Now, let me attempt a few serious, Biblely thoughts.
- The imaginary Sith Lord had actual power; Hinn's is purely make-believe, purely psychological (at best), and purely thanks to the willing acquiescence of his acolytes.
- Hinn sashays across the stage in mock displays and poses of over-compensatory masculinity and power. And what movement has made it so that people like him have even a chance at credibility among professed Christians? Can he be separated from that movement? How?
- Were Hinn a Biblical Christian preacher, the power that he had anything to do with would have nothing to do with such theatrics and displays, but instead with a message (Romans 1:16), a message that is the precise opposite of the Word-faith false teachers' preaching (1 Corinthians 1:23).
- What Hinn does is a Jedi mind-trick... well, a Sith mind-trick. What a Christian ambassador is no trick (2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:1-6).
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Oh my. I was laughing pretty good (is that un-Christian of me?). I was even thinking I'd like to share with my 15-yr old as a learning opportunity. He's never seen anything like Mr. Hinn and recently confessed some attraction to the whole hold-hands-up-while-you-sing thing. But then, I thought perhaps (in his mind) it would give credence to this scam. So I kept to myself. Better safe than sorry, I s'pose.
This is so sad and so funny at the same time. In Honduras I know hundreds of people that follow this guy more then they follow Jesus.
Oh. My.
That is just all kinds of embarrassing.
This gave me a good morning laugh.
However, like mikepettengill it also leaves me frustrated at the same time. I have seen this man's clones in every African country I've visited. Their like viruses, for every one of them, they seem to split and produce two more. I've seen advertising for healing colleges.
Dan, you like to share the forehead slapping with your readers, don't you? :)
Woooooooooooow!
Why am I not surprised at just how WELL the superimposed sound effects fit the REAL visuals?
Okay, I confess: I know the answer to that question...
Is there any record of either Jesus or His apostles healing people by whacking at great swaths of them like this? As far as I can remember, doesn't every incident of Jesus or the apostles healing someone involve either a simple touch or word, sometimes miles away from the word's object??
And if that's the case, which is a better indication of real power?
(You know, beyond the whole resurrecting the dead thing.)
But on a different note, Mark, I'd humbly submit that there is an enormous theological and practical difference between Hinn's heretical, and impotent waving of hands as an expression of power, and someone raising their hands during singing or prayer as an expression of submission and worship.
One has absolutely zero Biblical precedent. The other has at least some.
Absolutely true Rachael, big difference with the raising of hands thing. Interestingly enough you will find nowhere in Scripture that we should close our eyes to pray. You see looking to Heaven and the lifting of hands.
I want to watch this video but I'm still in NZ and have only limited data usage, and have to wait until I get to Auckland next week.
That video was genius.
I actually just got done with a long stint at a foursquare/pentecostal church. Most of the congregation there embraces the sort of bologna Hinn represents.
lil' Testimony: I had gotten involved there shortly after my conversion. Not knowing any better I naively I planted roots there, getting involved, and ended up as a youth leader.
As I've matured over the course of the last several years or so, and dug in deep, studying not only scripture, but also the writings of godly men who had gone on to be with the Lord (John Newton affected me profoundly), a correct view of God's sovereignty and providence totally obliterated the synergistic, charismatic view point I once tried so hard to embrace.
Anyways, I'd been undercover there for a couple years, trying to ride it out, minister the true word to the youth, and please the leadership in spite of my convictions. I finally put in my notice several months ago with the pastor and just spent my last Sunday with them. This week I'm attending my first service at a Reformed Baptist Church... *excited*
Anyways, this cracked me up so much I just had to post this video on my facebook to see what kind of response it generates from my pentecostal friends. Not that I'm trying to be a meanie or anything... *snicker*
Rachael asks: Is there any record of either Jesus or His apostles healing people by whacking at great swaths of them like this?
Well... no. But He did tell them that would do even greater things than He did. By which He presumably meant they'd do the same things, just in a more wowsy and spectacular manner.
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