People raised from the Dead

[clivedurdle]

Hi

I am new here and frequent talk rational and iidb.

Over the last few weeks there has been a revival led by Todd Bentley at Lakeland Florida and I have seen minimal discussion of someone who looks snake oil salesman but may actually believe it!

It is all on the God Channel if anyone can cope with it!

You seem to have a strange rule about urls so my apologies for short circuiting it, but the links to this are important.

[clivedurdle]

and it seems this is going to take fifteen minutes!

[clivedurdle]

Some people from my church are flying all the way to Lakeland next week to catch the revival fire and bring it back to England and this town. In some ways I wish I could go with them. I did wonder why the need to actually go there, why this revival can’t be caught from a distance, but on further reflection I believe they are right. I have already heard stories of church leaders who have returned to the UK from Lakeland and seen revival start to break out in their churches. I long to see that happen in my own church, and in all the churches in my town. In fact we have already seen some small signs of it, just enough for us to realise that we need and can hope to receive far, far more.

[clivedurdle]

I have watched some of this on God TV, just your typical healing ministry con basically.
People come up, Todd Bentley, the one who looks like a failed roadie, puts his hand on their head and somehow they just "know" that the cancer ,MS ,arthritis etc etc etc has "gone away "
No "proof "they were suffering in the first place and obviously no "proof "that is has "gone away "

For those in the UK it is on TV now on Channel 761 on Sky if you are interested (on all afternoon)

[Professor Yaffle]

If you just post your url in broken form, I'm sure anyone that wants to get to it will.

[clivedurdle]

I am posting bits from the other threads until I reach 15 and give people the freedom to go directly to the links.

THREE MORE RAISED FROM THE DEAD THIS WEEK!!!
Stephen Strader
May 16 2008 01:19AM
(Go to healing thread - site does not allow direct link.)

One of the cases allegedly involves a baby who died who they were I think keeping on heart lung to remove body parts and it woke up again, but this is third hand and supposition. Has anyone been able to track anything about these?

[clivedurdle]

From the site
MAN RAISED FROM THE DEAD
===========================
Todd tells the story about the man raised from the dead…

John, Todd’s associate evangelist… MET THE MAN!!!

The man was 45 minutes dead… laying on the table… sheet over his head… he is NOW perfectly healthy!!!

Not even the name of the man or any real details.

Still born child – RAISED FROM THE DEAD

BABY BORN DEAD
===============

A Nigerian man came for impartation… A friend called him that the baby was born dead… he prayed for the baby on the cell phone… the doctors can’t figure it out!!!

This has even less crediablity

[clivedurdle]

Come on everyone, I am a long time iidber and I came here because I could not understand why this is not getting torn to shreds!

Has no one tracked down these people claiming they have been raised from the dead and interviewed them?

This is serious! We might have to accept jeebus into our hearts (OK, I was a pentecostal xian once so I probably won't be let back in!)

[Hellbound]

clive:

The URL posting rule is primarily to prevetn spam-bots that log into forums, post a bunch of messages with a URL link to their product site, and never participate in discussion. I'm sure posting a url for legitimate discussion is not a problem (and it's fairly common here for new members). You just have to break it up a bit: for example-www-dot-google-dot-com. One of the nice posters here will often repost it in clickable form for you.

[clivedurdle]

Suddenly, out of no where three osprey’s (they look just like small eagles) fly over the infield carrying fish in their mouths! The crowd screams!!! The crowd begins to chant – JESUS, JESUS, JESUS! we couldn’t control them! (Osprey, common name applied to a cosmopolitan hawk. The bird, which is about 60 cm (about 24 in) long, is dark brown above and white, variably streaked with brown, below; its head is white with a dark brown masklike cheek patch. The osprey feeds only on fish, and is often called fish hawk.)
OMG, I am converting right now. How else but by God's power would three, not one, not two, but three birds that eat FISH be seen anywhere on Earth?

The wing span is 24 inches, and there are 24 elders around the throne of God in heaven, repent you vile sinners!!


In the early days of the Toronto Blessing (
people's fillings were being turned into gold.
Apparently...

[Scazon]

Anyone remember the Toronto Blessing? You're far more likely to get a Liverpool Blessing these days.

[clivedurdle]

This is getting boring so I am going to amend links skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=9821

so it is not recognised as such!

talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=2190

[fls]

http://skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=9821talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=2190

I'm not sure what you want. Are you asking us to knock some sense into them?

