Question: How do you get more money?
Answer: By sowing a seed.
Question: What kind of seed?
Answer: TT$600 — the Trinidadian equivalent of $100.
Buyer Beware: That’s according to ‘evangelist’ Benny Hinn, who this weekend held two of his ‘miracle crusades’ in Trinidad.
Hinn told worshippers that the contribution which he described as “sowing a seed” would ensure prosperity in their lives. The turnaround in their personal fortunes he said would begin today.
“You will produce a harvest for the rest of your life. There will be a miracle in your finances and that of your family,” he said.
Hinn made it clear though, that the contributions would not go to the US “but will stay here for God to take care of you.”
Prosperity Gospel
The seed-faith scam is part of the ‘prosperity gospel‘ — one of the many false teachings of the so-called Word-Faith or Word of Faith movement.
It twists Bible verses and Biblical concepts beyond recognition. You reap what you sow; therefore you must sow money in order to get more of it. ‘Sowing’ usually is a euphemism for ‘donate it to whichever preacher teaches you this trick.’
Thing is: If this scam worked as advertised, those preachers would be sending you money — and would no longer have to ask for donations.
Former cult member faces jail
A former senior member of the Agape Ministries ‘doomsday’ cult faces a possible two-year jail term for spending three years on the run.
John Mouhalos was arrested last week for failing to adhere to the terms of a good behavior bond imposed for assault and firearms charges. In 2007 the former businessman had threatened a man who owed him $50,000.
He was extradited from the Australian state of Victorio to the state of South Australia, from which he had fled three years ago — just after police raided 12 of the religious group’s properties.
Mouhalos is free on bail. He will be sentenced on Friday.
During the raid police seized an arsenal of weapons, high-powered ammunition and explosives.
The group reportedly believed the apocalypse would occur in 2012.
The cult’s leader, Rocco Leo, fled to Fiji in May 2010 — just before the police raid.
The Australian Taxation Office is pursuing Leo and his associates for $4.1 million after it stripped Agape Ministries of its tax-exempt legal status as a religion.
He is also wanted on assault charges.
Religion Links
- For Evangelicals, a Shift in Views on Immigration: On Wednesday, evangelical pastors will converge on Washington for a day of prayer and lobbying on Capitol Hill.
- Justin Bieber hopes Anne Frank ‘would have been a belieber’: 19-going-on-12…
- 20 years after fire, David Koresh’s tragic spell lingers: Tim Madigan is an award-winning reporter who covered the ATF raid on Mount Carmel and the standoff that followed for the Star-Telegram. He also wrote a book about the Waco tragedy, See No Evil: Blind Devotion and Bloodshed in David Koresh’s Holy War.