crazyage3:
I havent seen this program that you all are talking about but you know i must say watching benny hinn has helped me become more charismatic. His show helped me grow and become more open to the Holy SPirit even though he isnt Catholic!
When I was quite ill, I used to listen to the choirs - he has some magnificent ones and I love the songs they sing. I thought they were lovely and enjoyed the music tremendously. Then I met a musician who used to play for some of the “crusades” and he had some funny stories which I enjoyed.
crazyage3:
If he is doing this as a scam, it is on his hands not those innocent people. They are still praying to God and asking for these miracles. Sometimes I feel that we as Catholics need to learn from our Charismatic - Protestant brothers and sisters. Those Charisms were practiced since Jesus, are all biblical and recorded by the early church fathers. All we can do is pray for the man and leave it in God’s hands.
Here is the way I look at it - we are all the pilgrims of the Canterbury Tales. Good, bad, stupid, intelligent, believers, doubters and skeptics. Our own church has all kinds of weird visionaries who are as nutty as fruitcakes and obtain more messages from the BVM in a week than in the last 1900 years of Christianity all together. We do not condemn nor do we expect anyone else to condemn all of Catholic belief about Mary and visionaries because we have scam artists, delusional people who desperately need attention or those who are out to plain exploit the sick, the desperate and the believing. We know that they are out there - their fraud does not a sham of miracles, cures and miraculous spiritual awakenings make.
We should then offer the same charity and forbearance to our Christian associates who have these same types among them.
We know what is is to experience persecution, scandal, corruption, bad shepherds and indifferent congregations, — why then are we surprised to find that these people flock to other faiths to do the same among them? We are a fallen, flawed and sinful humanity. It’s among us all. God will deal with the perpetrators when they meet Him.
As for the program, I thought much of it was quite unfair and biased; I thought it also had much to question, much to call the pastor to account for. I did note however, that they spent a great deal more time worrying about what Hinn did with his money rather than any spiritual shortcomings he had. Considering what media types earn these days, the expense accounts they have and the perqs they get including pretty lavish hotel and meal accomodations, I thought it a bit too self serving and over emphasized on the money end. Just my 2 :twocents: