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- Behind the Scenes
- The True Face of the Fake Faith Healers
by Yves A. Brault
The book "Behind the Scenes" tells what is going
on behind the scenes and here is what readers had to say about
the book and Benny Hinn's ministry:
i) Very Good, June 27, 2000
Reviewer: bozzanova55 from Chico, California
Forget all of the Christian stuff, this book is a must for the
atheist and skeptic alike. This is a very good expose on the
trickery these flim-flammers use, and how people like Benny Hinn
prey on the gullible. Benny Hinn's television circus is still
going strong, and I think that many could benefit from reading
a book such as this.
ii) Truth and Discernment, April 19, 2000
Reviewer: Jason Engwer from Pennsylvania, USA
Love can't be separated from truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). Discernment
is a sign of maturity (Philippians 1:9). If somebody like Benny
Hinn is misleading people, that should concern anybody who claims
to be a follower of the God of truth (John 4:24). I would recommend
Yves Brault's book even to those who are already familiar with
the writings of people like Hank Hanegraaff. While Hank Hanegraaff,
Dave Hunt, and others have documented some of the false teachings
and false prophecies of Benny Hinn, John Avanzini, etc., Yves
Brault also presents a side of these men that you won't see on
their television programs.
- Brault attended Benny Hinn's church, and through Hinn's ministry
came into contact with other ministries as well. What Brault's
story reveals is a pattern of dishonesty, irresponsibility, and
carelessness among some of the most popular televangelists and
alleged faith healers. The problem isn't just false teaching
and false prophecy. There are moral problems as well, and a lot
of the alleged miracles, if not all of them, seem to be fraudulent.
If you've read a book like Hank Hanegraaff's Christianity in
Crisis (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1997), get Yves Brault's
book for a more specific, more personal perspective. If you think
that the errors of men like Benny Hinn and Rodney Howard-Browne
are insignificant, read Brault's book. It's an antidote to today's
ecumenical confusion.
iii) Ingram - Celebrated magician James Randi uncovers the faith-healing
fakery found in the disturbing performances of evangelist Peter
Popoff, W.V. Grant, Leroy Jenkins, Oral Roberts, Pentecostal
A.A. Allen, Roman Catholic Ralph DiOrio, and Pat Robertson. Illustrated.
iv) A Sad Account of Deception in the name of God, October 19,
1997
Reviewer: koller@freethinker.org from Germantown, Maryland USA
This book serves as a reminder that nothing is sacred when it
comes to making a quick buck. In it are accounts of the charlatans
behind the money making schemes that play on the emotions and
needs of humans. It tells the story of supposed ministers of
God that make a mockery of religion and care little for the efficacy
of their work or for the human lives they shatter. James Randi
does an excellent job of exposing the con artists for what they
are; and how they consistently and repeatedly refuse to put their
claims to the test. Read the book and become informed of the
deception, insincerity, and insensitivity that are the faith
healers.
v) Nobody wants to put Faith Healers in jail., May 13, 2000
Reviewer: bill hays (see more about me) from Tustin, CA
One thing about a con game, the people who fall for them get
very defensive. They refuse to believe the man outside the bank
with the bank examiner's badge stole the money they withdrew
from their account, thinking the Feds needed it for evidence
against a bank employee. Faith healing is a con game, with the
same willing victims. Even honest people think that giving a
woman dying of stomach cancer hope is a good thing (because some
cancers do reverse themselves when the immune system kicks in,
and the immune system is controlled by our beliefs/attitudes
in ways that can't be written down in textbooks.) Randi did some
personal investigation. He interviewed the woman who stood up
from her wheelchair and started to walk, and found she had walked
into the crusade on her own. An usher thought she looked unsteady
and asked her to sit in the wheelchair. Outside, Randi found
a truck full of wheelchairs that the Faith Healer drove to every
crusade, pulling the same scam. Whenever people ask us to have
an open mind about "miracles," I would simply hand
them Randi's book and ask them to learn some facts about how
prevalent scams are in society. If you are sick and you have
money, at some point you will be offered a miracle, providing
you part with some cash. Yes, these guys are slick. They smile,
quote the bible, and they seem more honest than average folks.
If they didn't, they couldn't make a living as con men, could
they? --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
vi) Straight to the point..., January 15, 2001
Reviewer: Brian from Philadelphia, PA USA
Mr. Randi does a fine job at delving into the deplorable depths
of faith healing in this book. With sentimentality nearly non-existent,
only facts and clear-cut explained conclusions remain. An especially
good account of the shyster "Reverend" Peter Popoff,
is related. It was Mr. Randi's investigation that banished Popoff's
ministry from arenas and network, national television to one-room
conferences and UHF-stations... Evident proof that even the followers
of faith healing can eventually see the true light if given substantiated
claims.
The only bone to pick with this book is its publishing year.
It's over a decade out of date, but that can't be held against
the author. The information provided is as applicable as it was
ten years ago, only I wish Mr. Randi would venture into this
topic once again. Perhaps he could do for Benny Hinn on Jay Leno,
what he did for Peter Popoff on Johnny Carson...
vii) One of the best by Randi, October 11, 2000
Reviewer: Alexis S Mendez (see more about me) from Aguadilla,
PR USA
I love James Randi books (even if sometimes he repeats a certain
point several times, like trying to get it through our head by
hammering it). This one, and "Flim-Flam", are my favorites.
In "Faith Healers" he exposes the tricks of those who
claim that are able to cure in name of the Lord. The book is
not only an eye opener, but sometimes works as an excellent detective
story (as how he exposed Popoff).
Some critics of this book -and other by Randi- express that there
is such things as miracles, that we need the Lord, etc... If
you read carefully, you will find that Randi is never oppossed
to our liberty to select a religion. He is strongly against all
those people who take advantage of faith to take other people
money and their possibilities of getting appropiate medical attention.
Hey, religious people, even the Bible talks against people claiming
falsely to have powers from God. Skeptic or believer, you have
to support Randi and his causes!
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