- •Table of Contents
- •Also by James Randi The Truth About Uri Geller Houdini: His Life and Art (with Bert Sugar) Flim-Flaml Test Your esp Potential
- •Inquiries should be addressed to Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, New York 14228-2197, 716-691-0133, ext. 207. Fax: 716-564-2711. Www.Prometheusbooks.Com
- •1. Spiritual healing—Controversial literature. 2. Healers—Controversial literature. I. Title.
- •Isbn 0-87975-369-2
- •Foreword by Carl Sagan
- •Acknowledgments
- •Introduction
- •The Origins of Faith-Healing
- •A Plethora of Religious Flotsam
- •The Royal Touch
- •Valentine Greatraks, the “Stroker.”
- •The Most Famous Christian Shrine
- •Virgins Galore
- •The Afflicted Visionary
- •There Is a Baby in the Bath Water
- •The Problems of Examining Claims
- •A Remarkable Case from Lourdes
- •The Search for Evidence on Micheli
- •The Latest Official “Miracle”
- •Faith-Healing in Modern Times
- •The Pattern Is Established
- •A Similarity to Witchcraft
- •An Orthodox Service
- •It’s Magic
- •Sacred Babble
- •A Minor Test
- •The Most Important Ingredient
- •A Trick with Biblical Roots
- •The “Gift of Knowledge”
- •A Smooth Act
- •The Family Bible Tells All
- •A Disclaimer
- •The Art of Mnemonics
- •All Sorts of Trickery
- •The Church View
- •More Orthodox Views
- •How Do Their Associates Feel About the Faith-Healers?
- •Caution: Demons at Work
- •Send in the Demons
- •The Roman Catholic Bestiary
- •Christianity and Voodoo: Are They That Different?
- •An Early Skeptic
- •Anointing by the Anointed
- •A Lutheran Point of View
- •The Financial Aspects
- •God as Terrorist
- •Saved from the Unthinkable
- •Gold Bars and Cut Diamonds
- •A Very Private Matter
- •The Mail Operation
- •Living High on the Hog
- •Religion, Texas-style
- •Revelations of a Decorator
- •More Real Estate
- •High Living in Texas, Too
- •A Bold Admission
- •The Mail Operations of Faith-Healers
- •I Have a Little List
- •The Biggest Little Mail Room in California
- •The Eagle’s Nest Mail Room
- •The Tulsa Postman’s Burden
- •Copying a Good Idea
- •Faulty Computer Programming
- •A. A. Allen and Miracle Valley
- •A Disclaimer—Just in Case
- •A Colorful Start
- •A Tough Customer
- •The Evidence for Healing
- •The Dream Ends
- •The King Is Dead
- •A Fortuitous Encounter
- •Trouble in Paradise and a Touching Defense
- •Suspicious Signs and Wonders
- •A Man with a Lot of Enemies
- •The Preacher in Prison
- •Enter a New Character, the Reverend Peter Popoff
- •Caught in the Act
- •Back in the Saddle Again
- •A Simple Act to Follow
- •W. V. Grant and the Eagle’s Nest
- •The Big Operator from Big d
- •Diversity of Operations
- •The Elusive Truth
- •Miracle Time
- •How Blind Is “Blind”?
- •A Careful Observer
- •The Wheelchair Trick
- •A Theologian’s Opinion
- •Behind the Scenes
- •Does Grant Ever Heal Anyone?
