Faith Healing Discussion w/ James Randi 1/5

[ronnoten]

who was the presidential candidate who did faith healing?

[30shekels]

Huckabee I believe.

[mj358]

If I ever saw Popoff, I would cut the motherfucker's head off and eat his fuckin' brains!

[fatherchaky]

he is still there making money .. u can find his website on google

[bosxyn]

He is amazing. I have a minor injury on my left leg, and I limp a little. Can anyone guess what happens when I go to church?

I am always targeted. I say, "I don't want to be healed" They still try to heal me anyway

[kyokumajr]

The host looks so much like Stephen Colbert!

[inflatableclown6]

I went to a Benny Hinn crusade in Tacoma Wash. in 1995. None of the people in wheelchairs were allowed on stage and none were offered to be prayed for. They were shunned -- It was a disgrace! Just an opportunity for Hinn to pass the plate around. Why do people give their money to that nincompoop??

[TOTALRULER]

This is the funniest video I've seen on YouTube. The two fakers are quite funny. The postman and Peter Popoff. Peter Popoff is fooling everyone and is himself being fooled by the postman Don Henvin (hard to get the last name could be Henwig). I played that episode again and again and I couldn't stop laughing. Peter Popoff: RIGHT ON JESUS!!! Randi is of course absolutely amazing.

[OnlyAPawn1970]

Randi is the real deal.He cares more for people than those bible-thumping con men.

[TheBobcatChannel]

Thanx 4 posting this!

I'm not an atheist or agnostic, but I'm a fan of James Randi.

[lindseyL00]

me too! im a christian and i am glad that he is exposing these people who make money off poor, sick, and desperate people.

[irishmauddib]

Yea, alas a lot of churches do that in the name of Christianity too. Wherever there is faith in something there will be people who know how to take advantage of that faith.

[lulzmoney99]

oh the irony.

[SeenAndNotSeen]

The idea of faith healing comes from the last verses in Mark, which weren't even in the original Gospel, but were added later. The same passage endorses snake-handling, poison-drinking, exorcism, and speaking in tongues.

You don't have to be a non-Christian to reject faith-healing.

[vtwinheart]

I drank poison once and it killed me!

[DrSchadenfreude]

Quite simply, not true. The idea is encouraged through the biblical example of Jesus himself healing and in many other verses in the gospels encouraging the disciples to do the same, not to mention the additional verses in James and other documents of the early church. For better or for worse, to be a bible-believing Christian, one must believe in faith healing. Please get your facts straight before talking about the Bible.

[SeenAndNotSeen]

Well, I was trying to give Christians a break- not force them to accept scammers like Hinn and others, or the idea of snake-handling.

I'm sure Christians accept the idea that Jesus could heal. But if the Bible realy does mandate that Christians believe in faith-healing, then that's too bad for them.

[DrSchadenfreude]

The snake handling verse is taken out of context. It does not mean "go and pick up snakes on purpose, they won't bite you". Also, believing in faith healing is not "too bad for them" if some faith healers truly do exist...just not the ones that deliberately exalt themselves and accept large wages for their "talents".

[phildirt3]

oh wow you re so smart. you really are well versed on all that make believe

[DrSchadenfreude]

Yeah I am. I'm also a student of English Literature...whether true or false, it's ignorance not to understand the literature that has shaped history, in particular religious texts. Thanks for the intellectual imperialism and insults though, really mature.

[kasouyumi]

What did you just say???

[qwertyuiop726]

Is it just me, or does Tom Bergeron look an awful lot like Richard Roeper in this clip?

[kos5966]

Plz don't say God or sumsort. You cannot prove that God DOESN'T exist. (DOESN'T)

Its really upto self choice. I am a christian and I really think those "healers" are really wrong. They are using the christian healing term to rip people off.

It's good that James is showing prof that its wrong. HOWEVER, can anyone in the world prove how the universe was made? No one should dare to say anything with an answer if they don't prove it nor if they experienced. So plz don't say God or sumsort.

[Wilco241]

Russell's Teapot. Google it.

[theblasto]

OK, prove that I don't have an invisible pet rat that controls the universe. Prove it! You can't prove any negative. This doesn't lend any credibility to things such as God. Believe what you want to believe. But for your sake and for the sake of those who believe the same, be careful with your words.

[kasouyumi]

You are proof that god doesn't exist.

[vtwinheart]

You have to go with the inverse then and prove that there is not more 1 God. You can't, OWNED!

[irishmauddib]

Wow, that told you didnt it. Maybe you should get help from god or sumsort.

[atherion11]

james I am with you.......

[insightliviu]

he's right , this is not healing , this is a way of cheating people by brainwashing them . I feel pitty for those who really believe , for these so called faith healers don't believe in anything except money.

[TheHobophobic]

DIABEETUS

[DrMikero]

Is there a video of the incident that is mentioned in this interview, in which Popoff's wife realizes that the guy being healed is the same guy as another time? Or any compilation of clips of the same plant being healed on different shows? I hadn't heard that Randi did such a thing, and it sounds quite amusing.

[EarlFaulk]

Boy Tom Bergeronwas really young in this show

[WalksOnClouds]

There is a lot of quackery out there that's true, but God does heal. The problem with these events is that man does not dictate the will of God as they are doing.

As a Christian, I'm embarrassed by these behaviors. It only serves to hurt the faith of those who are "healed" and fuel the disbelief in God of unbelievers.

