Hinn’s rebuttal to HBO Undercover program-- reveals more than HBO did!

HBO aired their America Undercover program on April 15, 2001on Benny Hinn and Reinhardt Bohnke.

First off I don’t like what the HBO undercover did by making it seem that there is no miracles and implying that there is no God. This is quite absurd but this is not to become an excuse for those who do evangelism in the manner that their report showed.

The HBO special showed the crowds over emotionalism and unbridled enthusiasm. While it may not have been balanced no one can deny this is part of the crusades.  

They showed the desperate (some newly converted) who did not receive their healing, even though they had strong faith. Yet Hinn states, “All things are possible to him that believeth, all you have to do is believe because everything is possible with God.”

 This coverage has been a long time coming and there is no way for anyone who thinks things through to sweep what was shown under the rug.

This program of course was not well received by Hinn or the Crouches, and they were quick to react publicly on it.  While I do not agree with what they said about miracles and God, the reaction from Hinn was just as revealing than the special done on him. In some ways he did a special on himself by trying to present a rebuttal the next day (Apr.16, 2001).What I would like to do is look at Hinn’s reaction afterwards and what was said in the interview with the Crouch's. Lets see if any of what he said makes sense. Again one must think things through to arrive at truth lest they be persuaded along the way by their emotions,  loyalty or plain denial.  

Jan Crouch asked Hinn what did they say they were going to do to get you to be a part of it?

Hinn, “They wanted to do a story on miracles and the story would be fair… I talked to Oral Roberts afterwards and he said if one good thing came out of it, it’s the thing that you finally made the decision to never again talk to them. I’m telling today before the Lord I will never ever allow them (Paul Crouch interjects- read his lips) they will never be allowed in my meetings.”

HBO in the outset of their program said “Jesus Christ was a miracle worker and today the most dramatic claims for miracles and healing are being made by charismatic Christians.” HBO also said “We asked both preachers if they would agree to a fair unprejudiced investigation of their methods and their claims. Eventually they promised open access to all their events.”

Jan says we need to know we need to see the deception from right at the beginning. They deceived you by coming to you and saying what?

Hinn, “Well first of all they told me it would be fair it was not, and then they did not put all my answers which really angered me. (Pc they edited) Hinn: “well of course they did!”

 Now I want to interject here, Hinn must know after doing so many interviews for years that they always edit things out? And to this day I know of no newscast who did a program casting him in positive way. To be fair Hinn did give it a chance.

Hinn, “For example when they asked me do I ever question my dreams and visions. Well we all do we have to. And here’s what I said, if its in the word we accept it but if you dream it and your vision is not in the bible then you got to dismiss it because its not based upon the word. So they have to saying yes I, I, I question, well of course I have to I’m a human being with a brain. We even have to... the bible says even when prophecies are given to test them. It test  prophecies to make sure God has spoken. So we can’t accept everything that comes our way, we have to be intelligent as Christians. But they just left that in and they didn’t put any other part I talked about the lord and how we check things out with the word”

  Again I must stop to interject. What does Hinn mean by in the word? For example if a dead saint shows up in his room (Like Elijah did) is this suppose to be acceptable because Jesus had this happen? Has Hinn ever publicly discounted any of his dreams or visions as not from the Lord? How about prophecy? Every one of them is accepted. I have never, I repeat never seen any kind of biblical test applied during his ministry time. This has escaped me and I have been watching Hinn since about 1988.

 Hinn also mentioned “the placebo affect which I did not know much about” I said well, I know some and then the man went on and telling me what it is how mental powers being so great that people can come out of wheel chairs, well its true, it does happen, in fact it happens in every healing ministry and every healing service.” (He then gives Kulmann as an example of it happening all the time)

“ Well  I‘ve seen things happen like this and  in fact they’ve caused me to question things what I’ve seen with my own eyes. I remember one lady in St. Louis going out of a wheel chair and going right back in it, in the service itself.”

What Hinn may be referring to is the women featured on the HBO Undercover special that aired April 15, 2001 (or one just like it). In this incident he stated,   “someone on a wheelchair has just been healed. You feel a warmth on  your body (obviously the Holy Spirit) Stand up out of that wheelchair.” Hinn again says “Your feeling a warmth on your body   that’s right, get up out of that wheelchair and start walking.”

HBO comments this lady struggled for nearly 30 minutes to rise up out of her wheelchair only to sink back in exhaustion.”

  Hinn said speaking of one being healed, “When God does it, it's definite.  When God heals them, they can't go right back in that wheelchair again because then he did it. And God doesn't do it and then take it back."  "Absolutely not," responded Paul Crouch. But they never put the part in about God.”

  Hinn may have a legitimate right to complain about this. But what I want us to do is reflect on his statement “When God does it, it's definite; God doesn't do it and then take it back.” This is so important. I’m sure anyone who is familiar with the scriptures would agree to this. There is not one instance of anyone losing their healing from Jesus, even the lepers who did not comeback to him did not lose their healing.

  Hinn goes on to complain about his speaking for 2 hours in the interview and their airing only 5 minutes. Well this may be unfortunate but not unusual. However Hinn also adds that they “were unfair to the body of Christ for presenting the church as unintelligent people that come to the crusades and will accept anything.” “The people that we have coming to our crusades are very intelligent your not fooled by nothing.”

