Did anyone watch the special on Dateline last night about Benny Hinn and his ministries? I found it quite interesting how he runs his life and what he does on the road. I never knew he was so popular and that he got THAT much money! That is the main reason I have never wanted to be involved in organized religion. I could never understand as a kid, when I'm sitting next to my parents in church, and they pass the collection pot and there was tons of money in it. "Why do people pay this place?" I would ask. If I need to communicate with God, Jesus Christ, Grandpa, or my old dog Smurf (I miss that mutt) then I don't see why I should sit in a lavishly built building to do so. I always wonder where the money really goes after I drop it in the pot. My cousins attend a very fundamental church where they are required to give at least 10% of their income to be a member. Their pastor makes no effort to hide the fact that he is driving a nice Lexus SUV and just had a HUGE house built right outside town. It's too bad there's people that take advantage of others like this. I'm not saying they should live in a cardboard box or anything, but come on now - how about giving money back to the community and living a modest life that more resembles those who attend your church? Does anyone else see this behavior in their church or at other churches?
Did you hear about what happened when he 'slayed in the spirit' some guy? Well the poor fellow fell off the stage and onto some old granmother. She died from her injuries. Check out CNN, happened a couple of years ago.
I think they mentioned that last night too - along with other various injuries from people falling while being 'healed'.
Does anyone think it's strange that you think that all churches and all pastors are like that? Have a talk with my pastor sometime. And my pastor before him, and my pastor before him, and a dozen other pastors I've met over the years, and you'll feel silly for thinking for even ten seconds that everyone who preaches drives something like a Lexus and has money to spend. Offerings pay the electric bill, and the water bill, and the sewer bill. Offerings pay for the grass to be mowed. If you have refreshments before or between church services, the offerings pay for that. And yes of course it pays for the pastor(s) and administrative staff. Ministry is the pastor's job, just like you and I have jobs. Not all pastors are cheats like Benny Hinn [there, I said it -- Hinn is a scam artist]. A portion of church offerings is given to missionaries and/or other ministries. For example, some churches collectively support summer camps, or womens' shelters, or homeless shelters, or schools, or whatever. There's a lot of charity going on behind the scenes. Most pastors do not get rich. They get by, and that's it.
I'm sorry if this is how I came across. I do not think that all churches and pastors are like this. I am saying that it is too bad that there are any like this. People go to church not only for their faith in religion, but their faith that the person satnding up there is being honest and true with them. I know a couple of pastors, and they are definitely not driving a Lexus! I would not draw a conclusion that all pastors are bad from my questioning where the money is going. I believe all I said is just that - I wonder where the money goes after it's put in the hat. I never said it went straight to the pastor. Sorry for the confusion..
I think the pastors that people have problems with are the 'Benny Hinns' not the genuine thing. But even there i sometimes have my doubts. I belong to a psychology group that has been collecting long term data on various 'born again' ministries. Generally we've found that they often cause tremendous harm to their 'flock'. In one revival meeting we estimated that about 20% of followers were harmed through 'healing prayers', 'slaying in the spirit' etc. Not all pastors do this but its so prevelant...
100% agreement! "Slaying in the Spirit" is not part of mainstream Christianity. It's not orthodox Christianity. It's out on the fringe. It has no biblical basis. It's a warning sign that the preacher might (and I can only say might) be a heretic.
Benny Hinn was exposed as a fraud a few years back. 60 minutes did an incredible expose on him complete with hidden mikes and video.
I never said it was mainstream, but its practise is on the rise. orthodox attendance is falling in many countries like England, yet these 'heretics' are on the up.
I am going to do my best to not got heated about this, but calling a pastor a heritic because the parishner gets "slain in the spisrit" is a stretch to say the least. Being "slain in the Spirit" is simply an emotional response to a very deep state of prayer. The pastor should have nothing to do with it. With that being said...Benny Hinn is a complete scam artist. He is a heritic, not because his method is aggressive, or he wears thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. He is a heritic because his doctrine is totally unbiblical. If any one wants to know more about being slain in the Spirit feel free, it actually has happened to me once. I am no heritic and niether is my pastor. I believe we could do with less back bitting in the church.
It looks like a physical response when Hinn does it --> you and he aren't doing the same thing --> any criticism of Hinn's "slaying" does not apply to you. Peace?
I equate Hinn with a revival that happened in Canada, and then moved down to Brownsville, FL. Basically, people that believe that he can heal will argue that fact till the day they die, no matter how much evidence is presented against him. I don't know if God is using him to heal or not, but the big red flags are the amount of money he rakes in, the unbiblical nature of his faith based healing doctrine, and the emotional fanatatism he stirs up. Yeah, I know what you mean with the physical slaying in the Spirit. Not to make light of the Holy Spirit here, but I think in Hinn's case it should be called what it is, a firm smack on the forhead. Like I said, If you are really slain in the spirit, no one even needs to touch you, you just kindof lose your legs, it's actually very peacful, and not at all aggressive. Aikimac, Peace :Angel: I am not easily offended, I just don't like misinformation.
