Trinidad's largest Hindu organization wanted the prime minister to bar American televangelist Benny Hinn from visiting the country.
When that didn't happen they called on the cops to arrest the dude.
Hinn plans to visit the diverse Caribbean nation from May 19th through the 21st. The Sanatan Dharma Maha Saba says Hinn will threaten the country's religious harmony.
The organization has taken out newspaper ads claiming Hinn's revivals are illegal because he makes money by faith healing. Faith healing is against the law in Trinidad.
Meanwhile, the wife of the man who died soon after he was said to have been healed by Hinn seven years ago had this bit of advice for sick people who plan to attend Hinn's crusade this month: Visit a doctor instead.
Chance's ailing husband, Marcano Siewkumar, went to Hinn's crusade at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain in 1999. Struggling to walk, he was chosen as one of the people to be healed that night, and was lifted onto the stage
Siewkumar, who suffered with heart disease, kidney failure and hypertension, was told he was healed.
The Siewkumar miracle as it was called was broadcast on a Christian television cable channel by Hinn who said he had cast out more demons in Trinidad than anywhere else he had preached.
Chance said her husband was bitter until his death, which came 33 days after the healing.
Benny Hinn Ministries is based in the suburbs of Dallas. It's estimated to raise more than 100 (m) million dollars a year.
The following rather strange article is from Caribbean Net News.
Hindus want American televangelist arrested on arrival in Trinidad
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: A major Hindu organisation in Trinidad, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, wants the Commissioner of Police to arrest American televangelist Benny Hinn, under the Summary Offences Act, as soon as he arrives in Trinidad for a second visit, the Inter Religious Organisation was told on Monday.
Devant Maharaj, who represented the Hindu religion in place of Maha Sabha general secretary Sat Maharaj, said he made the call when he was asked to elaborate on the Maha Sabha's position on Hinn's three-day crusade scheduled to start in Port of Spain on May 19.
The meeting was held at Archbishop House, Port of Spain, and among those present were IRO chairman Cyril Paul and Roman Catholic Archbishop Edward Gilbert.
Devant Maharaj said much of the discussions at the three-hour long meeting centred on Hinn's visit.
He said he told the meeting that the Maha Sabha was of the opinion that the police had been quick to arrest stage artistes under similar circumstances.
Maharaj was referring to Hinn's first visit in 1999 during which the Maha Sabha felt that Hinn had attacked the national community by casting aspersions on Trinidad and Tobago as a land of voodoo and had painted it negatively with a primitive brush.
Sat Maharaj said the Maha Sabha had set aside a budget of $100,000 to counter Hinn's visit. "We are not leaving his attack on Trinidad and Tobago alone," Maharaj said.
No comments:
Post a Comment