  I’m sorry but this is where I would have to disagree. I have spoken to many who go to the crusades before and afterwards, even during them I have asked questions, and have found that they accept everything done! They believe everything said they believe all the healings. The proof of this when people so loyally defend Hinn and ignore that anything could be wrong. I have seen people limp off the stage and out the door only to tell me they were healed.

  “they presented the healing ministry… that all we preachers do …have the ability and power to release something  in peoples… Some chemical in the brain where they can do things they haven’t done before.  That’s a bunch of nonsense!” (Crouch comments its impossible-even though Hinn said it took place right on the stage)

 They then discussed the unfair comparison of Bohnke and Hinn to Hitler (or maybe it was their followers they were trying to show). Be that as it may I will leave this alone as this is not the point of the article and I do not want us to go off on a tangent.

  Crouch states “it is intellectually dishonest to only focus on those who are not healed and then not do some intense investigative reporting on those who truly were healed.”

Hinn states “We have documented miracles in our ministry that we done ourselves with doctors that we work with ourselves and they said no, they wanted people that they could document themself.  Hinn then states “We do way more than most ministries did in the past. I mean Kathryn did not have a follow up program like we do today. We follow every healing and say go back to your doctor and make sure you are healed don’t throw away your medication. W e have a whole stack of this every single day. When somebody is healed they go down off the platform we take the names we take their information we call them and make sure they understood what happened. And then we  say go back to your doctor and we give them a whole list of things which is so classic believe me. It impressed other news groups in fact I was told by CNN that they found nobody that is actually doing this, but we are.”

 If this is true why has he not provided it for the ministries that have asked for this over the years?

  “ Look we have doctors who have been healed like Dr. Karduk and I offered to take him on that  show that I didn’t go to last night, and they said no. I said I can bring miracles with me I can  bring a surgeon that was healed of cancer, you talk to him he’s got documentation he’s got x rays. They said no were not interested in the people. I said what are you interested... what do they want.”

 “ I just talked to  [Robert Schuller] on the phone a few minutes ago. He said, 'please tell  dear Benny Hinn ... tell him that very few people saw that. (the HBO program).” I guess they don’t have to go through this turmoil and try to present their side in their own TV special if this was true. They know its not, this one hurt Hinn and Bonnke. To use Schuller as one who sides with him is damaging. Schuller is one who does not want to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ but one of self esteem.

Hinn states “One more thing I would like to do because I think there are questions about why people lose healings. And I think a lot have probably questioned this, and I’m sure maybe in other cases they have.

 “Paul, I'm doing a whole teaching on what I've never done before, "on how to keep your healing. and also why some people lose it.  Because I've seen this happen over the last  27-some years. I’m teaching it in my conference that begins tomorrow… I’m going to take one session and teach on why do people lose healing and how to keep your healing, because we have no tapes on that…

Paul Crouch asks Hinn, "What is one main reason that people would lose a healing?" Hinn said "Faith," plain faith.”… “What happens is sometimes with individuals whose faith is not strong, who's not founded –someone comes and  well its in your mind you really aren’t healed, the second  they say 'Ah, maybe,' it's gone.” So we keep everything we receive by faith. We receive by faith and we keep it by faith.”

Now here Hinn has completely contradicted what he said previously in the beginning of the interview. For anyone whose memory is less than perfect let me repeat what he said so confidently,  'When God does it, it's definite.  When God heals them, they can't go right back in that wheelchair again because then he did it. And God doesn't do it and then take it back."  In this Hinn is absolutely correct. So then how can he teach on how to keep your healing and not lose it? How can one lose a healing if it is from the Lord? No matter how you cut it he has contradicted himself and what God does.

 I believe this was said to explain what HBO uncovered with people not being healed and some even dying.

Now I can’t find once instance where Jesus said to keep your faith for your healing. Jesus did  tell some not to sin any longer, but it was addressing a specific action that probably was related to bringing on the consequence or sickness. But He never said they would lose their healing, but that something else could occur. If it is our faith that keeps the healing from God which is suppose to be of his grace then we all are in trouble. Think about it whatever you received by faith, you home, your job, a child and yes even a healing could all be gone tomorrow according to Hinn if you waver in your faith.  

 Jan  Crouch."  saying to Benny  Hinn,  "You know, we have to fight for our healing to keep em,"   "just like we fight for our salvation, "you taught us that."  

 Do we fight for our salvation or even to keep it? If so then it is not a free gift.

 If one fights for their healing from Hinn, then this too is not a free gift. It may be best to question what is really taking place.

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 On a side note the other night I watched LeSea broadcastings Word a flame conference where Dupree ( I believe this was the speakers name) said near the end of his message-- that everyone knows that 97% of the people who are healed at Hinn's crusade lose their healing. This amazed me since I never heard anyone say this. Did anyone do statistics, what group has kept track of this? Does Hinn know this, if so why has he not mentioned it before. I could think of hundred questions that are prompted from what was said. The fact here is that he is agreeing with what Hinn said, that people lose their healing because of a lack of faith. Where are we taught this in the Bible? If the success rate is this low (and I would guess much lower) then what is all the fuss about. One could have better success by going to a doctor and not lose their healing, and they just may save some money to boot.