Bring me your tired, your rich, your gulible

This Saturday night sees "International Evangelist" John Perry (from Australia no less!) conduct an evening of "MIRACLES / GOD'S POWER / HEALING". I'm excited. We're promised that "they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover". Sounds like Perry's serious too; his advertisement in Sunday's Observer implores readers to "bring the sick, blind, deaf, lame, cancer victims, arthritis, breathing problems, car accidents, rugby injuries" (see the image, right). Well...

I call bullshit!

I'm sorry John but go stick your lying, manipulative, insensitive and irreligious schtick up your arse and get the fuck out of Samoa. I've seen your kind before (as have Samoans) and wasn't impressed the first time. Benny Hinn anyone?

Several years ago I went to the Sydney Entertainment Centre to see what this whole Benny Hinn malarky was about. Sadly my friend and I couldn't stay as the venue was filled to capacity. On our way out we passed a woman standing with her physically disabled daughter in a wheelchair. The daughter was in a flood of tears because they were unable to get in to see the show. That was awful enough; that we saw Hinn's staff setting up their shop stalls directly behind the two women ("we're ready to take your credit card details now") made it far worse. That sight said far more to me about Benny Hinn and his "miracle crusades" than any number of Hinn's sermons and "annointings" ever could.

Perry's pulling the same wool over people's eyes. It's fucked. Samoa is a nation founded on God ("Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa" is the country's motto). Samoans take their faith very seriously. It's a fundamental part of their national and personal identity. I'm disgusted that someone is going to come over here and abuse it. Evangelism is one thing, mercenary evangelism is another. "Man cannot serve two gods" (Matthew 6:24) anyone?

I have a question: who the fuck is John Perry anyway? I've been having a hard time finding any reference to an Australian "International Evangelist" by that name. If anyone can find anything about him please post a comment with a link.