- •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
Daniel Atwood
Daniel Atwood is a healer originally from Lake City, Florida. At one time, he employed David Jones—son of Thea Jones, a well-known faith-healer who owns the Metropolitan Theater in Philadelphia—as his “front man.” They constituted one of the more entertaining pairs in the business. In 1974, they were in the small town of Waycross, Georgia, for a week of healing shows. It turned out to be a mostly black crowd that attended, and because the two operators were white, they asked their black organist, Bill Williamson, to mix with the crowd and casually obtain pertinent information—such as names and ailments—from individuals who were there to be healed. Bill refused, wanting no part of such a scheme. He watched from the sidelines as the pair talked one woman out of $500 and made arrangements to meet her after the service on the last evening of the show to get more. But the mayor, the police chief, and a local judge were there when the pair showed up, and they arrested them both. The judge said that he had been at the service every night that week and that he had observed how Atwood and Jones had “manipulated people.” He said they had been “taking all our niggers’ money,” and that he—the judge—would find those swindled people up before him in court soon for not being able to pay their utility and tax bills. The chief of police, Williamson said, told them that he’d be happy to see them “make a move” so he could take a shot at them. The message was very plain indeed, and the latest victim’s money was quickly refunded on the spot as the officials watched with satisfaction. But the pair of rogues didn’t want any of their other visible assets seized to repay other complainants, so they told Williamson to sneak out the back and drive their customized Eldorado to the next town, where they’d meet him. He did, and they were never seen in Waycross again. Jones, a notorious drug abuser, died a few years ago. Atwood is making a comeback as an associate of the unsinkable Reverend Leroy Jenkins, who hauled him aboard the ever-leaky but still floating Jenkins ferryboat.
David Epley
Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, out of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Pastor David Epley got started in St. Louis, where I am told he still has a substantial church. The act he offers is very much like that of W. V. Grant, though his mailing pieces are rather juvenile compared with others of similar status. The wording appears to be almost identical to that of begging letters sent out by New York’s Reverend Ike, from whom Epley might be borrowing ideas. He appears to pop on and off television, perhaps having difficulty paying for the air time. In 1986, Epley voiced his bewilderment during one of his television shows that “Randi the magician” had not come to witness his wonders. Accordingly, I sent him this letter by certified mail on August 19, 1986:I have taken some time to get around to examining your claims, since those I have already investigated were “passing through” and were therefore handled sooner. However, since you publicly mentioned me in your last broadcast, I can consider that a “throwing down of the gauntlet” which officially opens the investigation and signifies your acceptance of my challenge. Accordingly, I will offer you the same challenge offered to Peter Popoff. I told him that I would accept evidence from an independent, medically qualified panel that would examine any five of his cases and declare that they received healing as a result of his ministrations. I told Popoff further “You have now announced that you will soon present personal testimonials from selected individuals. If you should choose to present on your television program, as further evidence, video interviews with persons who have received healing through your ministry, any proper evaluation of that evidence would require that you supply us with the names and addresses of each person so interviewed. It would also be proper that we receive all names and addresses of those with whom you conduct those interviews, whether they are selected to appear on the program, or not.” I will await your response to this challenge. Should you be able to meet the simple conditions of this test, I will present you with my check for $10,000. I will also declare in writing and in person that I believe you have the direct anointing from God to be able to bring divine healing to people. A further point: Since we are bound to be very careful and specific about details of all statements pertaining to this matter, I must point out to you the error in your statement during the recent broadcast. You have brought up the old chestnut about “there can be no counterfeit if there is no genuine item.” That is not true. Anyone can print a counterfeit American three-dollar bill. It will be obviously counterfeit, but that does not mean that there ever was in actuality a genuine three-dollar bill. Pastor Epley, to prove that you are not a three-dollar bill, I suggest that you provide proof of your ability to bring divine healing to those in your ministry. And, as I also informed Peter Popoff, “I can assure you that I am a tenacious and determined investigator. I will not abandon my inquiries until this matter is settled satisfactorily.” Since you have accepted my challenge to witness your claims, please take this challenge seriously.
This letter was sent, frankly, because a Florida newspaper had heard Epley refer to me and asked me why I did not take him up on his challenge. After I sent this letter, none of the newspapers followed up on the matter, for reasons only they can know. I suspect that they were cowed by Epley’s religious stance. Epley is a very small fish in this very large pond. But you should know this: In 1986, the Reverend Epley underwent surgery for a brain tumor. He visited a regular hospital, had regular anesthesia, and recovered in the normal way. It was a process he would not have recommended for his congregation.