Linda

[htf666]

Imagine,you have just got a hefty pay out on uncle Albert's life insurance and some s.o.b. goes and brings him back.Shouldn't be allowed I tell ya.

[madurobob]

Yup, Todd Bentley is a freak. Not much to do about that but laugh. I love his "leg drop the pastor" bit at the end of this particularly violent passage:
_K8XjObzfXM

[ksbluesfan]

So, it's either "admit that God has healed you", or Todd Bentley will kick you in the face again?

[Beerina]

Most "wake up from the dead" stories are about people whose hearts have stopped.

While that's "dead" in some sense, it's not dead in the most important sense, which is that cell death has started, especially in the vital spot of the brain. So until that point is reached, re-starting the heart is theoretically possible.

"Doctors said he was dead, but we prayed, and he came back to life!" usually means doctors couldn't get his heart started, and gave up, but then it started on its own or they started trying again, or were wrong about it, or something.

And anything where he was "dead for 45 minutes" usually involves cooling, like drowning in water, especially icy water, or passing out in the cold, or similar oddities, such as doctors or paramedics goofing in missing a weak but still beating heart. The latter is not likely with trained professionals, but with tens of millions of deaths a year worldwide, a 1 in a million goof will show up a few dozen times!

And anything more than a number of minutes without that is not well-documented to say the least.

[madurobob]

Or tackle you, or choke you or leg drop you. God tells him to do weird things.

[clivedurdle]

James Randi exposed Peter Popoff on national television about twenty years ago and the guy is still in business, making more than ever.


I do see Todd as just begging for similar treatment!

skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=9821

/iidb. infidels.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=243375

iidb. infidels.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=229795

/iidb. infidels.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=140089

://iidb. infidels.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=103909
//iidb.infidels.org/vbb/ showthread.php?t=245263

[clivedurdle]

Lakeland - where ignorance grows on trees.

[madurobob]

Lakeland - where ignorance grows on trees.

I, um, think those are oranges. And, FWIW, Lakeland does have an entire college campus by Frank Lloyd Wright, the largest single collection of Wright buildings anywhere.

If you want to talk crazy charismatics/fundamentalists I think you have to consider Colorado Springs.

[sgf8]

Where do they find people who have just died? I mean a baby and a man just happened to be in the audience and died, someone noticed and said "hurry and get this person up to the stage, he is dead and God needs to bring them back, hurry the clock is ticking....guess we can wait in this line while others are healed before us?" I mean how do you arrange this?

I don't want any of these freaks near me or my family. I think I would rather trust CPR.

The reason why skeptics are not ripping these people to shreds is mainly because it would do little good. The people you want to convince won't believe the evidence you put before them. The medical community can't seem to stop these con men either. The authorities are powerless as well. What do you want? We can only educate people who want to be educated. I don't want to sound like we have given up, things are going on fighting against these people all over the place. It is just a long hard road. See www.sylviabrowne.com or www.stopkas.com to see one way this nonsense is being fought and won.

Another great site is www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com (hope I spelled that right). When people are all freaking excited about people being raised from the dead and cancer being healed, just ask them if the preacher has ever grown back a missing limb (not just claim he has, but really did it). When that happens maybe I will get excited.

Susan

[GT/CS]

I, um, think those are oranges. And, FWIW, Lakeland does have an entire college campus by Frank Lloyd Wright, the largest single collection of Wright buildings anywhere.

If you want to talk crazy charismatics/fundamentalists I think you have to consider Colorado Springs.

There's also The People's Republic of Boulder

[imjohn]

I, um, think those are oranges. And, FWIW, Lakeland does have an entire college campus by Frank Lloyd Wright, the largest single collection of Wright buildings anywhere.

If you want to talk crazy charismatics/fundamentalists I think you have to consider Colorado Springs.
Hey. I was born and raised here -- and still live here. We're not all fundie nutjobs. :(

[Whiplash]

Yup, Todd Bentley is a freak. Not much to do about that but laugh. I love his "leg drop the pastor" bit at the end of this particularly violent passage:
_K8XjObzfXM


What in the ?!?!?!

Is this guy for real? I have absolutely no experience regarding this man before this thread and this video. And I'm stunned.