God can heal, but when HE decides and for His purpose only.

[JamesRandiFoundation]

Yes there are many quacks out there trying to profit of off peoples belief in God and Mystical Powers it's a shame that people would rather believe that imaginary things can heal them.

[soupie]

prove it!

[WalksOnClouds]

Prove that He can't.

The gentleman speaking here shares my thoughts in what we often see on TV is just nuts. But I have personally seen cancers reversed through petition to God. But its done in a fashion that brings God glory, not some crazed person hitting someone on the the head screaming.

[soupie]

hmmm, sure.

you have personally seen cancer being reversed through prayer?!?

quick, tell james randi, you might still be able to claim the million dollars if you can prove it"

[WalksOnClouds]

You would think it would be that easy. In presenting information on evolution vs creation all the evolutionists needed was evidence from a nonChristian source to believe. I found several for them and gave them links. Did they change their views? No. They only responded angrily.

I bet James Randi sleeps with that million, but its worth a try. The highest sin of all I suppose is to condemn without consideration. So I'll give it a go. Thank you.

[JamesRandiFoundation]

There has never been a single documented case where prayer or god's will has cured anyone from cancer nor anything for that matter. If this were true wouldn't there be no more deaths from cancer? Wouldn't everyone just pray and be rid of all their diseases. We find it amazing that people do not understand that prayer doesn't cure cancer or any other such illnesses. God doesn't cure illnesses, medicine and science does.

[WalksOnClouds]

There has been no documented case because the searcher hasn't searched long enough or for the right thing. Doctors record it as "sudden remission." It's God's will to heal as He pleases, not ours. I find it amazing that people lack such faith in God's ability when nature itself speaks of it. But that's another subject. And I have seen God cure cancer, from a tennis ball size tumor to completely gone; sudden remission.

[JamesRandiFoundation]

So you consider cancer being in remission as proof of God's healing power? What about when the cancer comes back, is that then to be considered the Devil beating out God or would you then say "God works in mysterious ways" and he has chosen to have the cancer return to that person?

[WalksOnClouds]

You're only hearing what you want to. Go back and read my posts over a few times. As I said, the highest sin of all is to condemn without consideration. I used to be a cynic like yourself. And yes science IS a wonderful thing, but its only a babe in the woods at studying spiritual things. I can only hope the scientists who are studying these things are doing so with open minds rather than already made up ones such as yours. You can have the last say here as I'm finished throwing words at walls.

[JamesRandiFoundation]

A cynic I am not. I look at things with an open mind however I will not have such an opened mind where my logic and reasoning fall out. As I read your comments I try to think of the reasoning for such ideas. I do not condemn your thoughts but instead I try to understand how you would come to such a conclusion that God is responsible for curing diseases. Many of the people who say God heals and that faith is all you need never give good examples backed by proof. "Have faith" just doesn't cut it.

[FootOfFury]

It's not god. It is called placebo.

If I really believe I will cure myself from flu, it'll go away sooner.

Because healthy mental state is a key factor for body to gather necessary energy to deal with disease naturally.

don't you know famous "All diseases come from stress"?

Isn't it obvious that some people just have more perfect body than others that they can even cure cancer (or force it to stagnate and regress)?

[FootOfFury]

Placebo can cure (just like you can suggest person he's not hurt etc. Like in hypnosis). There is prove to placebo. but there isn't prove to some mystic invisible man who heals you for something.

If faith healing was so real, then say please - there is a robber-killer. he gets sick. "god heals him. he continues his crime full life(situation very possible in poor countries etc.).

God wants bad people to live on? wtf?

[FootOfFury]

also don't think I am atheist or something. I like the idea of god. I like the philosophical meaning of God. i like christianity, buddhism and sinthoism... but I hate charlatans

[soupie]

I find it amazing that there is still a need for god in peoples lives, are they really that empty?!?!

Science is a wonderful thing, capable of explaining almost everything we encounter, yet christians and other religions would rather put it down to some giant sky fairy, it saddens me.

[JamesRandiFoundation]

I come from South America and the belief in a higher power is outrageous. From speaking to people there and finding out more about their lives it does appear that peoples lives seem to be so empty that they want to or actually they NEED to believe in a God of some sort.

[soupie]

yeah, its a sorry state of affairs.

I take comfort in the fact that we can understand as much as we can.

I used to get kinda scared when I was younger, think about whether there was a hell and what happens to us after we die, now I'm happy because I know that the energy my body contains will be freely distributed around the universe, we are, after all, made of bits of stardust and what not. this I find comfort in, not heaven or hell. loving the videos friend, keep them coming:D

[yaoeric]

I have my greatest respect for your persistent effort to debunk those self-proclaimed psychics. It is so sad to know that there are still people out there who believe these nonsensical paranormal powers.

I find the videos you've posted extremely informative and convincing. Waiting and watching your new videos have really become one of my daily routines. You really are my hero, Randi!

[freddypharkas]

In this video he specifically states he is not a debunker. Apart form that, though, agree with your comments.

[JKnKosto]

He's not a debunker, true, but he does still debunk stuff. The difference being that a debunker goes in trying to debunk the claims, while an investigator such as Randi goes in simply trying to find out if there is validity to the claims. He just ends up debunking them, because it turns out there isn't any validity there. He gives them a fair chance (in fact Randi has been quite generous giving these people opportunities to prove themselves), but the outcome is always the same.