Thursday, January 12, 2006

Benny Hinn: A Heretic and a Fraud

I believe these are the appropriate words to describe Benny Hinn. A heretic. A fraud. If you think that the NKF controversy is bad, in which the former CEO TT Durai mismanged the charity funds of the National Kidney Foundation, wait till you watch the NBC Dateline video of Benny Hinn. This shocking video is a must-watch. By comparison, this video makes Durai look like a generous saint. The video can be viewed at this link, courtesy of Wittenburgdoor.com.

Wittenburgdoor.com, which bills itself as "The World's Pretty Much Only Religious Satire Magazine," has written an insightful article on Benny Hinn, naming it The Heretic. Here is a brief description of Benny Hinn in a nutshell, taken from the article:
He has no church. He belongs to no denomination. He's not even affiliated with any particular religion, although his buzz words indicate he tends to dwell on the freaky backwoods fringe of Pentecostalism. As recently as three centuries ago, he probably would have been burned as a heretic. (To give you some idea of his doctrinal strangeness, he once preached that the Trinity is actually nine persons, because each member of the Trinity – Father, Son, Holy Spirit – is also a Trinity. He also says that God and the Holy Spirit have real bodies, with eyes, hands, mouth, etc. Various theologians have trashed him, of course, for preaching "new revelations" directly from God that turn out to be, when examined, variations of thousand-year-old heresies.) He thinks of himself as a prophet (even when his prophecies don't come true) and, in one burst of grandeur, "a little messiah walking on the earth." He believes that the Biblical Adam flew into outer space, that when God parted the Red Sea He made it into a wall of ice, that God talks to him more frequently than he talked to, say, Moses, that a man has risen from the dead in his presence, that a man turned into a snake before his eyes, that angels come to his bedroom and talk to him, and that the only reason we're not all in perfect health, living forever, is that there are demons in the world, attacking us. He's expressed opinions normally heard only on schizophrenia wards, and he's done it in front of millions of people – and still they come. They come in such numbers that thousands have to be turned away, and even the ones turned away gladly give him their money.
The article has also cites a number of examples where they uncover, after investigations, the healings were faked.
No wonder Hinn needs bodyguards. Very few, if any, of these people are actually healed. And when they die, or their disease becomes worse, their relatives tend to become angry. For the past ten years this has been demonstrated over and over again by various investigative reports conducted with the resources of the Trinity Foundation, beginning with an Inside Edition show in 1993 hosted by Bill O'Reilly and reported by Steve Wilson.
...
I could go on, but you get the idea. Even sadder than the people who think they're healed are the ones so sick that Hinn's employees never allow them to be seen on stage. People suffering from paralysis, brain damage, dementia and the like – people who couldn't possibly make any "demonstration" on stage – are rejected at a screening session held backstage.

Despite all these reports, it appears that City Harvest (Singapore) not only endorses Benny Hinn, but the organization featured him prominently in the front cover of Harvest Times Issue 25 (April - June 2005). The magazine was accompanied by articles such as Why Do We Believe In Divine Healing? and Jesus Heals.

City Harvest (Singapore) was also the organizer of Benny Hinn's "healing crusade" at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 2005.

Controversies do not just surround Benny Hinn alone. There is another shocking video of Benny Hinn's wife, Suzanne, where she said the following words:
If your engine is not revving up, you know what you need? You need a Holy Ghost enema right up your rear end. ... Be God-pleasers, don’t be people-pleasers. Because if you’re a people-pleaser, you’re a butt-kisser. If you’re a people-pleaser, you’re a butt-kisser. There’s no other word for it.
Following those words, she began babbling, and ran back and forth the stage a couple of times like a charging bull until she fell down. What astonishes me is not so much that she uttered blasphemeous words (maybe I expect this sort of thing from her), but the choir and congregation giving approval by clapping to her words and actions.

There are so many outright heresies in Benny Hinn's teachings that it makes me wonder how could any churches, pastors or Christians with basic Christian beliefs support Benny Hinn.

The denial of the doctrine of the Trinity. The heresy that Jesus Christ became one with Satan. The denial of the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man. All these and many others. They are not mere non-essential doctrinal trivialities that one can write off, but full-blown blasphemies and heresies that set themselves against the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

For further reading, Dr. Kim Riddlebarger has written a good article The Theology of Benny Hinn, which examines the heretical teachings of Benny Hinn.

Links:
10 minutes of excerpts from Dateline's Benny Hinn investigation, Wittenburgdoor.com
The Heretic - Benny Hinn, Wittenburgdoor.com
Mrs. Benny Hinn's moment of zen, Beliefnet.com
The Theology of Benny Hinn, Modern Reformation Magazine

14 Comments:

Blogger Steven Sim said...

Hi..a fren recommended your site...i haven't had chance to read it, but just wanna say some words about Benny Hinn:

"Biggest fake in the world, would rather go to a mosque than his church!"

;) cheers

Jack

12/1/06 1:17 PM  
Blogger Tommy said...

