This is a fascinating article on the Hinn ministry. But the two journalists concerned practice an act of deception on him, by pretending that one of them was wheelchair bound...anyone else got a problem with that? Hmm.
Nevertheless, Hinn seems to be fair game.
The article finishes:
Could it be that my scepticism blinded me to the possibility that God was in that place? Were we mocking God's work and, despite the excesses, Hinn is an instrument of healing? It is possible that a very few were healed? But I say that is despite Hinn. I judge him by the measure of the one he claims to be following. Jesus never promised people wealth, or instant healing. He didn't promise his disciples houses on the coast. Pastor Benny has recast Jesus in his own image. He has forgotten that his Lord died, humiliated, tortured, alone and penniless. But how do you sell that?
Quite. Well said.
5 comments:
I think the same as you do Michael.
The article did say he gave a good old southern baptist hell and damnation sermon with a alter call and many came forward to accept Christ. I don't know if the writer who is a Uniting church minister is a liberal who took offense to that or not. But I would say he preached the full Gospel of repentance in that message.
Paul says much about false teachers, and that he didn't care too much about them as long as Christ was preached.
You might be interested also that there is a move within Pentecostalism to distance themselves from him and his message, certainly within the College environment that is.
My first ever girlfriend and I had an argument about the legitimacy of Benny Hinn. She made me read "Good Morning, Holy Spirit". 'Twas a fun read.
My understanding is that some years back a nummber of Pentacostal bodies took exception to Hinn and were going to disassociate themselves from him unless he changed a number of his teachings and practices. At one point in time he actually retracted a lot of what he had written in "Good Morning, Holy Spirit" and agreed not to "slay people in the Spirit", which I understand as originating from a form of Gnosticism. Not that I've been following him particularly closely of late, but recently he seems to have been as bad as he has ever been.
Thanks for the article Michael. I have an unusual perspective on Bh and David Milikan having met them both. David spoke at our state conference here in Adelaide a few years ago. We had a very good chin wag about his reading of Barth's dogmatics (he had read them right through), and his journey into ministry. For those who don't know David is a minister and journalist. He was the founder of ABC's Compass and before that worked for Zadok. Top guy.
As for BH. In my previous incarnation as a Pente (like I say to some people I meet, "before I was a Christian I was a Pente" :-) I was involved in the organisation of an AOG conference where Benny was the main speaker. In short I was sickened at Benny's performance. Especially seeing what went on back stage etc. Given my role at the time I was pretty close to him and his team. I wonder now if this encounter was part of my journey out of the AOG and Pentecostal theology etc? David's article is cheeky but very well balanced and exposes the business of miracles that BH is in. I don't doubt that God an heal I just doubt that Benny is the way!
Is Benny Hinn capable of curing Australians of the terrible scourge of American spelling? Michael referred to "practice" when he obviously meant the verb "practise" and Craig Bennett in his comment wrote "offense" instead of "offence".
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