1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,600 I was raised as a Catholic, but I wouldn't really describe myself as religious today. 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:12,400 I had never heard of things like mega churches or tele-vangilism or the prosperity gospel. 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,400 That was until I stumbled across an infamous interview. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,040 How are you, sir? We just like to ask you about why you don't want to fly commercial. 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,040 You've got this journalist that is confronting this guy called Kenneth Copeland. 6 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,800 You said that you don't like to fly commercial because you don't want to get into a tube 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:33,040 with a bunch of demons. Do you really believe that human beings are demons? 8 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,600 Oh, I do not. And don't you ever say I did? 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,640 Get in a long tube with a bunch of demons. 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:44,720 We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but principality in powers. 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:49,040 Coetland is being confronted about his purchase of a gold stream jet. 12 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:55,040 And it turns out that that jet is just one of a fleet of jets that he owns along with a boathouse 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:02,960 mansion and his very own airport. This is a preacher that is supposedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars 14 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,520 within enormous following. And you're telling me that he is just one of many. 15 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,280 This entire thing is a rabbit hole. 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:16,960 If past y'all it is now the largest church in America, we'd be certain to watch about more than 10 million viewers on television. 17 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:21,760 The apostles were businessmen. He were rich in the economy. I'm going to show you that Jesus was a well-human 18 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,800 one of my shandlers, because most people's house, I got 22 shandlers in the house. They're extremely 19 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:32,800 great. They don't need adventures. They don't need jets. The hot, towed me to have that. 20 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:39,280 I mean religiously who speaks the word of God, who has more than one suit, 21 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,560 while someone has no clothes is a cup out. 22 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:48,240 Yeah, you know, I just don't see it that way. For 54 million dollars, I want you to imagine how many people 23 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:53,440 could be fed. Oh, haha. Harmony homeless could have places to sleep. 24 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,280 Tell the evangelism is still thriving in this church. If you are willing to pay the price, 25 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:08,720 you could talk directly to God. 26 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:20,000 When I remember my own personal experiences inside of a church, what comes to mind was definitely 27 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:30,480 not this. At times it's like a concert and when the preachers come to preachers like a celebrity 28 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:35,840 has just taken to the stage, everyone is worshiping together, they're smiling, they're joined in 29 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:41,760 their faith and devotion. What we're witnessing is something called a mega church. By definition, 30 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:47,200 a mega church is just a church that has a larger than average congregation, normally of 2000 31 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:52,480 members or above, but when we think of spirituality or forms of it, there's normally a distinction 32 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:58,320 between spiritual duty and materialistic designs. Now, I'm not a theologian and I'm not going 33 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,680 to pretend to be one, but even I remember verses from the Bible when it came to wealth and building 34 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:10,480 riches, then it wasn't viewed favorably upon. But if my memory is correct, then what was I 35 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,920 witnessing in this interview with Copeland and moreover, some of these preachers? So you've got this 36 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:20,640 preacher Kenneth Copeland who founded the Kenneth Copeland Ministries along with his wife Gloria. 37 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:26,000 They own a $7 million home of fleet of jets and their eagle mountain international church has a 38 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,800 membership in thousands. Not to mention their television and online broadcasting. Then there's 39 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:36,240 Jesse Deplantis, who sat with Copeland as they both justified their purchases of private jets. 40 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:42,720 And then the second one I've purchased was in January, 2004. Any hint who claims to be able to 41 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:48,320 perform miracles, who fills up stadiums and broadcasts it on networks worldwide? I'll release it! 42 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:53,440 Joel Oestine, a very popular figure, especially in Houston, Texas, where his church resides, 43 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,680 who's offered books that have been on New York Times best sellers as well as hosting church 44 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,960 services with celebrities like Kanye West, Crustlo's Dollar, who has created fundraises for his 45 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:08,000 private jets, whose ministry owns two roles, voices and expensive real estate to boot. 46 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,680 God is the gateway to the world of wealth. There's this Instagram page, which is called 47 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,480 Preaches and Sneakers and it's literally just preachers next to the cost of the clothing that they're 48 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:24,880 wearing. Something, something just isn't right. I keep asking myself how, right? How is it possible 49 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:29,920 to be this bragagadotious about your wealth as a preacher and how your followers who not only 50 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:36,480 are okay with it, but help to fund it? And that was when I found out about the prosperity gospel. 