VIDEO: three_fold_blessing_oil

Day 21 of NaVloPoMo.
I took this video of a creepy TV evangelist this week when I flew to the East Coast on an overnight.
TV evangelists in the US were in their prime during the 80's with Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, and James and Tammi Faye Baker.  The style is simple: get a TV show, say that god has given you the power to create happiness, and keep asking for money.

This first group were all eventually convicted or humiliated off the TV screen only after their lavish lifestyles became too outrageous. TV evangelists have since become more sophisticated with James Dobson, Pat Robertson, and Ted Haggard (recently uncovered). Instead of just asking for cash for their own pockets, they now help organize voting blocks that elect US politicians. Everyone knows this is where the real power and money is. Hook right into the vein.

Anyway, this guy is a throwback to the simple, "Give me money and god will reward you" days. He's hypnotic like a vampire. I can only imagine the people who call to give money at 4am. Desperate, sad, confused.

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Comments

[Robert]

I want some 3 Fold Blessing Oil. Betcha can run your car on that.

That was quite something. Thank god for Ryanne's beautiful face at the end. I can now die peacefully.

[david]

Miracles Miracles Miracles! Get your 3 Fold Blessing Oil here!

Geezus...

[Aaron]

Wait what? This shit was on the plane? I prefer the blatant blood of satan and hellfire guys myself. at least they put on a hell of a show.

[kerry Brogan]

Jay-
All I have to say is I hope there is a special place for these people when we all die. It hurts me that most people in my religion says these people are in and normal people trying to live good lives that don't say the right things are out.

[Zé Nuno]

those videos are crazy anywhere you see them... but on a plain?!! unbelievable.

remembers me the today episode when I was on the american bookshop and a book felt from the above floor and i said to other person that maybe it was some kind of message from "above"... and then I saw the title of the book and laughed, the book was called "american gods"! :-)
so... american gods were falling from the sky...
funny.

of course your video show us a sad story of people who really call those guys and give money to them... :-( really sad.

[jay dedman]

hey kerry...I think the worst thing about evangelists are their evangelizing. It's difficult for me to understand the deep need to bring others into their way of thinking. When someone stops simply leading by example, I start thinking it's simply about power and money.
Here a good article about non-profit megachurches that are now becoming businesses: http://tinyurl.com/2m8caf

[Dennis]

The evangelist looks like he's trying to look like Jesus, and the guy he's talking to at first looks a little like the ex-president of Mexico.

This stuff is junk. They go against what the Bible says even. Please don't think that all Christians are like that. You don't know how hard I have to work for people to think that I'm not crazy like them. It's manipulation at best and really bad theology.

That's why I'm not surprised or offended when you say "evangelicals are creepy". Many are.

[Kerry Brogan]

Yeah that article made me really sad. I don't know how much you remember of our conversation in NC but I used to attend a huge megachurch. Actually, the majority of the things in the video you commented on where said to me by "christians" at that megachurch. That completely turned me off of Christianity and Christians but I found some people that are trying to live in a sustainable way, peacefully, and that just love people no matter where they are at. Unfortunately, according to the beliefs I used to hold I would be burning for eternity but their has been a lot of people attacking that world-view recently.

One person living by example thats been kicked out of Christians circles is Bart Campolo. He was at Houghton this month which created some controversy. One things he said was he thinks Christians are called to help the poor (sound familiar?--someone said that before...Jesus?) and that he thinks it doesn't take a call to know your supposed to help the poor but you should need a specific call to live in the suburbs. The people in the article you posted seem to be looking out for themselves.

I posted an article he wrote on blip if your interested http://blip.tv/file/499955/ (I tried to get the original link but it has been pulled off of the website because it was causing too much controversy.)

[jay dedman]

I agree Dennis that there must be many good things done by evangelicals on this planet just like there are good things done by non-evangelicals.

The current incarnation of Evangelicalism is scary because it's a tool to organize power. You could say that radical Islamists are also trying to spread their way of thinking and gather power. President Bush who claims to be "born again" says it's a theological war. Google: "power of nightmares" for a really good discussion of where we're at.

I would love to see videos from you and other evangelicals christians that show that its more than just creating flocks of believers, amassing voters for narrow agendas, and funneling money to central figures. I would love to see where evangelicals are creating healthy sustainable communities of people where love, tolerance, and diversity is promoted.