By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission
Todd Bentley may be more newspworthy to the British press, now that the British government has banned him from entering the country, than when he was travelling the country doing his thing.
Stories are at these various sites, and I’m guessing they may have run in the actual newspapers or on TV:
BBC News
The Montreal Gazette which means that the other POstMedia papers may run it too. He’s not a “B.C. pastor”, but that’s what happens when you do a story quickly.
Two big papers in Belast Northern Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph and the Belfast Newsletter. The Newsletter story quotes both Bentley’s website and the Home Office statement.
And the major English paper, the Telegraph.
And the [Manchester] Guardian had the scoop yeaterday, as we know.
[Note from Rick: Please check back on this post as I may add updates as they break. Thanks.]
He’s from BC and he is a preacher/religious showman, so using “pastor” might be a tad off, since it seems to imply that he has a church. That being sadi, given the media’s lack of knowledge of Christian terms, it’s close enough for mainstream media work.
I’m very fearful that the barring from the UK will only add to his following; he’s now “the preacher too hot for England to handle.” That will give him some cache among evangelicals and especially charismatics who look at government as a godless enemy.
Well, he’s from BC, but no longer living or working here. He’s moved to North Carolina
I just don’t want to get the blame!
I highly doubt that Bentley would be using any violent moves if he was aware that people were keeping an eye on him for precisely that issue. There is plenty of bad Christian teaching in the UK…terrible unbiblical stuff and the same kind of stuff that falls in line with TB’s false signs and wonders shenanigans. To ban him is a door opened a wee bit more to take away some more freedoms in the future.
I’m with you, Jane. The powers that be there tend to lean towards having things “decent and in order” and more mainstream version of Christian thought could be next, especially with a more left-wing government in the future. The UK banned Dutch MP Geert Wilders from a book tour; he’s a Islam-basher and they were likely fearful of their Muslims getting hot and bothered and becoming violent; the only violence at a Bentley rally might be from one of those MMA faux-healing moves.
A version of the Postmedia story on the Todd Bentley ban from Britain made the print edition of the Province today. Page A18.
@jane,
i think what the british authorities are doing is more akin to tort law, which protects civilians from simple harms, rather than threatening their fundamental rights. since criminal intent cannot be proven in bentley’s behavior–except that he is blantantly defrauding people,but with their consent–should the government protect people from the consequences of their own stupidity?
Todd lied about God telling him to hit, kick, and knee people to heal them. Funny how this shows you reap what you sow when you lie. He lied to get fame and notoriety, now that lie is producing closed doors. Wow, only God could give this kind of justice to us naughty children of his.
Charletons like Mr. Bentley thrive on publicity-any form of publicity positive or negative. It is this publicity that brings in the ‘suckers’ with cash in hand ready to throw it into the bucket.
I have no doubt that Mr. Bentley and his business associates do, say, and act in any manner that will get them publicity and attention. After all, what would happen to their business if no one showed up at an event?
This blog is just one proof point. As long as there is debate, doubt, interest, fear, etc. their will be supporters and detractors. Bentley couunts on the supporters…all the way to the bank. You can be sure that as one scenerio dies down and the public’s interest is grabbed by another issue, Mr. Bentley will say or do something else to re-focus media attention on his tatty little group fraud artists.
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