Who Really Has “Touched” Benny Hinn?
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Who Really Has “Touched” Benny Hinn? by G. Richard Fisher There is no doubt that lies sell and and M. Kurt Goedelman PFO’s volume on Hinn captures him are more popular than truth in this as a man in a world of deep confu- day and age. esy and necromancy do not slow the sion. There is no reason to believe what Hinn says about anything. It is a Hinn Express. He continues to sweep A popular Hollywood film a few serious venture to claim to speak for thousands off their feet — literally, as years back featured Jim Carrey play- God in the manner of prophecies and his followers succumb to what ing a congenital liar who is forced to visions as does Hinn. tell only the truth for a time. Carrey’s Thomas Upham called ‘‘sympathetic character is subject to all kinds of imitation’’ and are willing to fall on WHO TOUCHED WHOM? hysterics and self-flagellation as he command.2 In his latest autobiography, He tries to resist the urge to prevaricate. Hinn’s critics try to force him ‘‘to Touched Me, Hinn continues to com- Benny Hinn, who claims to be ‘‘one tell the truth’’ by comparing his con- pound contradictions and falsehoods of the great healing evangelists,’’ is tradictory public statements and out- that have been documented in previ- much like Carrey’s lawyer character: right lies with documented facts. At ous articles in The Quarterly Journal. he just cannot tell all the truth all the times, Hinn allows his underlings to The adage, ‘‘You can’t tell a book by time. He claims to have an especially apologize or offer alibis for his slip- its cover,’’ applies to Hinn’s latest ups.3 Hinn, at other times, simply deep relationship with the Holy one. The golden-hued dust jacket is alters his claims in newly released Spirit. Hinn even explains away his graced with Hinn’s subdued face as material. lack of formal Bible training by claim- he would have us believe that he has ing that during his purported early However, even in the revisions and been touched by God in some unique encounters with the Spirit, ‘‘I was updates, Hinn can’t get it right. The and special way. The back cover says receiving an education greater than careful observer can only wonder if Hinn’s life story ‘‘reveals what can any university or seminary could Hinn has been fibbing for so long that happen when one person becomes offer. My teacher was the Spirit Him- he is incapable of telling the whole totally yielded to the Holy Spirit.’’ self.’’1 It is a wonder then how Hinn truth and of functioning within the can be so mired in heresy. bounds of reality. He is a serial Upon examination of the book, Hinn is a phenomenon of our times. prevaricator whose followers don’t however, one can see that Hinn again Sadly, many Christians demand he- seem to notice or care. No one around has misrepresented his life story. roes and icons and for many of them, him or within his organization holds While these lies are certainly creative Hinn answers the call. His broadcasts him accountable. and artful, they remain lies. are full of self-serving tributes to his In the last decade, Hinn has prom- Hinn’s stories keep shifting and claimed spiritual stature and impact. ised to reform as often as a politician changing until one wonders if he ever In spite of his many goofs, gaffes and in an election year. A video titled The will get it right. Parts of Hinn’s new media troubles, he still manages to Many Faces of Benny Hinn, helps spell biography get closer to the truth enchant people. False prophecy, her- out the dilemma. Similarly, the title of (continues on page 12) 4 · The Quarterly Journal January-March 2001 THIS OLD HOUSE in number and flower species, Hinn’s Kurzman tells us that at the time of (continued from page 4) interpretation of the dream remains the 1948 War in Israel, ‘‘Jaffa was left consistent — and herein lies the virtually leaderless.’’13 From that question as to its divine source and while other parts carry on the decep- point on, Kurzman states, ‘‘Jaffa ... precise interpretation. Hinn now ex- 14 tion and give new versions of old became a Jewish suburb’’ with Jew- plains the dream of ‘‘six beautiful stories. ish mayors. Costandi Hinn was an lilies’’ in his mother’s hand as: Arab, which alone precluded him Hinn says that as a young child he ‘‘When she awakened, Clemence from such an office. underwent a ‘‘time of intense reli- [his mother] asked herself, What gious instruction’’ by Catholic nuns When Hinn’s untruth was exposed does this dream mean? What can who ‘‘had a great spiritual influence’’ by PFO, he scrambled for