Religious Conmen

The tiny Caribbean nation of Trinidad is scheduled to get a visit from tv evangelist, Benny Hinn, on May 19th. Sanatan Dharma Maha Saba, Trinidad's largest Hindu organization, has asked the government to bar Mr. Hinn from entering their country. Secretary-General of the organization, Sat Maharaj said, "We need to alert the population that he is a fake healer. He will cause division in the religious community and should not be given a visa to come and preach here." The organization has claimed in full-page local newspaper ads that the scheduled revival is illegal. It is against the law in Trinidad to make money by "faith healing". Trinidad has about 1.3 million people, 25% of which are Hindu.

I am mildly shocked. I honestly didn't know there were any countries that tried to protect their citizens from the many religious conmen. In the U.S., being a "faith healer" is a license to steal. You can cheat, lie, and steal millions of dollars, and as long as you call yourself a christian, the government won't do a thing. In fact, you won't even have to pay taxes on the ill-gotten loot.

I try to support religious freedom, but I am convinced that people such as Benny Hinn, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Robert Tilton, Peter Popoff, etc., are nothing but conmen trying to suck every last dollar from the American people. Surely this is not the best leadership christians can provide.