- •An Unhappy Customer
- •The Pretending Game
- •Not Blind Enough to Be Deceived
- •The Media Attitude
- •A Devastating Exposé in Rochester
- •An Odd Coincidence
- •The Story Starts Falling Apart
- •The Haitian Orphanages
- •W. V. Grant Replies to wokr-tv
- •A Brother in Trouble
- •Another Well-Informed Reporter
- •The Trash Detail
- •A Sad Record of Problems with No Solutions
- •The Written Evidence
- •The “Leg-Stretching” Miracle
- •Celebrities at His Feet
- •A Disillusioned Employee
- •A Brooklyn Encounter with Grant
- •The Interior Decorator Tells All
- •Peter Popoff and His Wonderful Machine
- •A Rellglous Entrepreneur
- •A Major Exposure
- •The Leaflet Campaign
- •Revelations
- •Sophisticated Technology at Work
- •An Intended Deception
- •Case for the Defense
- •A Valuable Colleague
- •The Electronic Evidence
- •A Different Brand of People
- •They’ll Believe Anything
- •The Popoff Camp Answers by Mail
- •Backs to the Wall
- •An Unhappy Toiler in the Vineyard
- •And Then There’s the Other Sherrill Family
- •An Important Character
- •One Broken Promise Too Many
- •Electronics to the Rescue
- •The “Russian Bibles” Vandalism Scam
- •The Plot Thickens
- •The Vandals Strike
- •The Appeal to Repair the Devil’s Work
- •The Smoking Videotape
- •Selling the Snake Oil
- •The Damning Evidence of Popoff’s Personal Involvement
- •The Mail Campaign
- •No Refunds in the Religion Business
- •A Plea from a Colleague
- •A Similar Case in Chicago
- •Expert Advice Is Sought—and Ignored
- •High-Powered Mail
- •Oral Roberts and the City of Faith
- •A Losing Proposition
- •Divine Financial Advice
- •Get Thee Behind Me, Poverty
- •The Canvas Cathedral
- •Economy-Size Miracles
- •The Midas Touch
- •A Few Paradoxes and Second Thoughts
- •The Ultimate Presumption
- •A Word of Knowledge from Pat Robertson
- •The Political Power of the Evangelists
- •Other Wonders, Too
- •A Sour Note from a Colleague
- •A Redefinition
- •The tv Special to End Them All
- •The Psychic Dentist and an Unamazing Grace
- •Skimpy Evidence
- •Going to the Top
- •Trouble Down Under
- •Improving the Account
- •Dentistry by Alchemy
- •A Serious, Direct Health Hazard
- •The Shirley Temple of Faith-Healing
- •Six More Failed Examples
- •An Amazing Lack of Evidence and Loss of Memory
- •The Gift of Knowledge Backfires
- •Father DiOrio: Vatican-Approved Wizard
- •Down Syndrome “Cured”
- •A Superior’s Opinion
- •More Incredible Claims, But No Evidence
- •Sidestepping the Question
- •The Heavy Burden of Guilt
- •The Lesser Lights
- •Danny Davis
- •Kathryn (“The Great”) Kuhlman
- •Daniel Atwood
- •David Epley
- •Brother (Reverend) Al (Warick)
- •David Paul
- •Ernest Angley
- •The Happy Hunters
- •Practical Limitations of Medical Science
- •What Does Medical Science Offer?
- •The Attitude of Orthodox Physicians
- •The Experts Speak Up
- •The French Attitude
- •An Interested Anthropologist Looks at Faith-Healing
- •Evangelists as Friends
- •The Aim of Medical Science
- •Where Is the Evidence?
- •Ancient Precursors
- •What You See Is Not What You Get
- •An m.D. Refuses to Answer
- •A Nlneteenth-Century Case and Its Conclusion
- •Willful Blindness
- •The Case of Rose Osha
- •So What Harm Is Done, Anyway?
- •The Nature of the Ailments
- •The Elusive Proof
- •The Mystery of the Discarded Crutches
- •A Personal Experience in Canada
- •The Anthropologist’s View
- •Many Similar Conclusions
- •A Proudly Quoted Miracle
- •A Physician Answers My Request
- •The Newspapers Have a Go at It
- •Why Do They Continue to Believe?
