Posted on 01/21/2005 2:42:01 PM PST by samsonite
[India News]: Bangalore, Jan 21 : American evangelist Benny Hinn Friday evening began his much-awaited "Festival of Blessings" prayer meeting here, which saw a shutdown call and incidents of stone throwing by protesting Hindu activists earlier in the day.
About 8,000-10,000 policemen have been deployed in and around the sprawling venue to regulate crowds.
Organisers of the show, being held at the Jakkur airstrip on the outskirts of the city, said earlier that about 400,000 people had already gathered for the event from all parts of the country, especially south India. A few hundred also came from abroad.
Speaking to IANS on phone from the venue, they said, "People are still trooping in, awaiting the arrival of Hinn to conduct the mass prayer and deliver sermons. We are expecting 200,000 more people in the night."
The function started with a 2,400-voice choir singing hymns and prayers in several Indian languages apart from English. Giant screens and mega speakers have been installed all over the grounds for a closer view of the massive stage and to listen to Hinn's religious discourses.
Undeterred by the "Bangalore bandh" shutdown call given by the Hindu Jagaran Vedike with the support of the Sangh Parivar, including the Bharatiya Janata party, the organisers are going ahead with the three-day programme, armed with a high court order.
Earlier in the day, the city witnessed stray incidents of stone throwing at moving buses and processions by anti-Hinn activists, demanding a ban on the programme.
According to police, about 60 state-owned buses were damaged in some parts of the city during the day-long shutdown that led to closure of shops and commercial establishments.
Friday being an official holiday on account of Eid, schools, colleges and government offices remained closed, and there was less traffic on roads.
But roads leading to the venue, about 20 km from the city, were choc-a-bloc with hundreds of buses and other vehicles jamming the national highway.
"We have nabbed about 100 miscreants who were indulging in stone throwing and attempting to torch some buses. We have also rounded-up some leaders of the Vedike when they were trying to disrupt traffic and create disturbances," city police commissioner M. Marisamy told IANS.
Oops, close but no cigar...
Charlatan.
I can't stand that BS master Hinn.
And that's before we even begin getting to his doctrinal horrors.
Dan
Biblical Christianity web site
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Biblical Christianity BLOG
I partly suspect that the rabble-rousers were hired to generate publicity.
I don't see any other Christian over there willing to preach the Gospel Message to over 400,000.
Don't think Jesus is frowning down on him...Just hypocritical human beings as usual.
God Bless him for spreading the Word Of Jesus!
Amen and Amen!
Madikeri, Jan. 20 (KBM&-MRS)- It could be dubbed as a 'remote controlled miracle'. A paralytic patient, who was to be cured at the Benny Hinn congregation to be held in Bangalore from Jan. 21 was cured of his disease almost three days earlier at a far away village even before meeting the evangelist.
The media persons were in for a surprise when they saw a paralytic patient just stood up and walked up to them in the house of Bharathi in Virupakshapura, JP Colony, on Tuesday night.
Kuria Kose, aged about 70, was brought by his wife and daughter from Tarikere on Tuesday morning to Bharathi's house on their way to Bangalore for the Hinn congregation.
Kuria Kose, who was claimed to have suffered stroke in his right hand and right leg, was sitting in a chair watching the media per- sons' conversation with Bharathi.
As the media persons were coming out, Kuria Kose, all of a sudden got up from his chair, walked up to them and shook hands with them to bid farewell.
In fact, Bharathi had earlier told media persons that the oldman could not walk because of the stroke. He was being taken to Bangalore to be cured by Benny Hinn.
Benny has some fund-raising tactics I don't like, but the dude does have healing power from on high...
...and the power can be put to good use in India.
God bless 'em.
I sort of missed where that included lying and fraud. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised after a lot of the creationism posts around here.
I saw this article at that web site:
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=63115
"Protest against evangelist's programme in Bangalore"
It states:
"BJP and the Sangh Parivar outfits, supported by some local organisations, have been campaigning against Hinn's programme alleging that it was aimed at religious conversion, a charge the organisers have denied."
So, Hinn is not trying to convert?
And how many people have you pulled out of a wheelchair?
Not so sure it's from "on high" if it even exists.
"But I guess I shouldn't be surprised after a lot of the creationism posts around here."
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