51 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:43,760 What we're looking at is a movement that is seemingly found its way inside of America's biggest 52 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:49,440 mega churches and being taught by its biggest preachers. The word of faith movement is its name, 53 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:54,480 and its teachings are often referred to as the prosperity gospel. It's a simple idea. 54 00:04:54,880 --> 00:05:01,040 God wants you to be prosperous through your finances, your health, your marriage and relationships. 55 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:06,560 In fact, pose the things that belong to you through your faith if you're willing to receive it. 56 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:11,920 The prosperity gospel often refers to its believers as a little gods. The idea being that 57 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,800 we were made in the image of God and therefore possess a level of divinity within us that allows 58 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:23,280 us to bring into existence the prosperity that we've been promised. You are God, little G, you are 59 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:31,360 God because you came from God. And your DNA and Jesus, DNA are exact. You're exactly like it. 60 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:39,840 It sounds amazing. So how do I earn this prosperity? How do I access this divine power that I supposedly 61 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:47,040 have? Well, it starts with your faith. But if you stay in faith, there will come a point where 62 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:55,280 God will say, enough is enough. It's payback time. I will say, I know you love the Lord. So you qualify 63 00:05:55,280 --> 00:06:01,840 full for prosperity. Next, you have the act of tithing. The initial concept of tithing was this 64 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:07,840 idea that you give one tenth of your wealth in some way shape or form to a religious organization. 65 00:06:07,840 --> 00:06:12,320 Most houses of worship are going to rely on the donation of their congregation in order to 66 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:17,040 continue their operations, especially mega churches. It is kind of like giving to a charity. 67 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,760 But tithing through the teachings of the prosperity gospel introduces a 68 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:28,800 should we call it a plot twist. Tithing lays the foundation for financial success and abundance. 69 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:37,040 Tithing is the way for recession or depression to bypass you. Here, Stephanie from Maryland 70 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:44,880 I send in my first food to offering. Two weeks later, I received watch this. $2,400. 71 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:50,480 So now it isn't just about donating your money to a church. It becomes the case where you're exchanging 72 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:55,680 your money in return for actual prosperity. You'll often hear some of these prosperity preaches 73 00:06:55,680 --> 00:07:01,520 refer to it as sewing your seed. The implication is pretty obvious to anyone who is watching. 74 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:06,160 No, you give us some of your money and in return that value will be given back to you 75 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:11,760 in some way shape or form. It's the harvest. I want you to go to the farm or online 76 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:19,200 and so a seed. Now remember, somebody said, it's going to be set free from alcohol because of your 77 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:25,040 thousand worship. And I'm going to ask you to sew an exceptional and uncommon seed of $1,000. 78 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:31,840 We click on that donation button just so $1,144. So God is giving you the harvest and the 79 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:36,480 harvest of the seed you've sold. You can't expect the harvest if you don't see spiritual, 80 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:43,520 physical, are finite. It's surreal and it generates a lot of money. 81 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:50,480 On January 12th of 2008, Kenneth Copeland Ministries took possession of a golf stream jet 82 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:56,560 which was funded all thanks to the donors of his church. In fact, KCM wrote a blog post 83 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:02,720 thanking their followers for helping them quote harvest the golf stream. But our work is not done. 84 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,600 To which the blog then proceeds to remind their followers that they still need $17 million more 85 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:12,080 dollars which will be used for the quote sewing towards the construction of a new hangar 86 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:17,440 upgrading the existing runway and purchasing special golf stream maintenance equipment. 87 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:22,240 Or how about Kreplo dollars infamous sermon to which he tells his congregation to help him 88 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:27,200 fundraise towards a private jet all to the response of chairs and applause from the audience. 89 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:33,040 If I want to believe God for a six-le-back million dollar plane, you can not stop me, 90 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:38,240 you can not stop me from dreaming. See Copeland and Dollars please for money. They're not 91 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:43,440 met with criticism and backlash from their congregation. It's celebrated and prosperity 92 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:48,160 creatures will obviously say that this aids in their quest to spread their message across to 93 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:54,400 different countries. If I flew commercial, I'd have to stop 65% of what I'm doing. Conveniently, 94 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:59,200 that message obviously allows them to make even more donations. But these preachers, they don't just 95 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:04,160 live lavish, right? They put it on full display. I think Jesus Christ would roll around their 96 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:09,760 Rolls Royce. I think he would. Let's get a close-up of Gloria's ring. Where am I looking right here? 97 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:14,480 You fly in a private plane? Yes, I'm staying right now. One of the fancies who tells you how I am. 98 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:19,280 You wear nice, very nice clothing. So, money! 