- •A Poor Body of Proof
- •The Devil Known as Science
- •The Refusal to Know
- •A Religious Parallel
- •The Art of Rationalization
- •The Overlap of Magic and Science
- •The Placebo Effect
- •The Endorphin Effect
- •Psychotherapy vs. Faith-Healing
- •Keeping the Victims Dependent
- •Standards of Evidence
- •Oral Roberts Fails Examination
- •An Epilepsy “Cure” by Peter Popoff
- •A Nonexistent Tumor “Cured” by Peter Popoff
- •The Bare Facts
- •A Simple Challenge, Unanswered
- •Legal Aspects
- •Many More Cases of Dying Children
- •A Wise Statement Seldom Heeded
- •A Reluctance to Enforce the Law
- •Other Legal Concerns
- •Final Thoughts
- •An Update
- •Bibliography
- •Appendix Appendix I
- •Appendix II
- •Appendix III
- •Appendix IV
Selling the Snake Oil
Following this, Popoff offered an inducement to send in “a love offering of $30 or more.” Viewers could obtain a vial of very special “anointing oil” which the Popoffs had obtained for them “in the Holy Land, walking in the footsteps of Jesus,” along with “instructions on how to use it.” I certainly hope that purchasers didn’t use it on salads. Unknown to all but a few of the Popoff staff who prepared it, it was a mixture of olive oil and Old Spice Shaving Lotion. That mixture, plus three of Popoff’s cassettes, would be accompanied by a special print of Jesus (drawn by Rod’s wife, Elsa) with His arms spread wide. The picture, viewers were told, had been on the wall of Popoff’s office when the terrible vandals broke in, and the proof of its power was the fact that those vandals had been “unable to pass this holy picture” to get further into the premises. Mind you, they had been able to get to the Russian Bibles and had wet them down, but this drawing had stopped them. Said Popoff: In this day, when Satanic spirits are literally on the loose, isn’t it good to know that Jesus with His outstretched arms covers you, your loved ones and your home?
But Popoff wasn’t quite finished making a point. As we’ve seen, he was never satisfied with his flock merely sending in whatever loose cash they had available. He wanted every dollar that he could root out of them. An unemptied wallet was an abomination to him. On this tape, we hear:I believe that some of you have something in land, in cars, in houses, and your savings accounts, money that you were going to use for something else. You’re going to loan it to Jesus now ... and God’s going to give it back to you many, many, many, many times over.
There we have evidence not only of insatiable greed and avarice, but there is a promise that the money sought is just a loan which will be repaid. It is also a promise of financial return made through the media, and in the opinion of several experts we have consulted, making such a promise may constitute a crime.
The Damning Evidence of Popoff’s Personal Involvement
But between the segments of the May 12, 1985, tape is some very interesting incidental conversational material, following a microphone test of voice level. With no video on the screen, we hear.Peter Popoff: No, we can’t tell you that right now. We need to let the kids come in and tape them, and then we want to get out by the van and do some taping out there. Elizabeth Popoff: What time is the window guy comin’? Volmer Thrane: At four. Rod Sherrill: Well, he’ll be here a little earlier, but that’ll be all right. Peter Popoff: Okay. That’ll just take a minute. All we’re going to do is just one shot. Volmer, which window’s cracked? Volmer Thrane: We’re not going to break it, ’cause I’m going to make a ventilation system out of it. [Giggling in the background] I’ll just bust the one in the door. Elizabeth Popoff: (Giggles.) Peter Popoff: Okay. Volmer Thrane: Yeah, that’ll be fine. That’ll be such a mess to clean up. I’ll have to pull everything out, and— Peter Popoff: Okay. Volmer Thrane: I think we’ll get the point across with the door. Peter Popoff: Okay. I think so, too. Rod Sherrill: Are we ready? Peter Popoff: Volmer, are you going to help me bust this door? Or— Volmer Thrane: Yeah, I’ll be back on it. Peter Popoff: Okay. Come back down in five, ten more minutes. We’ll be done.
This conversation seems to indicate that the interior video shots were obtained before the window was broken by Volmer and Rod. The Popoff Miracle Crusade program ended that day with one more appeal to shake loose any money that the faithful might still have been holding onto. Popoff reminded them once more of all the many sources of cash they might have that he might tap into:It may be part of your savings account, some antiques that you have, some real estate, a car that you’re not using. Pray about loaning it to Jesus. Remember, God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself, if you will do for God what you can do.
The picture of a tear-streaked Peter Popoff standing with his faithful, distraught wife, Elizabeth, froze on the TV screen and slowly faded. Then, on the original tape, but unheard by the home viewers, Elizabeth is heard to give a great sigh of impatience: “Whew! I was already at the store!” The poor dear had apparently become restless with the taping and wanted to get away for some important shopping. Using her Visa card, no doubt.