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dhuxley
New Member
USA
15 Posts |
 Posted - 04/23/2001 : 19:49:58
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Hi, all!
For those that get HBO, try to see the documentary "A Question of Miracles." I found it interesting, though I didn't think it told me something I didn't already know.
Nevertheless, it's still a good documentary, exploring the phenomenenon of faith-healing, etc.
The film mostly documents the crusades of Benny Hinn and a "missionary" in Africa, Rheinhardt. (I'm probably misspellig his name!)
Anyway, it's a fascinating documentary that SFN folks should see. I checked www.hbo.com, but it's not going to air anytime again soon.
Keep checking the listings, though. It's a good documentary; one skeptics interested in the faith-healing phenomenon might appreciate.
Sincerely,
Dawn
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2001 : 17:11:10 [Permalink]
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Missed the HBO show, but I did recently read Randi's The Faith Healers (1987)
Personally I don't find the "Con" act that these preachers pull on their victims all that odd. A case could be made that this is the very essence of religion. When the first Cro-Magnon promised his cave fellows that his waving around of a cave bear skull at them would bring good health; if only they would give him a piece of the mastodon steak that they weren't sharing; it all started. These day's it's 'Jaysus will heeeeeal you when I slap you on the forehead. Now write me nice a big check.' Still the same exact con game.
What is very disturbing to me are the reactions of the "patsies" after they have been healed, or rather their lack of reaction. Faith healing can be beneficial in cases of hysterical illness. In earlier times many people were "struck blind" simply because it was thought possible to be so. Today that almost never happens. Most, if not all, of the people who avail themselves of faith healers are actually physically ill. Magical cures can do nothing for them. However they don't seem to mind. This is what I find so distressing. They are played for fools and a great majority of them accept it without becoming infuriated.
Randi recounts the story of one elderly woman who could hardly walk who was cured by Dr Jesus through his representatives on Earth the Reverend (although who would revere a bastard like this, I don't know) W. V. Grant. Grant cured her (a long time contributor of much of her fixed income) snapped her canes in two and threw them on his altar. She was ecstatic, and loudly proclaimed her faith in Jesus.
When the show….I mean service was over she and her two adult daughters were stuck in the auditorium. There were stairs to get out and, despite the Divine intervention that cured her and set the parishioners to cheering and affirming and contributing, she just couldn't walk. And she was too large of a woman for her daughters to carry.
When confronted by one of Randi's people as she teetered at the top of the stairs. She refused to admit that anything was wrong. As far as she was concerned she was cured even though she could hardly stand.
My question is—where are the police? Don't they have "bunko" squads any more?
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dhuxley
New Member
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2001 : 02:19:18 [Permalink]
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I know what you mean about the patsies.
In this documentary, a couple who had converted from Hinduism had a child suffering irreparable brain damage due to tumors. They thought that Benny Hinn was their last hope.
Hinn did his "work" on the child from the stage at one of his conferences. A few weeks later, the child died.
When asked if they had lost faith in Hinn, the parents replied, "No." The father even thought that the demise of his child might be because he had done things in his past, before he was saved, that contributed to God not answering their prayers and saving their child.
How sad.
quote:
My question is—where are the police? Don't they have "bunko" squads any more?
Yeah, they're out there. I hear about them once in awhile when it comes to psychics -- especially those claiming that you have a curse on you, and by paying them X amount of money you can have it lifted.
But when it comes to faith healers and such, they're very reluctant to get involved, since this is a matter of religious faith, etc, etc. Sigh.
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