Benny Hinn’s Bangalore congregation kicks up a fuss

Bangalore, Jan 16: The proposed ‘Pray for India’ programme later this week by American evangelist, Mr Benny Hinn has sparked a controversy with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh parivar organisations up in arms against it, dubbing it as one that’s intended to promote religious conversion.

The Florida-based pastor, who claims to have the power to heal the sick and dying, is slated to attend the three-day prayer meeting from January 21 at Jakkur Airfield here which has been touted by the organisers as a big show, saying lakhs of people from across the country are expected to attend it.

The event has drawn strong opposition from the BJP, the Bajrang Dal and the Hindu Jagarana Vedike who see it as a conspiracy to convert the poor and vulnerable sections to Christianity.

The Bajrang Dal has already announced that 10,000 people would stage a demonstration at the venue. Vedike activists yesterday burnt publicity material of the proposed congregation. In fact, hoardings, banners and posters are now dotting various parts of the city.

Speaking to reporters here today, the Opposition BJP Leader in the legislative assembly, Mr B S Yediyurappa sought to take the state government to task for granting permission to hold the event at Jakkur Airfield, which is “sensitive” from the defence and security viewpoint.

Mr Yediyurappa termed as “unpardonable crime” and “insult to Hindus”, the circulation of pamphlets by organisers of the event criticising idol worship.

Accusing the organisers of promoting “wrong propaganda” that Mr Hinn is a “godman”, Mr Yediyurappa asked the government to reconsider its permission to the prayer meeting at Jakkur.

The Chief Minister, Mr N Dharam Singh has already stated that the government would not take any step to stop the programme, saying the administration cannot interfere with religious events.

Defending the convention, the organisers have said it is being conducted with “noble intention”. During his previous visit to Mumbai last year he did not speak anything about conversion or anything that affects the people’s religious sentiments, they said.

There are reports that Chief Ministers of some Congress-ruled states are likely to attend the meet. Mr Yediyurappa said while the government did not allow conduct of certain rituals at the Hindu-Muslim shrine at Bababudangiri Hills in Chikmagalur district late last year and amassed police force to enforce its decision, it’s now “organising and arranging” Mr Hinn’s programme.

Renowned Kannada litterateur and Jnanapeeth award winner, U R Ananthamurthy has cautioned Mr Dharam Singh against associating himself with the prayer meeting.

“The Chief Minister should not identify himself with this mass hysteria. We should not encourage this (mass hysteria),” Ananthamurthy said.

The police have said they have made elaborate security arrangements for the event.

I appreciate you sending me all those links.

But one thing you fail to understand from my perspective.
and I know many like me. I did not totally accept Jesus Christ as my saviour, my miracle worker, my reedemer, my hope for eternal salvation from reading the Bible.

I had read the Bible with my neighbors as a child, I was baptized as a young girl I flip-flopped out of church for many years, but it was through LIFE, EXPERIENCES, HURT, PAIN, TRAGEDY, THE EVIL IN THE WORLD and more importantly a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ through private prayer in my room sitting on the beach driving in my car
that finally made me realize Jesus Christ was "REAL" all those things I read and learned from the Bible came to life
and many people find Jesus the same way.

People are attending these crusades because they are hurt they are broken they are sick, if you hand them a Bible at the door tell them to read it and seek out a church you have lost them. When they see JESUS work through a personal expereince they will then seek out scripture.

Jesus reached many people by showing them MIRACLES...
and that is what brought them to hear the Sermon on the Mount.

Thank you for this observation. I quite agree with you.
The trouble is that the whole atmosphere in which the present Bangalore crusade is conducted is not conducive to a sincere search for Christ. It is a search for miracles and wonders rather than for God. And for your information I have discussed this with a member of the organising committee and he agrees with me, though he's getting paid so much that it would be silly of him to withdraw at this stage.

And don't worry, very few who sincerely search for Christ would look for him at a Benny Hinn crusade in any case, unless they're pretty ignorant of who Christ is or who Benny Hinn is. Some friends of mine are of course exceptions to this rule, but the rule stands, nevertheless. If a person is really ignorant of who Christ is, and goes to a Benny Hinn crusade by mistake thinking he can find Christ there, I am sure that God will bless such a person, possibly through the agency of Benny Hinn himself.

90% of the people who go to a crusade ask themselves, "How can I benefit from this." The very name of the Crusade - "Festival of Blessings" makes them think along these lines. Most of them have been duped by promises of healing and financial miracles. And when Benny Hinn starts preaching, they get so mesmerised by his histrionics that they forget to think of whether what he's saying is true or false. That's why he can just talk nonsense like "Fidel Castro will die in the 1990s" and so on and so forth. I'm sure you're familiar with his well documented false prophecies. If you aren't, you can check them out on any of the standard anti-Hinn websites.

Adrian,
I would say that anyone that is truly seeking Jesus out maybe let them know he is with them he is ALIVE in there heart. The Flesh is weak but the Spirit is strong in Christ.