99 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:30,160 The wealth of these preachers that don't see those gross or hypocritical. In fact, 100 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:35,280 they're seen or proof that the teachings work. It's seen as them actually practicing what they 101 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:40,960 preach. The extravagant lifestyle. That's not a mistake or a flaw. It's the feature of the 102 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:46,000 prosperity gospel. Many of these preachers will say that the fans that they received are used only 103 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:51,200 for ministry purposes. Osteen, for example, says that he doesn't receive any salary from his ministry 104 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:56,480 and all the money he makes comes from his book sales. Look, in some ways, I don't really care 105 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:02,400 if a ministry wants to buy a private jet. It looks optically hypocritical, but I'd rather let 106 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:07,280 theologians argue over the contradictions that those actions have with actual religious texts. 107 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:12,960 I'm more interested in how the money is generated and it doesn't get more unethical of a promise 108 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:18,240 than it does with the prosperity gospel. If you're a custom of giving $10, go to 20, 109 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:26,240 go up to 70, 800. Raise that amount and watch what God will do because don't you stop sewing 110 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,760 offring? Well, they won't let us go to church. Well, you made it in their text and give or something. 111 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:36,400 You get that time, then that church. You get that offering in that church and then you go home. 112 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:43,440 And you do what you want. Which positive do? This idea is no different than the law of attraction 113 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:48,880 and manifestation circles that claim that you can use your mind to manifest any desire that you want. 114 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:53,280 In fact, it's been argued that the prosperity theology does have similar roots to the 115 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:58,640 New Thought philosophy that became popular in America in the 19th century. When I look at Osteen, 116 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:04,000 for example, I don't necessarily see a preacher. I see someone who's more akin to a self-help 117 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:17,200 motivational speaker that uses God as a proxy. Take a look for example at Osteens New York Times 118 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:21,840 bestseller book, Your Best Life Now, which is filled with all of these kinds of ideas. So here's 119 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:26,960 the quote from the very first chapter in Laging Your Vision. It's not God's lack of resources 120 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:32,720 or your lack of talent that prevents you from prospering. Your own wrong thinking can keep you from God's 121 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:38,720 best. And the book is riddled with these similar messages of becoming what you believe and the 122 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:43,360 power of your words. It's a book like many others in the self-help genre of the connection 123 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,880 is really that hard to see. But it's this sewing your seed message in the prosperity theology 124 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:54,080 the idea that you can donate to a church and in return you can pay off your rent, pay off your 125 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:59,440 credit card. That seems particularly stomach-churning. And now this is a message that is being 126 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:05,440 exported from America to Europe and Africa. So one of Nigeria's wealthiest pastors is this guy 127 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:11,760 called David Oyerdeppo who is said to be worth $150 million. We are not asking you to give 128 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:18,640 a job. We are asking you to give some of your blood. Some fellow said, okay, I was worth $150 million. 129 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:26,000 That's an insult. $150 million. That's an insult. $150 million. Do they know what they're doing? 130 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:32,080 You know, a big part of me believes that Copeland and Dollar, they truly believe their intentions are good. 131 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:37,120 Even for hundreds of millions of dollars, I can't imagine someone knowingly deceive and hurt 132 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:42,000 other people without just driving themselves insane in the long run. Like type of cognitive 133 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:47,040 dissonance just seems too much to bear. But at the end of the day, I'm never going to know 134 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:52,240 what their intentions are. You know, I can only ever see what the consequences of their actions are. 135 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,280 And trust me, you haven't seen the worst of it yet. 136 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:05,680 Benny Hinn. Hinn is probably most well known for what he calls his miracle crusades. Hinn claims 137 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:11,360 to be able to form miracles. He'll bring people to the stage with all sorts of illnesses and then 138 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:16,240 with the touch of his hand. They will feel God's power running through them as they fall back 139 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:23,920 and these catches will catch them as they fall. You had Parkinson's for 15 years. It says, 140 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,800 oh thanks for that, honey. Who are you? People in the audience will chair there are others who 141 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:34,400 are stood there in awe of their hand raised in worship. And Benny Hinn isn't the only one that does this, 142 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,240 right? This is a really common practice amongst the prosperity gospel circles. 