This seems like something that would be a comedic parody of religious people from some sketch comedy show.. Or else that this guy is totally trolling Christians "I'm just going to go out there and say the craziest stuff I can think of and see if they will still buy it and accept me".

This can't be real!

[skeptigirl]

This reminds me of something PZ Myers said in his Seattle talk last week. He said you can never tell when this stuff is a parody or when it is real.

[skeptigirl]

Hey clivedurdle, welcome to the forum. At first I thought you were telling us you believed this guy. Glad you posted the comment about him needing Mr Randi's attention. I totally agree. The JREF office is in FL. I'd be surprised if this hasn't gotten anyone's attention there yet.


Todd Bentley

Fresh Fire Ministries (http://www.freshfire.ca/)

Looks seriously worrisome.

[madurobob]

Hey. I was born and raised here -- and still live here. We're not all fundie nutjobs. :(

My apologies - I did not mean to disparage the good people of Colorado Springs (just the bad ones :))

No, not ALL fundie nutjobs.. but you admit there is a high perecntage, right?

[ned flandas]

so what if the dead really are being raised?

[skeptigirl]

I want to know if he really kicked the woman in the face. And why was the crowd laughing about it?

[madurobob]

Well, duh. Because everyone fantasizes about kicking old ladies in the face in the name of jesus, but nobody ever does it. The same reason clubbing baby seals is funny.

[ned flandas]

I want to know if he really kicked the woman in the face. And why was the crowd laughing about it?

why don't you go and check it out?

[godless dave]

This reminds me of something PZ Myers said in his Seattle talk last week. He said you can never tell when this stuff is a parody or when it is real.

I believe that is Poe's Law.

[godless dave]

so what if the dead really are being raised?

What if I really can make a rabbit appear in a hat?

What if monkeys really can fly out of my anus?

Some questions aren't worth considering.

[Ateius]

While that's "dead" in some sense, it's not dead in the most important sense, which is that cell death has started, especially in the vital spot of the brain. So until that point is reached, re-starting the heart is theoretically possible.

Isn't that what defibrillators are for?

[clivedurdle]

from skepticcs site I posted to and what is going on in lakeland is real

am very puzzled by the doctors saying they do not understand why she is alive when it is reported that

They rushed her to a West Virginia hospital. Doctors put Thomas on a special machine which induces hypothermia. The treatment involves lowering the body temperature for up to 24 hours before warming a patient up.



This is an example of the latest treatments! The boundaries between life and death are being redefined.

NEXT May, several hundred neurologists and philosophers will gather in the resort of Varadero, Cuba, for the fifth International Symposium on the Definition of Death. At first sight, defining death might not seem like something that requires much scientific or philosophical attention. Look more closely, though, and the line between life and death is rapidly becoming increasingly fuzzy.
“The line between life and death has become increasingly fuzzy”

The problem started some 40 years ago with the invention of ventilators - machines that keep lungs breathing and hearts pumping even after the brain has suffered extensive damage. This raised for the first time the question of whether people could or should be treated as dead simply because their brain is dead. One set of philosophers argues that the destruction of the frontal lobes, with the memories and personality they encode, is enough to declare someone dead. This definition includes those in a "permanent vegetative state" - permanently unaware, but with enough brain function left to breathe unaided. Others resist the idea of brain death altogether and insist that the heart must stop beating before a body can be treated as dead. The compromise "whole-brain-death" position, which has been written into law in most of the industrialised world, is that a person can only be declared dead if almost all brain function has been irreversibly destroyed.



newscientist.com/ch annel/hea ... alth_rss20

Death is an active process. After 15 minutes, many of our cells give off complicated biochemical signals that trigger their self-destruction, so one thing we can figure out is how to undo this death message. I think that's something we can do chemically. Cooling the body can protect the cells, although nobody knows how, so learning how to do this more quickly will be important. We're also trying to develop other therapies that will allow us to communicate better with cells.

So the death message causes the cell to shut down?

It's more than that - some cells blow up. The intense reintroduction of oxygen to oxygen-starved cells makes some cells actively explode. It is a program, like the Star Trek self-destruct sequence, and we've only just begun to learn about it. Other cells respond by quietly committing suicide. When cells die, they don't just run out of gas, they flip a series of switches that set off a self-destruct sequence and each cell kills itself in a very active and intentional way.
“When some cells die, they explode. It's like the Star Trek self-destruct sequence”

What provokes the death message?

