Benny Hill

Benny

I wrote a piece some time ago about an African preacher who supposedly raised a man from 'the dead', on stage, in front of a large credulous audience. Looking at the faces of the parishioners it seemed clear that at least some, did not take the alleged miracle on the matter of faith and were of the silent opinion that the Pastor spake bollox. 

My last but one post was about an American televangelist, Ken (the kon) Copeland. I mistakenly stated that he was a multi-millionaire when he is, in fact, a billionaire. Money, no doubt, skimmed from his loyal, often poor, but without doubt, adoring adherents.

Let me introduce you to Benny Hinn, another 'charismatic', American prosperity preacher. Old uncle Hinn has actually been exposed as a conman and fraud, but you can't keep a good old Christian charlatan down for long. His specialty is 'spiritual healing' and he claims that he is a simple conduit for healing powers provided by God. The afflicted line up on stage and approach Hinn whereupon he places his sticky mitts upon the diseased and tells them they are healed (he, of course, is well-heeled).  An investigative team in 2004, with hidden cameras, demonstrated apparent misappropriation of funds, his ability to be economical with the truth, and the highly selective way the sick are chosen to line up for his miracle, healing ministrations. For some unaccountable reason, those with obvious and severe infirmities are never chosen and if they attempt to approach the stage they are intercepted by lackeys and asked to return to their seat.

In one of his notorious performances, brother Hinn, invites a group of selected pasties Pastors on stage and invites them to touch a manifest, but invisible, Jesus. Once the divine digits are encountered the Pastors are overwhelmed and slowly collapse to the floor. The whole scene is not so much Benny Hinn, but highly reminiscent of Benny Hill- remember him? The audience, of course, laps this stuff up. At one stage, Hinn asks a child to get awf da stage- surely the whole charade is staged (stop it Flaxen and take the meds)? Didn't Jesus once say, maybe, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence". C'mon Hinn at least practice what the Lord preacheth!  

So what are we to make of this poorly choreographed theatre? As for his followers, I have little sympathy. If they can't see through this clearly defined conman in front of them then they deserve no mercy. Not only are these pathetic uneducated wretches poor in monetary terms, but they are also poor in spirit. It is not so much the education system that has failed them, but the converse. It seems perverse that the richest country on earth, full of the benefits (and let us not forget the deficits) that modern Western civilisation can bestow should be subject to this blatant and farcical nonsense. I couldn't imagine any other Western nation giving credence to this type of chicanery. Anyway, see the vid below showing the clip under question and if you can conjure up the soundtrack of 'Benny Hill' in your mind it will be well worth the effort. Actually, I might have a go at writing a post about Benny Hill, in the future.........

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