‘Jesus said give me all your money’: Benny Hinn’s Gospel of greed

Posted by Morbo

Benny Hinn is one of the reasons I’m skeptical of the existence of a higher power.

I figure it’s like this: If there were a God, surely by now he would have sent an extra-hot, extra-sharp lightening bolt right into Hinn’s backside and boomed, “How dare you claim to speak in my name?!” That has not happened, and I just can’t put my faith in a deity who can’t or won’t muster enough righteous indignation to protect his own good name from an obvious charlatan with weird hair and a Nehru suit.

If you’re not familiar with him, Hinn is one of the most famous TV preachers and faith healers operating in the world today. His ministry holds “healing” crusades all over the globe, raking in millions along the way.

It’s a familiar story: Hinn lives and travels in style on money he coaxes from pensioners and widows scrapping by on Social Security. His healings are cruel frauds. In the highly charged, highly emotional atmosphere of a Hinn crusade, some undoubtedly do believe they’re better. It’s only later that they discover they are still sick. Some investigators have tracked down people Hinn “healed” only to find that they were not only unhealed but, in fact, dead.

Last Sunday, NBC’s “Dateline” did yet another expose on Hinn. “Dateline” has come after Hinn twice now. Both times they broke out the standard props that are used by TV journalists in this type of story: ex-employees willing to tell all; current employees speaking in false beards and wigs with their voices altered; grainy undercover tapes showing Hinn staffers throwing wads of cash into buckets; receipts from five-star hotels, plush restaurants and upscale shops, etc.

Other programs have exposed Hinn. Magazines have slammed him. Reporters abroad have taken him on. It never seems to do any good. Hinn just goes on TV the next day, announces that his ministry is under attack by Satan and even more money pours in.

Make no mistake, I’m all for religious freedom. Worship the Sears Tower if you want. It’s a free country. Knock yourself out.

But c’mon, people! At least try to bring a modicum of skepticism into the picture every now and then. At least have the decency to reject the obvious frauds. I understand religion is all about faith, but that does not mean there is no place for even a tiny bit of reason. The ancient Greeks found a way to commingle those two, and you can too.

Begin with this: If you’re going to follow a man or woman who claims to be a Christian, at least put that person up against the founder of Christianity before you bust out your checkbook. That’s basic.

So how does Benny Hinn stack up against the big guy, Jesus of Nazareth? Not too well, I’m afraid. Let’s do a quick baseline comparison:

Housing

Benny Hinn: Lives in a ministry-owned seven-bathroom, eight-bedroom mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean valued at $10 million. Claims it as a “parsonage.” Stays in top hotels when traveling. “Dateline” reports he once stayed in a suite in a London hotel that cost more than $10,000 per night.

Jesus Christ: Never seemed to have a home. Strikes me as the kind of guy who probably crashed at friends’ places a lot. Most likely slept on the floor.

Food

Benny Hinn: Only the best. Five-star restaurants. Exotic cuisine. “Dateline” says he and some friends dropped $1,700 in a Lebanese restaurant during a single evening out.

Jesus Christ: Simple fare. Once fed a bunch of people with some loaves and fishes.

Transportation

Benny Hinn: Can’t be bothered to stand in line with hoi polloi at LAX; owns private jet. Also owns a Mercedes SUV and a Mercedes convertible, each costing about $80,000.

Jesus Christ: Walked mostly. Once rode a donkey on a special occasion.

Clothing

Benny Hinn: $800 Versace suits. Goes on shopping sprees at exclusive West Hollywood shops.

Jesus Christ: Plain wool robes, cheap sandals.

Vacations

Benny Hinn: When traveling to crusades, always finds time for a multi-day “layover” in Cancun, Paris, south Italy, etc.

Jesus Christ: Didn’t take any. Visited some neighboring towns on foot, but this was strictly business.

Friends

Benny Hinn: Sycophants on his payroll.

Jesus Christ: Spent time with 12 guys, some of whom gave up good jobs to be with him. Also hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers and criminals.

Position on Pharisees

Benny Hinn: Is one.

Jesus Christ: Opposed

Position on Money-changers in Temples

Benny Hinn: “Did someone say money?”

Jesus Christ: Opposed

Not all hope is lost. The “Dateline” expose included comments by Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation, a Texas group of sincere Christians who oppose the antics of Hinn and his fellow TV hucksters.

And consider this: Benny Hinn is a charlatan who perpetrates the cruelest scams on people. He tells the terminally ill that they are cured when, in fact, they are still sick. He takes money from poor people who are not able to afford it to finance his own materialistic lifestyle. Maybe my skepticism is misguided and there really is a God. Maybe that God is just after all and really does care about the least of his flock. Maybe, just maybe, he/she/it/they might right now be reserving a very special place for Benny when he departs this mortal coil — a very warm place.

It’s a long shot, but one can always hope.