Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Benny Hinn

I found this in a Web site:

Among the chief accusations against Hinn: Financial underhandedness; doctrinal confusion; and faith healings that may not be genuine.

In 1998, the Sentinel reported Hinn sued a former employee, Mario Licciardello, to prevent him from disclosing potentially damaging information about the handling of donations to Hinn's ministry.

According to a June article in The Dallas Morning News, shortly after Hinn announced his move to Texas, he said God had told him to build a "World Healing Center," and Hinn appealed for money. As much as $30 million was collected, but the center was never built. In April 2000, he told Trinity Broadcasting Network's Paul Crouch, "I'm putting all the money we have in the ministry to get out there and preach. The day (to build the healing center) will come. I'm in no hurry; neither is God." In August 2000, a holding company that is a subsidiary of Hinn's ministry began building a "parsonage" - a $3 million, 7,200-square foot oceanfront home - in Dana Point, Calif.

Within the Christian community, Hinn has drawn fire for statements about the nature of God that appear to contradict traditional doctrine about the Trinity, which states God is one but is manifested in three "persons" -Father, Son and Holy Spirit. According to information supplied by two watchdog groups, Personal Freedom Outreach, based in St. Louis, and Christian Research International of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Hinn has said the Holy Spirit has a "spiritbody" and "there are nine" elements of the Trinity - three bodies, souls and spirits. Lee Grady, editor of "Charisma," a magazine for Pentecostals, said Hinn has retracted those views.

As to whether the healings he performs are genuine, Anthony said he has "hundreds" of names of people in his files whom Hinn claimed to have healed but who were not. "He's using standard techniques of autosuggestion. He speaks in a monotone, there is music and lights. Any stage hypnotist could do what he's doing."

Anthony said he tried to persuade Hinn to televise only healings that could be medically verified after six months. At first Hinn agreed, Anthony said, but later changed his mind. "The problem with broadcasting unverified healings is that it gives people false hope. There's a spiritual hunger in America that's massive, and these (televangelists) are taking advantage of it. They think they're helping people, but they're not. The stories we hear are heartbreaking," he said.

(I don't know who this 'Antony' is)