143 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,240 What is it that we're really seeing here? Is this an actual miracle? 144 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:57,600 I would know that there were certain things that were completely deceptive. 145 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:03,680 Costi Hinn is the nephew of Benny Hinn and he's worked with his family sometimes as a 146 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:10,160 catcher himself. In 2017, Costi Hinn came forward with a testimony of his time spent in Benny Hinn's 147 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:16,800 ministry. The responsibility is to look really good, look really blessed, sell the narrative, 148 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:22,880 make all the money and say, look at my life if you give to this, if you follow it, if you obey it 149 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,840 and if you do what I say, God will do it for you too. He described the lifestyle that he had 150 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:33,520 whilst working with his family. We lived in a 10,000 square foot mansion guarded by a private gate 151 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:39,600 drove two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, vacationed in exotic destinations and shocked at the most expensive 152 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:46,160 stores. Costi Hinn really believed in what he was doing. You know, but he only had doubts when he 153 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,480 started finding contradictions of what he was teaching and what he was finding in the Bible. 154 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:56,880 Grace Brular was eight years old when she was featured on an episode of CBC's The Fifth 155 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:02,960 State in 2005, an episode that was specifically investigating Hinn's ministry. If you could have 156 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:15,760 an article, what would you want to do? Just one. Is that what you want, Grace? Just to walk. 157 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:25,440 Grace's mother brings her daughter to one of Hinn's miracle crusades and just as she's about to go 158 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:30,560 to the stage, she's intercepted by what are called screeners who tell her to step aside. 159 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:36,000 According to that documentary and an insider, the job of the screeners is to screen out the 160 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:41,440 people that are severely sick and ill. There's the story of Justin Peters, who is an evangelist 161 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,840 himself and was born with cerebral palsy. During the Fifth Estate's investigation into 162 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:50,400 his ministry, they attempt to get Peter's to go on stage as well and just like Grace, 163 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:56,720 he is also intercepted by the screeners. Our hidden camera shows Justin being stopped by a screener, 164 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:02,080 watch his Henry Hinn whisper something to her, then Justin is told to step aside. 165 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:08,960 In another documentary from 2001, HPO were given full access to his events and were even 166 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:13,600 allowed to follow several cases of supposed miracle healings. These are people that actually 167 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,000 managed to get onto the stage and claim they'd been healed. In one instance, the crew follows 168 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,800 a boy called Ash Neal and his parents as their desperate to have their child healed by one of 169 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:30,240 Hinn's miracles. We expect England to be expecting America. The precaution family are recent immigrants 170 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:37,840 to America. Ten-year-old Ash Neal is their younger son. Two massive brain tumors have reduced him to 171 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:45,040 the vegetative state. We believe in God, we have faith and there's nothing impossible for God. 172 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:50,080 Later in the documentary, Ash Neal's parents actually attend the crusade and their 173 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:56,080 bro-on stage to have their child healed by Hinn himself. Hinn gets the crowd to raise their hands 174 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,880 and then he places his hands on Ash Neal's face and says, 175 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:06,960 Expec the miracle. They're Jesus. The Lord's gonna touch you. You're boy. 176 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:13,200 They're offered the event and Ash Neal still was healed. It didn't happen. I was not even discouraged. 177 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:18,720 I know it's God's plan. You know, I can stake my life on past the many Hinn's words. 178 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:25,600 And God spoke to me last night at the at the Coliseum Center where the crusade was going on and 179 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:30,640 he said, do not hit him another $2,000 and which I'm going to do it. 180 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:38,560 Recently I watched an event from Kenneth Copeland's Eagle Mountain Church. It's called Miracles on a 181 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:44,080 Mountain. It's another miracle healing service and in this instance it was hosted by this evangelist 182 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:49,040 called Billy Berg and at one point someone has brought out from the crowd and I thought, 183 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:55,440 hang on, I recognise this guy. It was big Nick who for those of you that don't know was an 184 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,240 X-member of the popular social media group, the vlog squad which is headed by David Dobrik. 185 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:06,320 At the event Nick tells Billy Berg about his blind eye. I'm blind in my left eye as well. 186 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,240 I know that you told me that. Billy then attempts to cure his eye. 187 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:18,000 After all the theatrics Billy then starts to wiggle his finger around and then 188 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:24,560 nothing yet. And Billy hears that and he continues like trying to help him and then when he realizes 189 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:29,840 it doesn't work, he then just tells Nick, recite chapters of the Bible every night for your eye to be cured. 