Religion as Infomercial
Jim Rutz, the man who claims that God has been raising people from the dead, has a new column out today.
Rutz thinks God has gone on a virtual resurrection spree because very poor people living in very poor countries claim God brought them back from the dead. Seriously, that’s it. That’s all the evidence he needs:
Arjun died at age 5. The gist of his story:
At six o’clock on an April evening in 2001, Arjun was accidentally electrocuted by 220-volt wires touching his head.
His parents took him to a medical clinic where they worked on his body for two hours without success. They tried CPR, electroshock paddles, adrenaline shots ? all the usual. But they couldn’t get him off flatline. So the doctor charged them 5,000 rupees (about $110) and told them to call an undertaker.
But they didn’t. Instead they called Rod at the nearby Deliverance Church. He then called upon Savitri, one of his staff members.
Savitri brought two other Christians to Arjun’s home, and the five of them began praying over the dead body about 10:00 p.m. They prayed their hearts out for six hours with pleading and tears. Then, at 4:00 a.m. the next morning, Arjun snapped back to life with no brain damage, no physical problems.
Today, he’s a normal 9-year-old kid except for two nasty scar lines behind his left ear where the wire hit.
Savitri is a 62-year-old widow, a Dalit (formerly called “untouchable”) from the lowly Dom class. She spent her life as a street sweeper, which made her, in the caste system, the lowest of the low.
To recap: a little boy in India gets electrocuted. Because his family is part of the “untouchable” caste, they get the lowest quality medical care. They bring the boy to a doctor, who unsurprisingly botches the treatment and proclaims him dead. Later, the boy “comes back to life.” Wow.
Y’know, I could find several people in Haiti who swear that voodoo works, but that doesn’t make it true. But then again, Rutz’ version of Christianity is pretty similar to witchcraft, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.
Toward the end of the article, Rutz lets us know what all these “miracles” are really about:
Here is what it all means: The lockdown of the common man has come to an abrupt end. Many of the limitations your ancestors endured for centuries are now fading into the bleak and brutal past. The resurrections are only the most obvious evidence of a megashift in the functioning of eager-hearted believers whom the book of Revelation calls “overcomers.”
The recent changes in the quality of human life are profound. God is pouring His grace and power into people in ways not seen before. I don’t expect that most Christians will be doing miracles on a daily basis, but a radically new Christian lifestyle now spreading around the globe will soon dramatically enable you to upgrade your own way of living.
So there you have it: Christianity has gone from being a spiritual and moral guide to being a product you see advertised at two in the morning on public access cable stations. I wonder if prayer can make my penis grow six inches longer, or help me to shoot a wad even bigger than what Spur-M promises.
And to think, I was about to PAY MONEY for a Russian mail-order bride. But once I convert to Christianity (and buy Jim Rutz’ book), I can raise MY OWN mail-order bride from the dead… FOR FREE!
You have a dead mail-order bride?
You have a dead mail-order bride?
Best sex I’ve ever had, man 😉
After learning the quality of the MegaShift evidence, I would like to request the return of my Jell-O Salad from the Committee to Welcome Our Christian Zombie Overlords.
I shredded carrots for “he says he was dead for several hours”? The next bunch of Overlords had better have big damned spaceships, or they’re getting a box of Saltines, just like when that weird guy moved in next door.
So what’s the deal? I’ll bring you back to life but you’ve got to become a Christian. And who decides who’s eligible for the offer anyway?
I thought Mr. Show was just absurd satire, but they called this years ago:
“Lazarus, what if I told you that only LOSERS die, and the only thing preventing your resurrection…is YOU!”
Instead they called Rod at the nearby Deliverance Church. He then called upon Savitri, one of his staff members.
Wait. There were 5 people: Savitri, two parents, and “two other Christians.” So, in other words, Rod couldn’t be bothered? Was he about to take lunch or something?
Why do these people always focus on the parts of their Bibles that are written in crayon?
“Rod,” I said, “I have a little credibility problem in the United States when I teach people about resurrections. Could you send somebody over to my hotel who has come back from the dead? I’d like to take a few snapshots.”I can’t understand why Jim Nutz has a credibility problem, just because he thinks a photo of a 9-year-old kid with a scar is proof that God is resurrecting people. Oh, and he’d be happy to give you Savitri’s email address, so you could talk to her about all the miracles she’s performed, but “she can’t read” (isn’t that always the way?), so you’ll have to take Jim’s word for it.And the people who read this stuff are winning the war of ideas why?
And the people who read this stuff are winning the war of ideas why?
Because we don’t educate people in America?
Why isn’t Rutz doing any ressurections? After all, “people are coming back from death after being prayed for by ordinary folks like you and me.” If people like Rutz can do it, WHY ISN’T HE DOING IT? If I thought I could bring people back from the dead, I’d probably be spending all my time near the ICU of my local hospital. Unless I thought I could make a fortune selling books.
or help me to shoot a wad even bigger than what Spur-M promises.
You would like to be one of the “overcumers” that Revelations was speaking about?
The recent changes in the quality of human life are profound.
Well, except for Savitri who is still a street-sweeper and lives with all the best technology of the 19th century.
You would like to be one of the “overcumers” that Revelations was speaking about?
Indeed.
Resurrection Life is the foundation on which eternal life is based.
Jesus Christ will one day raise up all of the dead whether they believe in Him or not.
Many very smart people have attempted to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ and not a few of them have come to believe in Him in the proccess. Try reading, Evidence that Demands a verdict by Josh McDowel, Josh was an attorney that was convinced he could disprove the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
You may choose to believe or not to believe it is your choice.
Not only do I believe in the Resurrection of Christ but I believe Jim Rutz’s story of Savitri and Arjun as told in Mega Shift. Unbelief always has many good reasons why not to believe even Thomas one of Jesus’s own disciples and apostles did not believe, but when Jesus stands before you and says touch my nail pierced hands and side what will you say?
Who has the best Religion Infomercial (Temple money changers)
I vote number one : TBN