excuses and it be? Eventually, our family was on him. His learning included being alibis. For a while he retreated to the to have six boys and two girls, able to pray ‘‘the Nicene Creed.’’4 Yet, claim that his father was only the yet my mother never forgot her the influence of the Nicene Creed is ‘‘unofficial mayor’’ of Jaffa. Then he bargain with God. ‘Benny,’ she not apparent in Hinn’s description of blamed his book’s publisher and said said, ‘you were the lily I pre- the Trinity: ‘‘If I can shock you, and he tried to correct it prior to publica- sented to Jesus.’’’11 maybe I should. There are nine of tion. Hinn apparently has now even them.’’5 Hinn suggests the single flower abandoned this latter claim since it requested by Jesus in the dream too has been disproven. He has never Whatever differences evangelical symbolizes his call and life as a admitted that the claim was an out- and fundamentalist Christians have minister. The problem with Hinn’s (or right lie. with Roman Catholics, they all share his mother’s) interpretation lies in the a belief in three persons in the God- fact that Benny is not the only mem- In his new autobiography, Hinn head, not nine. Finis Dake’s annotated ber of his family to have become a now says his father ‘‘can best be reference Bible, not any Catholic nuns minister. Four other brothers — described as a liaison between the or Greek Orthodox teaching, is the Willie, Henry, Sammy and Michael — community and the Israeli govern- source of this particular idea. 15 are pastors and evangelists. Why then ment.’’ Throughout the book, he Hinn also has employed other unor- did Jesus only ask for one flower then ascribes to his father a host of thodox influences. At the same time when five of Clemence Hinn’s sons various occupations and responsibili- Dake’s teachings were influencing his would eventually devote themselves ties: postal service employee,16 Red theology, Hinn advanced the heretical to full-time ministry work? Perhaps Cross worker,17 fruit inspector at the teachings of the Word Faith move- Hinn’s Jesus is a casualty of open Jaffa port,18 president of the Greek ment when he taught ‘‘He who is the theism or process theology — not Orthodox Club,19 movie projectionist nature of God became the nature of knowing what the future would hold. for the club20 and, following the Satan when He became sin’’6 and Some may say that the number and family’s 1968 move to Canada, insur- ‘‘Jesus Christ knew the only way He type of flowers, and the dream’s ance salesman,21 all of which are a far would stop Satan is by becoming one interpretation type is a minor issue. cry from the political position once in nature with him. He [Jesus] did not Perhaps, but it still does beg the claimed for him. take my sin, He became my sin.’’7 question: How could one misconstrue a vision from God? Yet, Hinn maintains the pretense ALTERED STATES OF that his father held a ‘‘unique position UNCONSCIOUSNESS Then, too, one can ask: How many in the community’’ and persists in other tales and claimed revelations describing him ‘‘as a liaison between Hinn now admits that some boy- were misremembered, embellished or the community and Israeli govern- hood tales in Good Morning, Holy complete fiction? Hinn’s more bizarre ment.’’22 He also maintains he ‘‘was Spirit were not recalled correctly. In stories often have no witnesses or the early book, he told of a ‘‘dream’’ deeply touched that my father had support whatsoever. And when there earned such respect and trust from his mother had in which she had ‘‘six are claims of videotape evidence, the Israeli government,’’23 which is beautiful roses.’’8 In this dream, Jesus none actually exists. appeared and asked for one of the still an undocumented claim. roses. In the version of the dream A MAYOR NO MORE After Israel re-established itself a Hinn told to his Orlando church in Sometime following the 1982 death nation in 1948, the Arabs of Jaffa (as 1987, he said, ‘‘There were eight roses of his father, Hinn began to say that well as Arabs in other parts of the in her hand and Jesus came and said, during his childhood his father, Co- country) were a hated, suspected and ‘One of them belongs to me.’’’9 standi, was the ‘‘mayor’’ of Jaffa, oppressed security risk to the Israelis. In the new telling of the purported Israel.12 PFO knew that neither before Any history of Palestine in the 1930s vision, Hinn explains that his mother nor after 1952 (the year Benny was will establish that the Arab riots in recently ‘‘explained it was about lil- born) was there a mayor of Jaffa Jaffa, Hebron and other places, lead- ies,’’10 not roses.