190 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:34,000 So John chapter nine, your confession starting tonight and every night, you hear me, 191 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:39,920 tonight and every night before you go to bed. You're ready? I was blind and now I see. 192 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:47,200 And the crowd cheers. It's like the miracle actually happened. I've been about seven months since 193 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:51,200 that event took place and I've looked through a big Nick social media account and there's no 194 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:57,120 indication that his eye is healed since the event. So again, what are we witnessing? When we see things 195 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:04,800 like this, if we ought to believe that these people aren't just actors which I really don't think 196 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:12,160 that they are, what is actually happening? Consider this, if what we're seeing is really 197 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:17,920 miracle. Why don't these people go to hospitals and heal people there? Why do they need the 198 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:23,200 lights and the cameras and the atmosphere and the theatrics to be able to do what they do? In 2011, 199 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:28,480 Darren Brown ran this TV special program called Miracles for Sale. In this special program, 200 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:33,680 Darren Brown, who is this self-described, mentalist and illusionist, takes this ordinary individual 201 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:39,280 called Nathan and attempts to turn him into a faith healer performing miracles in front of an audience. 202 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:44,000 The idea behind the program was to expose the fact that what is happening here and not miracles, 203 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,800 that it's just a product of psychology, the power of suggestion and misdirection. Now some 204 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:55,040 aspects of faith healing are just pure trickery. Good example of this is the infamous leg growing trick. 205 00:19:55,040 --> 00:20:00,000 The preacher Todd White is well known for walking around the streets and finding individuals who 206 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,880 supposedly have one leg that is shorter than the other and then miraculously white will begin to 207 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,960 grow out that person's leg right before our very eyes. 208 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:20,240 Darren Brown teaches Nathan to do this exact trick because it's not a miracle. The leg growing 209 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:25,280 trick is infamously used by Charleston's throughout history. In fact, a quick Google or YouTube 210 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:30,320 search will demonstrate how it can be done in several ways. One of which involves shifting the other 211 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:35,200 person's shoes to make it seem as though a leg is being grown. If you speed up the Todd White 212 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,920 clip of him performing this miracle and you just play it back and forth, you can literally see 213 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:47,040 what Todd White is doing. But a big part of faith healing isn't just tricks like this. In fact, 214 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:52,720 a lot of it is rooted in a deeper part of who we are as people. By the end of Darren Brown's special, 215 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:57,680 Nathan is able to perform in front of a small audience of believers and you can see that he too 216 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:02,640 is able to with just the touch of his hand, bring people to fall back as though they were touched 217 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:08,160 by God themselves. To understand how Nathan, who is an ordinary guy, versus Benny Hinn, who claims 218 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,480 to be able to perform miracles, can do what they're doing. You have to understand the power behind 219 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:18,960 what they're creating in their shows. From the very moment it begins, you're joined by a crowd of people, 220 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,760 united by a particular cause or belief. There are those in the crowd who are already in pain, 221 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,760 who feel as though something is missing in their lives. When they're brought together, 222 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:33,840 there is a sense of oneness, of wholeness and unity. Just think about how powerful crowds can be 223 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:39,040 and what it's like to be in one, especially when you're all joined by a united cause. You're 224 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:44,240 then brought into this hypnotic or more specifically a suggestible and open state. 225 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:50,080 He wants to heal you because he loves you. You don't have to pay for it? 226 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:58,080 Just ask for it. The music rises and falls, stirring away the experiences and emotions 227 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,320 amongst the crowd. Then you begin to create the expectancy for what is about to come. 228 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:12,880 You keep the crowd in this heightened arouse state of mind and as the crowd is ripened for 229 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:17,920 the suggestibility, the faith healer acts almost like a conductor for the orchestra of experiences 230 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,240 the people are going through. A leader amongst a crowd of people in a hypnotic, 231 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,720 trans-like state is something that you cannot underestimate the psychological effect of. 232 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,880 Then the healer begins preaching their message. But don't look for the healing. 