There are competing chemical pathways in cells. We normally live with a few death signals and a few life signals that usually stay in balance. When the blood flow stops - a process called ischaemia - the death signals start to increase. The life signals try to keep up, but we've learned that the way we restore oxygen when we restart blood flow actually flips the balance so the death signals dominate.

So giving oxygen in resuscitation is actually a bad thing?

Giving oxygen can be a double-edged sword. You've got to have oxygen, but it has some positive effects and some negative effects. It was a big surprise when we first learned this. We grew cardiac cells that actually started to beat, and then we took their oxygen away. They stopped beating and just sat there. They didn't look too healthy but they didn't look dead. Then we gave the cells back their normal oxygen and under the intense conditions of reperfusion, they suddenly exploded.

We wrote it up and sent it to a journal, but they rejected it immediately, saying it couldn't be true. So we did more tests and were eventually able to publish our findings. It sparked our whole line of research into what we call reperfusion injury - the idea that giving the cells oxygen can kill them.

How can you improve that situation?

It may come down to new drugs and devices, as well as figuring out where exactly the death signals are coming from and somehow stopping them.

I think of the cell as being booby-trapped for death and there's actually an important reason for this. There are cells all the time that we have to kill off - old cells that aren't working too well, malignant cells that we don't want to grow into a cancer, infected cells that we don't want infecting the rest of the body. There's no way to have multicellular life without having very active death pathways. So we think that after ischaemia there's a response that tells more cells to die. If we can temporarily put that on hold, we can make significant headway.

How can you stop cells dying after ischaemia?

We can work on how we give oxygen and we can learn more about how mitochondria handle oxygen. A point of real surprise for me was when many indicators started to point to mitochondria as being not the organelles of energy, as I thought they were, but the organelles that control death. Many of us grew up thinking that mitochondria provide energy for the cell, but it turns out that one of their most important functions is cell death. That's a very new understanding. There are actually scientists who say that of the two functions - death and energy production - the more important one is death.

One of the differences between our, eukaryotic, cells and bacteria, which are prokaryotic, is that bacteria lack mitochondria. If you're a bacterium, what is your goal in life? To be two cells. What cells in our body are sort of like that? Cancer cells. So in many ways, cancer is a very natural thing, it's a throwback to the way our cells behaved before they had mitochondria.


newscientist.com/c hannel/opi ... brink.html

[clivedurdle]

The R-complex is named for the most advanced part of the brain higher mammals share with reptiles. It is responsible for rage[1], xenophobia[1], and basic survival fight-or-flight responses[1]. Often, the R-Complex can override the more rational function of the brain and result in unpredictable, primitive behavior in even the most sentient of creatures, humans included. A well developed and healthy neo-cortex can monitor R-Complex activity in sentient beings. The Reptilian complex is the most ancient part of a very successful brain scheme, evolutionarily speaking.



wikipedia.org/wiki/ Reptilian_brain

Are we witnessing a further example of how to access the reptillian complex of the human brain? Why are the neurologists, sociologists and psychologists not looking in detail at this fascinating human behaviour?

Where are the conferences, the textbooks, the exam questions?

[fuelair]

I think the Preechure just looks like he was raised from the dead.

[madurobob]

from skepticcs site I posted to and what is going on in lakeland is real

CD, I'm confused about why you posted this. Can you perhaps offer your thoughts on this and how you see it relating to your OP? As it is, its a rather disjointed read. Though I am intrigued at the idea of "several hundred neurologists and philosophers" gatherin in cuba to define death. Sounds like the opening of a sci-fi book to me.

[shadron]

I, um, think those are oranges. And, FWIW, Lakeland does have an entire college campus by Frank Lloyd Wright, the largest single collection of Wright buildings anywhere.

If you want to talk crazy charismatics/fundamentalists I think you have to consider Colorado Springs.

There's also The People's Republic of Boulder

No, I'm afraid Boulder doesn't hold a patch on CS. It tries, but there is just no depth there, and its all wasted on New Age garg. Florida is the Mecca, and CS is Medina, and the rest is just a sand box by comparison.

[madurobob]

Are we witnessing a further example of how to access the reptillian complex of the human brain?
In what way? Can you explain what you are getting at here?


