gifts, Charismata is a form of the word "Grace" and that is no coincidence. Healing in the context of James 5 calls for the elders of a local body or fellowship to pray and annoint with oil, (oil being a symbol of the Holy Spirit). Jesus and the Apostles would perform miracles and healings and these were special gifts of God which were used in validating their message, particularly to the Jews who believed (and had a history) of prophets demonstrating their authority and God's working through them.

The gifts are given to the body and in the case of healing, each individual healing is it's own gift (which is why I believe it is the only plural in the listing.) The one receiving the healing "has" the gift, not the ones doing the praying and annointing with oil. By making it multiple "elders" (mature believers in the faith, not offices or positions in my understanding) and by the use of the symbol of the oil, the focus is upon God, the Holy Spirit, and not the vessles of ministry in prayer and the exercise of intercession.

When healing as a ministry for believers leaves the context of local fellowship (and while I understand this more in the context of organic fellowship than local institutional church) and becomes a platform for focusing attention on the individual "performing" the healing and/or a means for raising money, then it's no longer about the "gifts" God gives to His children, in my opinion. We know that there are false teachers and false prophets and have been in every age and every region and will be until Christ returns. When the healings are tied as somehow being something given to one person who then gives it to others, it's not in the context at all of how I see it scripturally taught or practiced in the early church.

inlovewiththe44 wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLH7LHrY ... r_embedded

A slightly comical, but very disturbing depiction of what goes on in the church of Benny Hinn. I put this in the "Aberrant Christianity" because what's going on in the video seems pretty aberrant to me.

Pretty wacky if you ask me...

Silvertusk wrote:Thank you for that testimony. That is so desperately tragic about that girl. It makes me so angry that there are people out there that will do that.

One thing that makes me instantly sure that they are frauds is the fact that they would go on TV in the first place and start showing off their "powers". I generally believe that there are true healers in this world - but they do not have constant healing power - they are vessels that God uses from time to time to heal. True healers I believe are humble and are not exhibitionists. Charasmatic performances in my opinion is dangerous and an incorrect interpretation of scripture.

Silvertusk,

You're welcome, Silvertusk. I feel angry, too, when charlatans fool people. But I don't know whether that faith healer was sincere. I agree with you, though. Genuine healers would be too humble to air their healing services on TV.

During a service I watched on it, a woman preached while her palms bled as though she had the stigmata. For me, it's too hard to believe she had them when I know that true, or seemingly true, stigmatics keep their wounds covered partly because they don't want to talk about them. I pray that if Our Lord ever asks me to endure severe pain, I'll do that cheerfully enough that other people won't know there's anything wrong.

Pastor Walter Litke and his saintly wife were two of the holiest people I've ever met. Anyone could see that Mrs. Litke's painful illness made walking very hard for her, she managed to be warm and happy, even during pain. I rarely hear anyone say much about what Christ means when He tells us to take up our crosses and follow. To me, it's pretty plain that he's implying that we need to accept some suffering when He allows it. Jamie Owens-Collins used to sing, "The bitter tears you've tasted will be diamonds in your crown." I agree with her, too, because I believe Our Savior rewards us for the difficulties we bear patiently here on earth. Strange as it may sound, I think my difficulties are gifts from God, especially my Cerebral Palsy and my clinical depression, because He uses them to help other people. Mentally healthy people don't enjoy suffering. I know I don't. But my crosses are almost easy to carry when I remember that compared to what other people go through, I hardly suffer.

Bill McEnaney wrote:

Silvertusk wrote:Thank you for that testimony. That is so desperately tragic about that girl. It makes me so angry that there are people out there that will do that.

One thing that makes me instantly sure that they are frauds is the fact that they would go on TV in the first place and start showing off their "powers". I generally believe that there are true healers in this world - but they do not have constant healing power - they are vessels that God uses from time to time to heal. True healers I believe are humble and are not exhibitionists. Charasmatic performances in my opinion is dangerous and an incorrect interpretation of scripture.

Silvertusk,

You're welcome, Silvertusk. I feel angry, too, when charlatans fool people. But I don't know whether that faith healer was sincere. I agree with you, though. Genuine healers would be too humble to air their healing services on TV.

During a service I watched on it, a woman preached while her palms bled as though she had the stigmata. For me, it's too hard to believe she had them when I know that true, or seemingly true, stigmatics keep their wounds covered partly because they don't want to talk about them. I pray that if Our Lord ever asks me to endure severe pain, I'll do that cheerfully enough that other people won't know there's anything wrong.

Pastor Walter Litke and his saintly wife were two of the holiest people I've ever met. Anyone could see that Mrs. Litke's painful illness made walking very hard for her, she managed to be warm and happy, even during pain. I rarely hear anyone say much about what Christ means when He tells us to take up our crosses and follow. To me, it's pretty plain that he's implying that we need to accept some suffering when He allows it. Jamie Owens-Collins used to sing, "The bitter tears you've tasted will be diamonds in your crown." I agree with her, too, because I believe Our Savior rewards us for the difficulties we bear patiently here on earth. Strange as it may sound, I think my difficulties are gifts from God, especially my Cerebral Palsy and my clinical depression, because He uses them to help other people. Mentally healthy people don't enjoy suffering. I know I don't. But my crosses are almost easy to carry when I remember that compared to what other people go through, I hardly suffer.

Thanks for that you have said some things that I needed reminding of, appreciate it.


Dan