233 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:37,840 Look for the healer. Whatsoever you shall ask, then will I do. 234 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:43,680 The crowd is full of ecstasy. The joy and the audience, the deep feeling, as though you're 235 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:49,120 becoming a new person, you're connecting with that of which is above you. You expect that when 236 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:55,040 the preacher lays their hand on you or shouts. You feel God's touch with it. You've been 237 00:22:55,040 --> 00:23:00,560 suggested and primed to believe that that is the case. And in being so connected to the crowd 238 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:05,600 around you, the effects of social conformity are bound to take place. In this trans-like state, 239 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,080 you go along with what the preacher's suggestions are. You do what you are expected to do. 240 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,640 It's no different to what a stage hypnotist does. The more suggestible you are, 241 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:19,840 the more belief you have, the easier it becomes. And what's even more interesting is that in this 242 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:26,000 heightened state of emotions of euphoria of adrenaline, it's very possible to feel symptoms being 243 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:31,600 alleviated. It's possible even for someone who is in a wheelchair to momentarily be able to get 244 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:37,440 up and walk around. But what we are really witnessing is just a moment of mind over body. 245 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:44,400 The placebo effect is a well-known phenomenon. It's when a patient's condition changes after receiving 246 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:50,000 a treatment that by no means should have changed their condition. For example, if a patient expects 247 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,880 a pill to do something and is told by their doctor that it will help them, even if that pill is just 248 00:23:54,880 --> 00:24:00,000 a sugar pill that doesn't do anything. It is possible for your own brain chemistry to cause 249 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:06,400 effects similar to what medication might have caused. The keyword here is expect because a placebo 250 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:12,320 effect is mostly theorized to be caused by our expectations around a given treatment. Expectations 251 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:17,600 that we derive from culture and society. That's why a placebo that is given as an injection 252 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:22,080 rather than a pill can be more effective. Or when you're given two placebo pills to take 253 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,880 every day rather than one, it can also be more effective. Because culturally, we perceive the 254 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:33,120 latter of these treatments to have a bigger effect on us. That belief and expectancy can be so powerful 255 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:39,440 as to have physiological effects on our body. And what more powerful expectation can somebody have, 256 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:44,560 the one that invokes their very own belief in a higher spiritual being, like God, 257 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:50,000 surrounded by others who shared that very belief. What we are seeing is a placebo. This is why 258 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:54,480 you'll never see any miracle healer or somebody that believes in the law of attraction 259 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:58,480 be able to do anything that is beyond a placebo. It's why you'll never see them be able to 260 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:04,560 restore the limb of an amputee. And as I've watched your healing Crusades, am I seeing anything 261 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:13,200 that goes beyond placebo? I've wondered why sometimes someone comes in and comes out of a wheelchair. 262 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:20,000 You walk surround, runs around and hours later they're back in that wheelchair again. 263 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:26,240 The problem is however that those who attend the event and whose problems and illnesses are not 264 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:31,920 healed at the event or return after the event, start to blame themselves. That for some reason, 265 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,160 God didn't want to heal them. That they didn't have enough faith. Remember Ash Neil from the HBO 266 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:42,800 documentary seven weeks after attending his miracle crusade. Expect the miracle. He passed away. 267 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:48,640 Do you feel in any way that any hymn has led you down? No. No. 268 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:55,280 Did you ever, in some of your worst moments, think that you must have done something wrong in the 269 00:25:55,280 --> 00:26:00,320 eyes of God to deserve this? Yes. I know this is generational because 270 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:08,720 maybe he donated from me or from my parents because that curse lasts for three or four generations. 271 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:16,560 Who told you that? I hate it from best of any. It doesn't square with the Bible at all. It's a complete scam. 272 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:27,120 It's utter deception. Increase your faith. Increase your seed and store up for the future. 273 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,960 So that when these tragedy peasants on earth you will be spared. 274 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:42,000 It is a deception to a degree that I don't think I've seen before and you have to sit there and 275 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:47,520 look at this all and wonder, surely there's justice to this story. Right? Surely somebody takes the 276 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,640 fool. Surely there's a happy ending to it. Surely. 277 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:59,920 In September of 2019, Benny Hinn comes out with quite the astonishing announcement. 278 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:07,200 And I'm so to say that prosperity has gone a little crazy. I think it's an offense to the Lord. 279 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:12,800 It's an offense to say give a thousand dollars. I think it's offense to the Holy Spirit to 280 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:21,440 place a price on the gospel. I'm done with it. Benny Hinn had decided to leave the prosperity 281 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:28,640 gospel. Hallelujah. Right? One of the best lessons that I could give to people is say watch what they 282 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:35,760 go back to. Watch what they give up and watch what they go back to. Okay. So it's time to give to the Lord 283 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:43,440 It's time to so seed in the Lord's work. So God can bless you and reward you. 284 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:51,120 Plus, now it's time to give to the Lord's work because giving guarantees are financial protection. 