Why are the neurologists, sociologists and psychologists not looking in detail at this fascinating human behaviour?
I'm a little slow today (why should today be any different?), what "fascinating human behavior" are you talking about vis-a-vis the reptilian complex?

Where are the conferences, the textbooks, the exam questions?
The reptilian complex is far from a new concept. Google a bit and you'll find lots of educational material.

[godless dave]

The R-complex is named for the most advanced part of the brain higher mammals share with reptiles. It is responsible for rage[1], xenophobia[1], and basic survival fight-or-flight responses[1]. Often, the R-Complex can override the more rational function of the brain and result in unpredictable, primitive behavior in even the most sentient of creatures, humans included. A well developed and healthy neo-cortex can monitor R-Complex activity in sentient beings. The Reptilian complex is the most ancient part of a very successful brain scheme, evolutionarily speaking.



wikipedia.org/wiki/ Reptilian_brain

Are we witnessing a further example of how to access the reptillian complex of the human brain? Why are the neurologists, sociologists and psychologists not looking in detail at this fascinating human behaviour?

Where are the conferences, the textbooks, the exam questions?

What does this have to do with people raised from the dead?

[clivedurdle]

Because of the rule here about 15 posts before I get to link it has all gone a bit haywire!


Let's try a summary.

A tatooed ex hooligan of some sort finds religion and is invited to Lakeland to do a couple of nights preaching. He has now been there for several weeks and the God Channel is basically transmitting live from there.

it is alleged that revival has broken out - people are flying there from all over the world.

As part of this revival miracles are alleged to be occurring, including raising people from the dead.

I have been googling to get some intelligent discussion about this going, but it is being treated as more of the same.

OK it is, but like trainwrecks it is fascinating!

I would like some detailed discussion about why us humans behave like this - what is stopping you and me finding jeebus - can we be vaccinated against it?

I have attempted to get discussion going about several related but separate areas.

First on raising the dead, the reference to the conference in Cuba on death is not sci fi but real science.

Death is an active process, we are working out ways to slow and stop and reverse processes once dead - people have survived after being under water for half an hour for example.

So we very likely do have people being raised from the dead - BY MODERN MEDICAL SCIENCE - but we have people claiming goddidit.

My reference to reptillian parts of the brain was to start a discussion about why people fall over - slain in the spirit, go into trance states and similar - are we preprogrammed for these behavoiurs?

I think there is a wealth of academic studies of these phenomena - there is a woman rock singer who seems to be using classic rock concert techniques for example.

James Randi and other people like Derren Brown are far better placed than I am to explain what is going on!

The Lakeland Revival deserves a full wiki article!

[madurobob]

it is alleged that revival has broken out - people are flying there from all over the world.
"Revival has broken out". Revival must be a term of art among crazy xtians. can you define this term for me? To me, revival is a happening - a gathering of folks to worship. You seem to be using in a more mystical way.

I would like some detailed discussion about why us humans behave like this - what is stopping you and me finding jeebus - can we be vaccinated against it?
So, you are looking for a discussion on the psychology of belief? I'm sure there are people reasonably well versed in that here.

I have attempted to get discussion going about several related but separate areas.
I don't mean to be rude, but your posts have been a bit disjointed and hard to follow (this one is much better!). If you can ask a specific question or make a specific point people can debate then it will be easier going.

First on raising the dead, the reference to the conference in Cuba on death is not sci fi but real science.

Death is an active process, we are working out ways to slow and stop and reverse processes once dead - people have survived after being under water for half an hour for example.
When death occurs is something that regularly gets looked at and this is a good idea. The medical community needs to have a clear definition or concensus. Is it no heart beat? Is it no brain waves? Something else? I'm not sure a gathering of hundreds of "neuroscientists and philosophers" in Cuba is the right forum, but.. why not?

The Lakeland Revival deserves a full wiki article!
Well, maybe not something quite so narrow. You may want to start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology_of_religion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology_of_religion

[RSLancastr]

The Lakeland Revival deserves a full wiki article!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Healing_Outpouring

[Viper Daimao]

so what if the dead really are being raised?

Then all my (http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213297679&sr=8-1) preparation (http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Z-History-Zombie/dp/0307346617/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213297732&sr=8-1) is finally (http://www.cairnsmowercity.com/images/craftsman%20chainsaw%2035020.jpg) going to pay off (http://airsoftskirmish.co.uk/images/TAN870.jpg).

