Twitchell's article on advertising within religion was very interesting this week. It made me realize just how much the two go hand in hand. One of the most obvious forms of marketing within religion would have to be Evangelical programs featuring pastors who not only sell products pertaining to their service yet also their ideas.
A very prevalent idea, especially that of famed Evangelist Benny Hinn is "saving" people from their ailments. Now while it's completely someone's prerogative if they want to preach to people and theirs if they choose to listen, I believe Mr. Hinn goes way out of bounds with his freedoms. He claims to heal people of illnesses yet there have been several reports; including an HBO documentary and a CBC Fifth Estate show detailing his false promises.
Most of us know by now that we shouldn't believe everything we read or see on television. Ads often "glamorize" their products so people will buy into them. Yet Benny Hinn has been proven to blatantly lie to his devoted followers. According to the CBC report, he refuses seeing people with visible ailments and gets his screeners who find afflicted people to turn those with diseases that render them in wheel chairs or other clear disabilities away. Additionally he has been accused of asking for donations for a $36 million jet and his ministry is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, which is an organization that ensures the validity of ministries that qualify for tax-exempt status.
While marketing in religion isn't a new idea and advertising itself is not always telling the whole truth (and nothing but it) the length of pure fabrication and deceit that someone such as Benny Hinn amounts to makes me think that there should be more stringent laws put against his "services". In the end it will only protect the faithful and would portray the person making the promises as valid if they can deliver them.
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