Posted on 01/24/2005 10:20:39 PM PST by Gengis Khan
BANGALORE: For three days now, the city has groaned under the weight of the Benny Hinn show. Many of the apparently healed have justified the need for the mega event despite the multitude of problems. But the jury is still out on whether Hinn is a fraud or someone with connections to the Lord.
Questions on people's minds regarding Hinn's healing methods and utterances indicate that all may not have been above board. Sample these: Why were only those cured allowed on stage? Colonel Samuel (retd) suffers from immobility of the right side of his body. Hoping for a miracle, he, with wife in tow, managed to shuffle up to the stage. Only to be jostled away by an organiser, who said: "Only if you are healed can you go on stage. If you're not healed by Jesus, your time has not come." Are they really cured forever? Why are there no doctors from city hospitals, but mostly from Hinn's ministry? What actually is the miracle? What is his modus operandi?
Neither Hinn nor his stooges have any answer except a tepid one, faith. One question that will probably never be answered is how many of the healed will wake up one of these mornings, after Hinn has left for greener pastures, feeling unhealed? Like all faith healers, Benny Hinn Inc. is unwilling to put the healing claims to scientific scrutiny.
Pre- and post-healing medical records can tell the truth, but nobody is volunteering this information; neither are they keeping a count of those healed. Responding to TOI's query on some people rushing to the stage for a cure, Hinn said: "This is psychosomatic healing wherein the mind is capable of enabling the body to think itself healed. Even before I come on stage, there have been cases where people have been healed; the music, prayers and atmosphere add to it."
Hinn's organisers had a different take. They said prayers were responsible for the healing and miracles.
Even before Hinn's visit, rationalists had voiced apprehensions about mass hysteria that can overtake a person and claim a cure. Explains magician KS Ramesh: "I have made Ganesha drink 10 litres of milk. I have performed the healing operations that psychic surgeons perform, but I tell people it's magic and there is no religion involved. Faith is a multi-million industry."
Hinn's ministry is an opulent one, making $100 million a year globally; of this, Rs 15-20 crore is raised by the Indian chapter alone. When Hinn said, "I have met the Pope twice," someone wondered aloud, "Why can't he cure the ailing Pope then?"
Nevertheless, Hinn will continue to reap the harvest of his Bangalore show till another prayer meet in Hyderabad in February 2006.
As many as 15,000 people who were allowed to get up close and personal with Benny Hinn's healing touch over the past three days were given sick passes, at a local church, well in advance of the event. This could be why only a chosen few were allowed to experience the healing powers at the three-day Festival of Blessings event of the US evangelist. The 15,000 sick passes were distributed at the Full Gospel Assembly of God Church, witnesses told The Times of India.
People were told three months ago that a certain pastor and healer by the name Benny Hinn would come. "We were told that whoever was sick in body and spirit could enroll himself for the healing," P Gangamma, a volunteer at the FGAG church stated.
Gangamma herself could not get a pass despite reportedly suffering from a uterus complaint. "I have a uterus problem and I don't know why they aren't taking me in for the healing," she said. Like Gangamma, there were Joseph Raja, Jennifer Nelson, Asha Pamreche and Satish Bambalgi, who were similarly not given access to Hinn's miraculous healing session.
A man, who was accompanying his cerebral palsy-affected son, said: "I will do anything to get my two-year-old son cured. I only want Hinn to touch him because I believe he will be cured. I have been coming to the programme for three days now, but could not meet Hinn."
The choice of people to be healed by Hinn was highly selective, which has cast a shadow of doubt on whether the healing was for real or a mere show. N Bharath, a paralysed man from Madhya Pradesh who was among the chosen lot, told TOI that he was asked by Hinn's American volunteers about how long it had been since he stood on his feet. When Bharath replied that it had been 13 years, the volunteers refused to allow him access to the healing.
He was among the thousands of people who came with hopes of getting cured but were turned away by Hinn's healing redtape. On Sunday, hundreds of people had to make way for a plethora of VVIP platinum pass-holders .
As I say to my dogs..Heal!
He's not my cup of tea, but it seems 15,000 claimed cures over there. They couldn't ALL be plants.
No, they're not all plants. But they're all willing participants, fervent believers, caught up in an emotional maelstrom, surrounded by thousands of charged-up people similar to themselves, bright lights, loud music, and much (Hinn-generated) confusion. In such an atmosphere, they allow themselves (somewhat like hypnosis subjects allow themselves) to be led and acted upon. Note that those who were really ill were turned away from the stage. Hinn can't afford to have the un-cured spoiling his act.
Benny dresses to the nines. Best dressed preacher I ever saw.
He can afford it.
Sounds like investors in the stock market, doesn't it?
Benny Hinn is just another snake oil peddler.
PT Barnum made a fortune off of people just like this.
I don't know that at all.
Where does that information you have come from?
Common sense.
(laugh) You betcha!
I don't know for a fact that this fellow is a fraud. I do know TBN backs the guy strongly and I know they are real.
I wouldn't call your hunch common sense, it's just your opinion.
Looks like Benny Hinn has an army of well trained and instructed volunteers who screens the people to see if they are really ill. If they are, then they wont be the ones getting the opportunity to come close to him. You would be allowed to go near him only if you are already cured or not really sick.
This is a joke on your part. Right?
Precisely so.
Donald Trump is probably more honest. For whatever that is worth.
HEAL THIS STICKEN BUICK. I FEEL A PRAYER REQUEST FROM THE FREEPER AUDIANCE. SOMEONE HAS CAR. THAT CAR IS MAKING FUNNY NOISES FROM THE DIFF. THE POWER OF FAITH WILL FIX 'DAT CAR IF YOU JUST BELIEVE ... turn the radio up ... HEAL...DEMONS OUT (Dusters too).
If that fixed you car send me all your money. If your car fails to break down in the next week send me all your money.
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