[clivedurdle]

[ttp://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/Florida_Healing_Outpouring[/URL]

The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(June 2008)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.
This article or section may be inaccurate or unbalanced in favor of certain viewpoints.

:)

[godless dave]

I'm not a psychologist or any other kind of scientist, but I suspect this behavior comes not from the reptilian brain, but from the mammalian part, especially the areas having to do with social contact and communication.

[sgf8]

I would like some detailed discussion about why us humans behave like this - what is stopping you and me finding jeebus - can we be vaccinated against it?

Okay, now I understand. You are trying to start discussions on several different topics.....

I think I have been vaccinated against Christianity. I had it when I was young, it wasn't a bad case of it. It was bad at the time but looking back lots of people I know have had it worse and still suffer from it.

Why do humans act like this? Well because it feels really good to be up on stage and to be touched by God, that must be an amazing feeling to think that God is really doing this.

People also do it to get attention, like hypnotism, it gives permission for an individual to act in ways they normally would never do in public.

They do it to gain respect from their peers and family. I'm sure God touching them makes them go up a rung on the family ladder.

A lot of these people may not really be ill but complain of aches and pains and whatever all the time, having these things cured allows them a fresh start. Now they can claim they feel great, as long as they get attention for feeling good because God cured them, then the pains will stay away. Once people get bored hearing about how God healed them, I'm sure the pains will begin again.


OK it is, but like trainwrecks it is fascinating!

I won't knock you for this, there are a lot of things I find fascinating that others find boring.

Susan

[UnrepentantSinner]

:)

You missed the important part on the Discussion page.
The only two sources for the individuals being "raised from the dead" are a Christian blog and a Christian online music magazine. If this is really happening it should be pretty easy to get some reliable third party sources on this. As it is this article is pretty slanted to one particular point of view - i.e. "this is a real Christian revival". This article really lacks much outside perspective.Brian0324 (talk) 17:21, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Lakeland_revival"

[clivedurdle]

But I added a comment to that not to remove the article but to carry out a full rewrite!

[UnrepentantSinner]

But I added a comment to that not to remove the article but to carry out a full rewrite!

Good for you. Why not, if you have a Wiki login, just work up the rewrite yourself then?

And back to a comment you made earlier, this really does smell of "Toronto Blessing" to me so it will get a lot of folks to come to Florida and spend their money and leave still with cancer and missing limbs but feeling a sense of false hope or giving them some reason to chalk up the spontaneous remission of their disease to.

Elmer Gantry would shake his head at this social abortion.

[clivedurdle]

I've never actually done one before, can we draft it here?

[UnrepentantSinner]

I've never actually done one before, can we draft it here?

Why not? Write it up, post it to this thread, and folks here can comment on it before you submit it to Wiki.

[SezMe]

I've never actually done one before, can we draft it here?
Can "we" do something is the perfect prescription for nothing happening. Let me rephrase your question: Can I draft it here?

Yes.

ETA: Oops, a bit redundant with the Unrepentant guy.

[ned flandas]

OK it is, but like trainwrecks it is fascinating!



I'm interested to know why you are so fascinated. Have you been?

[skeptigirl]

Geraldo paid 6 minutes to Bentley and the blogosphere responded.

"Radient God blog entry: Fox News: Todd Bentley (http://radiantgod.blogspot.com/2008/06/fox-news-todd-bentley.html)Now that Todd Bentley has been on Fox News with Geraldo, that makes both Fox News and MSNBC that has covered the revival. I have a feeling that once more of the medical verifications make their way to the newsdesks, there will be plenty more news coverage. May all the world see and behold the wonder of our God!

Top blog hit on the Geraldo interview with Bentley (http://radiantgod.blogspot.com/2008/06/geraldo-at-large-with-todd-bentley.html) This one also has a link to the Geraldo segment and more.

Long long list of the blogs talking about this guy. (http://wordpress.com/tag/todd-bentley/)

The Rumor Mill News Reading Room - TODD BENTLEY - AMAZING HEALER? I DON'T THINK I WILL BE ATTENDING *VIDEO* (http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=126263)he doesn't really get into the quackery much here, just Bentley's past conviction as a 14 yr old who sexually molested a 7 yr old.

