Urgent: Benny Hinn needs your money so he can buy a new private jet

I find it even more unnerving that Hinn's header on his website reads: "Continuing the Season of Historic Harvest! SOULS! SOULS! SOULS!"

Whenever I see the words "harvest" and "souls" together, I can't help but think of Satan.

Unfortunately there are also people like my grandmother's cousin who is losing her thinking ability and has given away most of her money to foundations such as this

Ahh, yes that's a painful side-effect. I was thinking when I wrote that most were getting what they deserved, at least just before, that I would say something about there being some sort of fraud oversight for these guys, but then I thought (and wrote what I did).

But these folks, who lack even the opportunity for critical thinking, deserve some protection I think.

But then, maybe not, maybe the feeling of happiness and entertainment she gets from the process is a fair bargain. Difficult to say. And easy to run afoul of the establishment clause.

But then, maybe not, maybe the feeling of happiness and entertainment she gets from the process is a fair bargain. Difficult to say. And easy to run afoul of the establishment clause.

Actually, that would be the free exercise clause. And you're right, it would be difficult to enforce fraud laws in cases like this, because religious beliefs (even testable beliefs like, "If you give to the church, you'll receive back what you gave ten-fold") are considered so immune from any sort of fact-based criticism. Is it not fraud because you're falsely claiming that God will do something instead of falsely claiming that a product will do something? I dunno, it seems like it should be.

They did manage to get Jim Bakker, though. I wonder what the trigger is--size, grievous-ness, or political mis-step?

even testable beliefs like, "If you give to the church, you'll receive back what you gave ten-fold"

The Prosperity Gospel brings up all kinds of interesting questions about why its believers follow along with its preachers. For a
nominally Protestant-based faith, it sure doesn't seem like they are following along "sola scriptura." I'm reminded primarily of Luke 6:24 (New American Bible translation), which is similar to the Sermon on the Mount speech found in Matthew:

But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.

Kind of clear, isn't it?

I'm no Christian, but didn't Jesus also say something to the effect of it would be easier for a camel to fit through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into heaven?

Indeed.

Then, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter to kingdom of God."

Matthew 19:23-24 (New American Bible translation)

Just to clarify that point: the "eye of the needle" is slang for a small gate in the city wall for which it was tricky (but do-able) for camels to get through.

There is nothing inherently wrong with wealth, it's just that having it, it tends to take over and become the main thing, which greatly inhibits spirituality.

I might believe that it's the case that Jesus meant a rich man would have only a moderately difficult time entering heaven if it weren't for the Sermon on the Mount and passage I quote from Luke earlier. I think, overall, it's pretty clear what His opinions on wealth were.

Yes, it was quite clear Jesus doesn't like wealth. When he talks about wealth, he doesn't talk about "nothing inherently wrong with wealth" and how it "greatly inhibits spirituality." Instead, he flat out said it was wrong, and more than once. I'm just reading the text literally here. Sure a camel could fit through the eye of a needle (or, a very narrow gate, if you must), but if I were a betting Christian, I'd want a wide path. Wide path = poor.

Does "Blessed are the poor" ring a bell?

Besides, doesn't "love thy neighbor" and hoarding money pretty much contradict each other?

Let's not forget the money changers in the temple, either.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say Jesus condenmed wealth, or even disliked the wealthy (partying with tax collectors anyone?).

I believe the sermon on the mount blesses the poor in spirit, might want to look that one up.

And speaking of partying, Jesus was known to eat, drink and be merry as it were, which kind of goes against cursing the filled, if we're to take that Luke passage literally.

Nor did he have much bad to say about the prodigal son's dad. Or Abraham for that matter, or David, of whose lineage he is claimed to be, extremely rich men all.

None of this, though, justifies the Rev's quest for a custom jet.

You're right in that none of that merits a jet.
But I see being monetarily not wealthy as being correlative to being poor "in spirit," as money tends to distort people.

And yes, Jesus partied with tax collectors, which is good. He treated everyone equally and did not tend to discriminate against those the rest of society ostracized, so props to Jesus for that.

Jesus had to be of the Davidian line because of prophecy, but mainly because of the royalty connotation. Jesus showed us all how to be a humble king rich in spirituality but not in money. He was supposedly birthed alongside cattle, for goodness sake.

So we agree Jesus at least thought money had the capacity to corrupt, and excess should be looked upon with disdain. Sounds a little counter to the good Benny Hinn's argument for Dove One.

"Forgiveness Island" sounds like a theme park nightmare.
If he wants to get there, I propose either a CT scan, hallucinogenic drugs or Southwest Airlines.

really? i think it would be business class, since he would travel to spread the word, which is techinically a business trip. he was modest, so first class would be too much, but coach?... i dunno.

what does the Pope fly?

According to Suite101.com ("How the Pope Flies," Jon Hoh Jr.) [I would insert the link but I'm a "new user" and not allowed to do so], JP2, and I assume B16 as well, flew on an airline of the departing country, which was usually Alitalia for the departure from Rome. The site also cites media outlets saying it has taken up to 2,000 hours to prepare a plane for a papal flight, including cooking gourmet meals, placing official papal decals about the plane and installing a bed.