LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--A new faith healer is making headlines for his claims of supernatural powers, but conservative evangelical leaders warn that Todd Bentley is a fraud and a false teacher.
Bentley, leader of a revival that began in Lakeland, Fla., this spring, is known for his multiple body piercings and tattoos, his violent healing techniques, his claims of angelic visions and "holy" laughter and "holy" vibrating shakes. He even claims to have raised dozens of people from the dead.
In one YouTube video, Bentley, who is Canadian, can be seen kneeing in the stomach a man with stage 4 colon cancer. When the man bent over in obvious pain from the blow, Bentley said, "I had to be obedient to the Lord, sir, but I believe that colon cancer is coming right out of your body now." In other videos, Bentley explains how he kicked an elderly lady in the face, banged a crippled woman's legs on a platform "like a baseball bat," choked a man, "leg-dropped" a pastor, and hit a man so hard it dislodged a tooth -- all because God supposedly told him to do so.
The Associated Press said it could not confirm any of a dozen cases in which Bentley's ministry claimed medical verification for his miracles. more >>
WASHINGTON (BP)--Louisiana has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling against that state's law permitting the death penalty for child rape after it was revealed the justices overlooked a similar federal measure in their ruling. more >>
GULFPORT, Miss. (BP)--Although thousands of Baptist volunteers have come and gone from the Mississippi Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina's onslaught in late August 2005, many more people and groups had good intentions to come and help but never made the trip for one reason or another. more >>
GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP)--About 900 teenagers and camp staff narrowly escaped injury when severe storms struck the campus of North Greenville University July 21. more >>
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--In yesterday's column I ended by saying we can come to terms with Jesus' claims to being the only way to salvation by answering three rudimentary questions. more >>
MIDLAND, Texas (BP)--I spoke recently at a wonderful church in New England. The church is part of a denomination that is fragmenting over the issue of homosexuality ... more >>