Ooooh, this is excellent from Discerning the world - Prepared For The Slaughter - The Disarming Of The Church (http://discerningtheworld.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/prepared-for-the-slaughter-the-disarming-of-the-church/). The blogger posts a piece from 1998 that is applicable today.strange fires
Prepared For The Slaughter: The Disarming Of The Church

© 1998 by John Green

This article may be reproduced in it’s entirety for non-commercial purpose as long as it contains this notice.

(excerpt) The New Testament is replete with warnings of false teachers and teachings, of lying signs and wonders, and of corrupt men who would seek to draw followers after themselves. God has not left His people defenseless. He has indwelt us with His Spirit of Truth, provided us with the example of Christ, His teachings, the teachings of the apostles, and all the other writings found in the Bible. There is a gift of the discerning of spirits given to some, but more importantly, there the ability to test all things and to be discerning, which is the responsibility of all believers. If the believer is to be armed against the deceptions of the enemy, and to remain free from his oppressive regime, then he must exercise discernment with continual vigilance. If this defensive weapon is seized and taken from you, then you are easy prey for any who would desire to take you captive.

Because of these things, it is very disturbing to me to observe a trend in the Body of Christ today. This trend is to scorn and belittle those who would exercise their God-given self-defense weapon of discernment. Those who would obey scripture and “test all things” are mocked and ridiculed from the pulpit, and labeled ‘Pharisees.’ It seems that the Church has fallen prey to the pluralistic, non-judgmental mindset of our present age. The one unpardonable sin is to question someone’s belief, or dare to say that it might be wrong....

Let us examine the logic (or lack of it) behind what some of these leaders are saying:

“You have to experience it yourself before you judge it.” This is pure nonsense. It is the method the Mormons use to get people hooked in (pray about the Book of Mormon and see if you get a ‘burning in your bosom’). You don’t have to experience suicide to know that it is bad for you. Christians are never commanded to authenticate a questionable spiritual experience by submitting themselves to it.

“If you don’t jump in the River, then you may miss out on the move of God.” If you don’t exercise your duty to test everything and hold on to what is good, then you may be deceived. God is not in a hurry. If you are walking with Him, seeking to please Him, then He will guide you into all He desires for you. Just because someone proclaims something is a move of God, doesn’t make it so. Beware of the salesman who pushes you to make a decision on the spot. He may have something to hide.

“God offends the mind to reveal the heart.”I don’t know what this is, but it is not Scripture. It is true that God’s ways may be offensive to human wisdom. Often though, this quote is used to say that if you are offended by something going on in the Church, then your heart isn’t right. The real issue is, are you offended because what is going on is unscriptural? If so, then stand fast.

“Don’t oppose what is going on, in case it turns out to be a move of God.” This is the argument used by Gamaliel in Acts chapter 5. Although this argument worked in favor of the apostles, it must be pointed out that Gamaliel was a Pharisee making a pragmatic argument. His was not a directive from the Lord on how believers should conduct their discernment. If something is not from God, ultimately, it is true that it will not succeed. In the time that it takes for a false movement to runs its course however, many lives will be damaged, and many souls deceived and damned. Look at the phenomenal growth and apparent success of Mormonism. Christians rightly oppose Mormonism on a basis that it twists and deviates from Scripture. Things which occur within Christianity should receive no less scrutiny. Or consider the works of Satan. We know that he will not succeed, but we certainly do not sit back and allow him to do his work unhindered. When souls are at stake, we cannot afford to sit back and do nothing.

“Don’t you want more of God in your life?”This is a sneaky one. Of course, any sincere Christian realizes that they need to grow closer to God, and they desire to do so. This should not lead us to embrace everything that comes down the pike however. Part of growing closer to God includes obeying His commands to test and be discerning. The desperation of some Christians reminds me of King Saul turning to the witch of Endor. He wanted an answer at any price. The price he ended up paying was his own destruction.

Look for yourself. See how many times the New Testament references false teachers, false teaching. Using your concordance, look up the commands to discern and test, to not be deceived. Shake off the chains of those who would seek to bind you. Exercise your “Right to bear arms” as a believer.

[dudalb]

If people are rising from the Dead, Remember, you have to hit them in the head when you shoot. A body hit won't keep them from having you for lunch.

[clivedurdle]

Now I have to say with all my heart that I believe without a shadow of doubt, that this so called “revival” is fake!

http://wordnverse.com/2008/05/27/proclaimed-by-todd-bentley-to-be-healed-pastor-dies-a-week-later/