The Benny Hinn phenomenon?
By Festus L. Brotherson, Jr.
DID American televangelist Benny Hinn's visit to Guyana represent goodwill, or did the charismatic preacher's trip cause a resurgence in debate over supposedly spiritual phenomena? No doubt the Hinn crusade in Guyana has created controversy in the context of Guyana's tragic experience. Charismatic movements over the centuries have been gifted not only at stealing purses, but also at theft of the mind by coaxing blind faith, e.g., the 1978 Jim Jones tragedy in Guyana where hundreds of mindless people committed suicide. This event spoke loudly of necessities of human nature. It was also charismatic. The leader appeared to have such a heightened gift of grace that not only did supreme confidence exude from his being, but also a mesmerising Pied Piper effect. When he said to people, "Follow me," they went; much like when Jesus Christ said to the fisherman Peter, "Come with me and I will make thee a fisher of men." Humans are by nature superstitious because they need a sense of inspired focus, be it false or real, to reconcile the spiritual aspect of daily life with the material side of it for fulfillment. And when both aspects are rudderless, an environment of lost hope and other human misery emerges for `exploitation of man by man.' Traditionally, the centre of these controversies comes from foreign lands. This led the late Bob Marley to warn lyrically, "Here comes the con man, coming with his con plan...(but) We gonna chase those crazy bald heads out of town." But what of the 1937 charge by, later, first president of the republic of Nigeria in 1963, Nnamdi Azikiwe? Said he: "The religious man must, and did, teach the Native not to lay up treasures on earth while this enabled the commercial man to grab the earthly treasures..." But Hinn does not frown on people acquiring material wealth for `good.' This prompts a revisit to the earlier claim that, as Bertrand Russell scoffed, people are by nature superstitious; usually bent on fanciful imaginings and weird interpretations of things not easily understood. In Guyana, if the left or right eye, hand or foot itches, there is a "solid" explanation - good luck or even death! Again, if it rains on Good Friday, this means Christ is still crying at his crucifixion! One of my favorites comes from Shakespeare's detailing of superstitious indicators the night before Julius Caesar was murdered: "A common slave...held up his left hand which did flame and burn, like 20 torches joined; and yet his hand, not sensible of fire, remained unscorched. Besides..., against the Capitol I met a lion, who glared upon me, and went surly by, without annoying me; and there were drawn upon a heap a hundred ghastly women, transformed with fear, who swore they saw men all in fire walk up and down the streets." These oddities were forewarnings of Caesar's imminent death! What did superstitious Guyanese discern the night before Hinn's crusade? The problem with all fearful musings and comings of preachers to the forlorn, the hopeless and others who seek meaningful connection of their spiritual and material instincts for a morally satisfying and poverty-free life, is human rationality. It is THE major obstacle that orthodox religions do not overcome. Here is a paraphrased Bertrand Russell on science (rationality) and religious faith: `The Bible says faith can move a mountain. Scarcely anyone believes. Scientists say that science can blow up a mountain and everyone believes.' But perhaps the most vexing consequence of the Hinn `faith healing' technique is that near irreparable theft of the human mind occurs. Some people may be led into believing that solutions to man-made problems lie exclusively outside the human realm in some form or other of religious proselytising. To counter this and to construct and sustain a workable state and society, Jean Jacques Rousseau urged lying about God's positive role in creating a country's constitution. Niccolo Machiavelli pushed cultivation of APPEARANCE of religious conviction by leaders and other ambitious folk while they "use all helps" to scuttle substantial obedience to its precepts without the masses of people ever really getting wind of the deception. Why? As philosophers, both were witnesses to then current and past human dramas that endorsed such an approach. At this, Roman statesman and philosopher, Cicero, would likely again bristle: "There is nothing so absurd but some philosopher has said it." Benny Hinn's attempts to explain aspects of his past have not been persuasive. But people do change and so, for Guyanese, the salient question is this: was Benny Hinn, who took Guyana by storm with his "fire!" healing skills and claims to be the messenger of the Christian God, a false prophet? You decide.
Apology to Dr. Brotherson
The Sunday Chronicle apologises for the publication of the said allegations and remarks about Dr. Brotherson contained in the said article and regrets any adverse effect on his character and reputation.
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