Point out Benny Hinn is just a man but Jesus the Miracle worker is with them in there house there village there church, ask them to seek him out in private in sincere prayer, you can do things Benny Hinn can't Jesus might be using you wether you know it or not to do his Good Works.

Jesus sometimes is more concerned with our Spritual healing rather than our Physical Healing. Our bodies will break down and die but our spirit and soul is what lives on, and that has to be healed so that eternal life is granted.

My problem with Hinn is the same problem I have with most of the "church" today. They have swerved from the Word, either adding all kinds of gimmicks, and fads, or rejecting the gifts that were given to us to use all together. Not sure which one God dislikes the most.

I thank God for His grace, and mercy because I am sure we all have swerved off.

I know God uses what is available.

I came to the Lord in a pretty doctrinally screwed up group, but the Lord was guiding me.

I can't say Binney Hinn is not used of God because I believe he probably is.

The absence of healings in a particular ministry should not unduly worry us. It is not essential in that sense but it is nevertheless one of the functions of the Church.

It worries me, especially when it is rejected as false by denominations that claim to preach the truth.

Very good points.

What folks might not also realize is that spirtual miracles occur on a daily basis, maybe even around the corner from where Freepers live, every morning and several times on Sunday...when the elevated host of bread becomes the actual and transubstantiated Body and Blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, Born Sinless, of a Holy Virgin. One can even go inside a church, sit down, and watch this freely, without being pumped for a donation. Anywhere in the USA and around the world. This daily miracle has changed millions of lives.

This is something spectacular that no televangelist can perform, to my knowledge, IMHO.

Dear Delphinium,

Several of Benny Hinn's healings are false, you can't deny that. That puts the rest of them in doubt as well, because to date there has never been a verified and documented healing by either Hinn or by Reinhard Bonnke.

To prove that Mother Teresa (after her death) had interceded with God and worked a miracle, the Catholic Church collected 12 kgs of documents (one suitcase full) proving its veracity. Naturally, many people still don't believe it.

But with Benny Hinn, he just calls out from the stage "Five hundred people have been healed of leprosy" and the crowd goes wild. Everyone believes it.

That's why I think he's a deceiver.

I kind of agree with you that we have all swerved off. It does not mean, though, that our doctrines are necessarily wrong. The way I look at it, Christianity has been able to preserve the essential elements of its faith intact - namely the Gospel - in theory. It is only in its practice - Works - that Christians always deviate from the perfection of the Gospel.

If the absence of healings worries you, it may please you to note that there are still healings taking place in our midst. What I meant was that if there are no healings in your denomination, that doesn't mean your doctrines are wrong or your Church is dead.

Bye for now
Adrian

Several of Benny Hinn's healings are false, you can't deny that

Don't really know, I am turned off by most flamboyant type preachers to begin with.

To prove that Mother Teresa (after her death) had interceded with God and worked a miracle, the Catholic Church collected 12 kgs of documents

Are you Catholic?, Protestants consider Catholism to be false doctrine.

I personally loved Mother Teresa, but disagree doctrinally.

If the absence of healings worries you, it may please you to note that there are still healings taking place in our midst. What I meant was that if there are no healings in your denomination, that doesn't mean your doctrines are wrong or your Church is dead.

I am not in one of those denominations that deny the gifts are still for today.

I am more aquainted with denominations that have swerved off the Word into gimmicks and fads.

Thank God I have found a church where the Word of God is the focal point of the church, all of it, including the "gifts of the spirit"

No church is perfect because men go there.

I agree I beleive that the Church has swerved. I go to church to pray to Jesus but mainly I pray at home and seek GOD daily.

I beleive in the teachings of Jesus Christ and if a church is teaching that then it has something good to offer people who are seeking.

I have been to churches where the congregation was so cold you needed an ice pick.

Frankly I love to listen to this TV Minister from In Touch Ministries out of Texas he has some of those most inspiring sermons IMO.

The only thing Benny Hinn has been able to do for me is to point out a very meaningful Biblical scipture he recommended that I was able to receive my miracle from Jesus doing a 3 day Spiritual Fast.

I actually understand because once I was in a very name it, and claim it church while living in Missouri. I felt that much of what they were teaching was off base but during that time I was diagnosed with some type of cancer.I started to panic, and was totally gripped by fear of dying and leaving my children alone.

I used what I needed from the teaching that was right, and needed. Especially:

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2Cr 10:5

It was a total miracle, I was completely healed. Praise the Lord. Several nurses and hospital workers were giving me prayer requests.

My feeling is this if he (Benny Hinn) is in countries that do not have the priviledge to know Jesus Christ who he is and what he can do for there lives and people hear about Jesus at a Hinn Crusade if it makes that person of a Hindu or Muslim or Buddah or Atheist background leave the crusade giving Jesus a chance by seeking him out through prayer and scripture I say God Bless Hinn for doing that.

missyme......I have no idea whether you even take your time to read through my posts fully but I must say that with every other posts you make I am all the more appalled at your stark ignorance you display when you choose to comment on a country and its people about whome you know nothing. And I find it all the more tiresome and futile to provide explaination and I hope this will be my last one. In response to your comment (given in bold) let me tell you again that we in India had the priviledge to know Jesus Christ who he is and what he can do much before Christianity went to Europe. As I said in my earlier post Christianity came to India before it reached Europe and India is not new to Christianity. To me it seems that in your eagerness to spread the word of your (Christian) God you have actually been reveling in ignorance.