285 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:57,280 The problem is once you've generated the type of following and business and reputation that Hinn has 286 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:04,240 changing your ways becomes almost impossible. And also because I genuinely believe that most of 287 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:09,760 these prosperity preachers do not intentionally malicious. They've deceived themselves. 288 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:16,720 Even till today I question. Is this God? Is this just me? The reality is that most of the 289 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:21,440 preachers that we've mentioned in this video are continuing their operations today. And when they pass 290 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:27,040 there's going to be a wave of new prosperity preachers ready to take their place. The message is an easy 291 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:32,720 one to spread. It promises you health, wealth and happiness. It makes you feel good and what's 292 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:36,720 not to love about that. Look at the comment section below and you're probably not going to be 293 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:41,840 hard pressed to find someone defending Hinn or Copeland or the prosperity theology overroof. 294 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:46,320 You'll probably find people claiming that they have seen miracles happen or that by sowing their 295 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:51,120 seed prosperity really was given to them. And I'm not delivering any new message here. 296 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:56,320 You know, prosperity theology receives a lot of criticism inside of Christianity and outside. 297 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,080 You know your business is right. You know right. 298 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:04,000 Right. Get that'll still get away with their teachings because their messages aren't 299 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:09,440 for people who are cynical. It's really difficult to stop their more deceptive actions. The 300 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:14,720 only thing you can do is go to those that believe in it and steer them away. And until that happens, 301 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:19,600 the booming business of prosperity theology and faith healing will continue to flourish. 302 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:32,000 I don't know what you feel about the prosperity gospel, the health, wealth and prosperity gospel, 303 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:38,400 but I'll tell you what I feel about it. hatred. It is not the gospel. 304 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:47,280 And it's being exported from this country to African Asia, selling a bill of goods to the poorest 305 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:54,960 of the poor. Believe this message, your pigs won't die. Your wife won't have miscarriages. 306 00:29:55,520 --> 00:30:01,120 You have rings on your fingers and coats on your back. That's coming out of America. 307 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,120 The people going on to be given our money and our own. John Piper is just one of many 308 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:12,480 preachers and ministries that actively try and combat the prosperity gospel. And although Texas 309 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:17,440 home to some of the biggest mega churches, it's also home to the Trinity Foundation, 310 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:22,560 a leading watchdog ministry founded by Oli Anthony that carries out investigations into some of 311 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:28,320 the conducts of the biggest televangelists. It was only Anthony, founder of the East Dallas Honeless 312 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:34,800 Ministry, Trinity Foundation, who masterminded the investigation and helped expose some of the 313 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:40,800 top televangelists in the country. You know, faith and religion are powerful things. 314 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:46,480 Seeing the sense of hope that it can fill a person with or the community and the purpose 315 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:51,280 that it can inspire towards good causes. Now I don't think anyone can look at those things on 316 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:56,960 their own and say they're bad. A few months ago, I had burnt out from working. And when that happened, 317 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:02,640 I felt very cynical about everything that I was doing. But what was the point? And what helped 318 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:07,840 was having a sense of hope that those feelings would come to pass and finding purpose in what I was 319 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:15,680 and spending time with my friends and family. Hope, purpose and community. But hope, purpose 320 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:21,360 and community can be exploited. It can cloud your better judgment just because somebody dresses the 321 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,560 part or sounds the part and invokes the word God. If you're somebody watching this, that is a 322 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:32,880 believer in the prosperity gospel, I invite you to think over and really question, could I be wrong? 323 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:39,520 A healthy skepticism, I think only motivates someone to find the truth, not drift further away from it. 324 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:47,040 Seek and perhaps you will find. If you think the world of prosperity creatures and mega 325 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:52,080 churches is crazy, then my friends, you have to check out my documentary on new age gurus. It 326 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:56,880 should be shown somewhere in the screen. That is arguably where all of this kind of began to form 327 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:01,440 an originate and it is just the whole of a rabbit hole in and of itself. But either way, my friends, 328 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:14,960 it is great to be back, as always hand-to-hered salute.