Religious Con-Artists - Can They Fool Well Intentioned Christians?

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VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
113
#1
Do Religious Con-Artists pose a THREAT to real Christians?

Unfortunately in this day and age, far too many Christians trust their eyes and feelings over and above what the Bible actually says. AND any time you are using what you saw and felt as the yardstick to measure TRUTH, you have taken your eyes on Jesus, the Author and perfecter of our Faith. So sadly I must admit, that there are many Christians who can be fooled by Religious Con-Artists. The Biblical way to guard against the trickery of a Religious Con-Artist, is to FIRST of all, make absolutely sure that you have come through the narrow gate of surrendering and receiving Jesus Christ as LORD, meaning Master, establishing a GENUINE personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The SECOND most important thing that all Christians must KEEP doing, is Search the Scriptures to discern TRUTH, instead of just trusting what we saw and felt.

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. {The Greek word for FIX, is a much stronger word than the English word FIX. If we substituted, "superglue our eyes on Jesus", then we would be very close to the original meaning."

2 Corinthians 5:7 (HCSB)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] For we walk by faith, not by sight,

Psalm 119:15-16 (ESV)
[SUP]15 [/SUP] I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
[SUP]16 [/SUP] I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Acts 17:11 (NIV)
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

One of the more famous Religious Con-Artists that fooled many into believing his Word of Knowledge gift, with his fake trickery is Peter Popoff. His victims were Christians, and they were FOOLED into believing his trickery was of GOD, and they sent him their money, LOTS OF IT. They were all trusting what they saw, heard, and were convinced because of the excited feelings that they felt; thus they were all victims of a Con-Artist. This information on Peter Popoff came from a research on from Wikipedia:

Peter Popoff (born July 2, 1946) is a German American televangelist, and self-proclaimed prophet and faith healer. He conductsrevival meetings and has a national television program. He initially rose to prominence in the 1980s. In 1986, skeptics James Randiand Alexander (Alec) Jason exposed his method of receiving information about revival attendees from his wife via an in-ear receiver.
. . .
In 1985, Popoff came to national attention when he began campaigning for money to help smuggle bibles into the Soviet Union. He claimed the bibles would be tied to helium-filled balloons and sent wafting above the Iron Curtain. When he had to account for the money being spent, Popoff staged a burglary at his own headquarters. On subsequent broadcasts of his show, he would tearfully beg for more money to help repair the damage.
. . .
During his appearances at church conventions in the 1980s, Popoff routinely and accurately stated the home addresses and specific illnesses of his audience members, a feat many believed was due to divine revelation and "God-given ability". In 1986 when members of CSICOP reported that Popoff was using a radio to receive messages, Popoff denied it and said the messages came from God. At the time of his popularity, skeptic groups across the United States printed and handed out pamphlets explaining how Popoff's feats could be done. Popoff would tell his audience that the pamphlets were "tools of the devil".
Popoff's earlier claims were debunked in 1986 when noted skeptic James Randi and his assistant Steve Shaw researched Popoff by attending revival meetings across the country for months. Randi asked crime scene analyst and electronics expert Alexander Jason for technical assistance and he was able to use a computerized scanner during a Popoff appearance in San Francisco. Jason intercepted and identified the radio transmissions that were being sent by Popoff's wife Elizabeth Popoff who was backstage reading information which she and her aides (Reeford Lee Sherrell and Pamela Sherrell) had gathered from earlier conversations with members of the audience. Popoff would listen to these promptings with an in-ear receiver and repeat what he heard to the crowd.
Randi then went on to plant accomplices in the audience, including a man dressed as a woman pretending to have uterine cancer, of which "she" was "cured". Jason produced video segments showing several Popoff "healings" which included the previously secret audio. After these were shown on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Popoff's popularity and viewing audiences declined sharply. In September 1987, sixteen months after the Carson airing, Popoff declared bankruptcy, with more than 790 creditors having claims against him.
. . .
Peter Popoff - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


And that is the damage done by just one Religious Con-Artist that was exposed. How many more are there, yet to be exposed?

So where did the Religious Con-Artist con game originate?


Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (ESV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us.


I would guess that LITERALLY all of the of the ancient Pagan Religions used trickery in one form or another to con their congregations into giving more money. I ran across a documentary, that exposed the trickery, and the actual mechanical machines used by the Greek Mystery Religions, to fake miracles, so that their followers would be hooked into believing those statues were gods, and thus give more money.


[video=youtube;GPuQQJ4oB2o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPuQQJ4oB2o[/video]


Now that video makes it much more understandable, how SO MANY PEOPLE fell for those Mystery Religions.

So what kind of Computer tricks, and electronic devices are being used to DECEIVE PEOPLE TODAY?

AND if people so easily trust what they saw, heard, and felt;
HOW ARE THEY NOT GOING TO FALL FOR THE ANTICHRIST,
WHO CAN DO REAL MIRACLES?
 