Let me clarify that I have nothing against Benn Hinn and for my part and on behalf of my countrymen I welcome him to India. And for my part I never made any argument against him. However might I also add that we in India have also known people ("Men of God" or "Charlatan" whatever you call them) who claimed that their (Hindu) God gave them powers to heal. So as one would expect there were plenty of those people too who vouched in favour of those claims. You may not be aware of this but people are India are not new to the experiance of healing as they claim but they give the credit to a God other than Jesus. And they hold as much zeal and conviction as you do. Just that you dont know about them and their God.

Now if the claims are true then Jesus isnt the only God capable of doing such miracles and if the claim are false then the fact is that Charlatan are common to every religion. Now it is for you to decide which it the truth.

My point was Hindus have never spread jihad hatred against anybody.

Really? The residents of Gujarat might be inclined to disagree with you.

Do you mean the Gujarat riots? I dont think you are aware of the difference between a roit and jihad. And I dont think you are aware of incidents relating to Gujarat riots either. Firstly jihad (or crusade) has to do with a religious war that is not supposed to end until the enemy is either wiped out or convert to their own religious fold. We have no such concept of jihad (or crusade) in Hinduism.

As for the riots it has nothing to do with any Hindu jihad. The Muslim miscreants started it by burning down a whole train carrying Hindu pilgrims and in subsequent riot both sides killed each other. There was no Hindu jihad involved here.

Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ, the right wing forces weren't able to block God's people from assembling at the Jakkur airfield over the past three days. Pastor Benny, on the request of an Indian leader, led the congregation in a special prayer that God might bless all those who opposed the Festival of Blessings.

Though I was pretty far from the stage, lost in the ocean of people, I managed to get a couple of glimpses of Pastor Benny from afar. The 2500 member choir looked and sounded magnificent (well I helped train around 300 of the singers, so it was a moving experience for me to hear them lift their voices to the heavens!)

We were a little disappointed that Pastor Benny himself was not to be seen until 8 o' clock and by then there was just around an hour for him to lead the praise and worship and preach a little from the Gospel according to St Mark. His choice of passage (the healing of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar) apparently struck a chord in many hearts, since I was accompanied by a group of blind children who found Benny Hinn's description of the emotional struggle of a blind person most realistic.

The basic point of the message seemed to be: Jesus is passing by today. He may never pass by again. Reach out and touch him now.

Regrettably, I wasn't able to stay for the later part of the healing service as I had to take my blind children home. None of them received a miracle and I hope my early departure wasn't the reason for this, but we had instructions to follow. I did, however, watch the first four healings. I am sceptical of these things in general, but the second healing was pretty impressive because a man who had a right leg no thicker than my arm was leaping and dancing on the stage. Others testified to being healed of osteoporosis, stomach cancer and lameness.

The programme was well organised, considering the massive work that needed to be done. The organisers were rewarded with a massive turnout, though the numbers probably fell short of the targeted figure. In a way, this is one of the greatest assemblies in the name of Christ ever to be held at Bangalore. In another way, there was too little preaching and too many other things happening, so I left the grounds feeling vaguely disappointed that I had missed a good two hour sermon...others however seem to have been quite content with things the way they were.

Thank You Adrian, for keeping me posted, and Bless the people of Bangalore who sincerely was able to listen and reach out to Jesus Christ.

Even though Benny Hinn is controversial and can be mis-leading Jesus Christ is not and anyone seeking his word and miracles will find him..
Praise Be to GOD!

In your perspective do you think people accepted Jesus Christ as there saviour while attending the crusade?

I know where I live in California Benny Hinn's Crusades are on the TBN Network I don't know if it will be shown this week, but I hipe to watch.

Well, about people receiving Jesus Christ, sorry to say I have no hard facts as yet. Please remember that there was a lot of hype before this programme because certain non-Christian fundamentalist groups were accusing Hinn of converting people to Christianity under false pretenses. Probably, the organisers don't want the true number of converts to be disclosed as yet, and there was absolutely no talk of Hindus accepting Christ at the crusade. If there had, Benny Hinn would probably have been arrested on the spot, because the Government had made a commitment to the fundamentalists that they would not allow conversions to take place.

Hi my friend,
what is your problem? India is a democratic country and the best in the world.India belongs to all the religious people Hindhu's,Christains,Muslims and sikhs.
Benny Hinn had the right to preach in India just as the Hindhu's have to preach in the western countries. If you have love of God why don't you preach it instead of against it.
Jesus did come unto me all that are heavy laden I will give you rest. Benny Hinn is doing a great job.
what are you doing?
God bless

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