Good article mate, why do so many follow after him? Because they dont know the word !
You raise some good points, keep it up, preach the word in season and with truth. Why doesn't he go into hospitals? there are many false prophets in the last days and many in the church are decieved. We have the word which doesnt say. 'follow after signs and wonders, it says . signs and wonders will follow after those who believe'.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/tommy3lions/Repairerofthebrokenwalls/

16/1/06 8:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

so many pharasees and scribes.
none which words edifies.
knowledge puffs up.
wooq and all of us need to learn to love more.

17/1/06 10:32 AM  
Blogger Steven Sim said...

Anonymous (why so?)

Was Jesus being pharisical for condemning the pharisees? His words were if we would remember sharp, calling them graveyards (very very degratory) and even sons of the Devil.

Go think about it...exercise your mind and exercise your mind in the Lord's service. You believe in one God, good for ya, the devils too ;)

Cheers.

17/1/06 3:31 PM  
Blogger SATheologies said...

Hi wooQ, nice posting! I have always thought of compiling heresies from the charismatic movement and deal with them in black n white but seems that my resources been always preventive. Now i know why my resources were limited, cos God had raised someone else who can do a better job! Keep writting!

19/1/06 5:19 PM  
Blogger discordant dude said...

What worries me is that so many are still falling for this kind of rubbish... so easily manipulated... what if he becomes another hitler!?

19/1/06 11:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi,
I am a Singaporean studying in USA. The tele-evangelism in the USA is way outta control! Watching people like Benny Hinn is like having a ice-kacang with blue and pink beans! They are all fraud asking for lots of money via "the convenience of your credit card". Some even shamelessly ask for US$10k donations! There is nothing spiritual about Benny Hinn. For example, he claims he can communicate with the dead, especially the late faith healer, Kathryn Kuhlman, whom he imitates very closely. Also, he makes US$1.3mil a year (via income tax return). Go see more expose Benny Hinn at http://www.rickross.com/groups/bennyhinn.html. There are more digs on Hinn's bad rep. Just google "Benny Hinn lies" and you will get a quite a treasure of goodies. Even better when they are from reputable resources such as newspapers and The Trinity Foundation.

4/4/06 8:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am surprise that people actually have time to be busy bodies and do research for the purpose of criticising other people's ministries instead of using their time to serve the Lord. And they think that's a God-given calling. They are the ones who are deceived - Jesus calls them blind leading the blind.

4/3/07 1:28 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Just like you are anointed if you are born again, so is Benny Hinn. He is not a perfect man and does make mistakes (just like you do), but I think instead of doing theology on Benny Hinn, why not concentrate on God's theology and leave Benny Hinn to the Lord. HE will look after Benny's situations - not you. God works differently in different people. And all what you hear, is it "first" hand or "second hand information.

"Do not touch God's anointed". If you do not agree with Benny's theology, that is no problem. I don't like hearing from some evangelists myself, but you can't go around calling them names - you will be in trouble, not Benny Hinn. Just maybe you could be wrong. You must ask the Holy Spirit (without your flesh involved) what HE thinks about Benny Hinn. I do not want to see you suffer when you do not have to. Give these evangelists a break. I believe Benny Hinn loves the Lord God with all his being - so why don't we just leave it at that. Concentrate on the Word and do what the Lord has planned for your life.

Love & Blessings

Joanne

24/8/07 1:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why should we warn believers against the Benny Hinn Ministries?

Jude 1:
"ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4For there are certain men who have crept in unawares, who were foreordained of old for this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
11Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and have run greedily after the error of Balaam for their reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

18how they told you that there would be mockers in the last times who would walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

2/4/08 9:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Joanne

I can only say to you, you are seriously deluded and brainwashed. My heart goes out to you. Leave city harvest and go to a proper church that teaches the right values.

12/10/08 8:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Benny Hinn hides behind his "prophetic" office as a martyr...but his theology is completely out of control.
Scripture tells us to judge a giver of prophecies and works by his fruits. Having failed prophecies and clearly unorthodox doctrinal teachings, the bible tells us to abhor him. It is not me that has judged this heretic, but the Word of God has already judged him. We clearly deny any prophecies of Joseph Smith(mormons) but are afraid to deny Benny Hinn because he uses scriptural warnings like "judge not mine anointed" and such. It is a scare tactic and i wont have it.

Benny Hinn, the millionaire prophet who is an obvious heretic must repent!

12/11/08 3:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What Scriptural explanation is there for Benny Hinn's Blowing on people and making them fall down?

28/1/09 2:42 AM  
Anonymous Steve Meikle said...

I thank God I was out of pentecostalism before Hinn arose. It was crisis enough without having to deal with his blasphemous insanities.

One small thing in your critique troubles me. It is sure that God does not speak to Hinn, but under the New Covenant He. the Lord the Spirit that is, *should* speak to us daily and directly.

Of course no new revelation will ever be given by the Spirit, but we are so blind as to need revelation as to what the Scriptures actually mean; and moreover without intimate conversation where is the relationship that the New Covenant is about?

25/8/12 10:01 AM  

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