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yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#2
that anitchrist is the Roman Catholic church as identified by every protestant reformer.
So you sir are the con artist to suggest it some future being

The antichrist has been with us the wole time.
And it was the JEsuists who made up the CON that its is some man in the future who comes to fool us
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
113
#3
that anitchrist is the Roman Catholic church as identified by every protestant reformer.
So you sir are the con artist to suggest it some future being

The antichrist has been with us the wole time.
And it was the JEsuists who made up the CON that its is some man in the future who comes to fool us
Not even close. I cannot believe that lie is still being believed and spread like a cancer.

In Biblical prophecy Mountains are used as symbolism for Kingdoms or Countries, just like Horns are, just like crowns are, and just like Heads are. The beast with seven heads symbolizes a Seven Nation Confederacy. The beast with 7 heads and 10 Horns with 3 horns being torn up by their roots, just like East Germany was; leaving the same Seven Nation Confederacy. And the City of Seven Mountains, NOT HILLS, that the Antichrist rules from it's the Capital City is the same Seven Nation Confederacy. The ten toes on the STATUE of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream is the the same 10 Nation Confederacy as the 10 Horns, that has 3 of there smaller countries merge with larger countries to have more influence with their votes.

NOW, according to Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, that FINAL WORLD EMPIRE occupies the same territory as the original Roman Empire, thus even though they are a form of the IRON (ROMAN) EMPIRE, they never fully give up their divisions (borders), HENCE THE TEN TOES mixed with clay are always bickering, maintaining their independance, thereby remaining weaker than the original IRON (ROMAN) EMPIRE. The EUROPEAN UNION fits that description perfectly, and once it is voted to hand over the supreme rule to a Dictator (the Antichrist), several Countries will pull out before he takes Power, and then three of the remaining 10 countries will merge with others. Is that Capital City ROME? NOT LIKELY, BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN UNION MEETS IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, NOT ROME.

Hatred for our Christian Brothers the Catholics is a sin that GOD HATES, and it obviously a work of SATAN HIMSELF.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (HCSB)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] The LORD hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to Him:
[SUP]17 [/SUP] arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
[SUP]18 [/SUP] a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,
[SUP]19 [/SUP] a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.
 
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VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
113
#4
that anitchrist is the Roman Catholic church as identified by every protestant reformer.
So you sir are the con artist to suggest it some future being

The antichrist has been with us the wole time.
And it was the JEsuists who made up the CON that its is some man in the future who comes to fool us
So it appears the Jack Chick comic books are still circulating Down Under, since you mentioned both the Roman Catholic Church and the Jesuits as being associated with the Antichrist; something the False Prophet Jack Chick was famous for here. Jack Chick's popularity has just about died out in the USA, and most Christians now regard him as a False Profit and Religious Con-Artist.

May I suggest that you get your theology from the Bible instead of his comic books.
 
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yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#5
Catholics are not my brothers and clearly neither are you.

Antichrist and mother of all harlots is the Roman Catholic Church.
It has the blood of millions of saints on its kiddy fiddling hands and worships Lucifer as Mary.
As does every catholic who prays to MAry.
Every sacrament of this antichrist church is a carefully designed blasphemy against Jesus Christ
How dare you apologise for satan's church?
 

yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#6
Casuistry is a university course in lying created by Roman Catholic priests.
Those who are not intelligent enough to apply its principles but wish to support the satanic pope spread disinformation use a childish version.

Create a strawman argument
- in this case a lie that my knowledge is all gleaned from one source- a comic book
then destroy that source through ridicule.

Problem being this only works for other catholics.
Protestants see right through lies.
We actually have the holy spirirt and are god's chosen
Every single protestant reformer from, Luther to Clvin to Knox to Cranmer saw the Roman Catholic Church as the Antichrist of prophecy
 
Nov 30, 2012
2,396
26
0
#7
Catholics are not my brothers and clearly neither are you.

Antichrist and mother of all harlots is the Roman Catholic Church.
It has the blood of millions of saints on its kiddy fiddling hands and worships Lucifer as Mary.
As does every catholic who prays to MAry.
Every sacrament of this antichrist church is a carefully designed blasphemy against Jesus Christ
How dare you apologise for satan's church?
Its amazing...You sound like Jack Chick. Let me guess, Satan secretly used Gary Gygax to bring Celtic magic back into the world and that's why there are so many Wiccan's today?
Or that Jesuits founded Islam 800 years before they were founded?

Man, the Vatican isn't even in the Rome of Seven Hills, its across the Tiber. Or that Rome isn't the only city with seven hills around it, such as Jerusalem, Berlin, Moscow, London, Beijing, Carthage, and...wait for it Baghdad (which is just north of Babylon). Also, John Calvin ordered the slaughter of children who refused to leave the Church. Luther turned a blind eye to the massacre of thousands, and had two children out of wedlock before he left the Church. Guess what man...man is evil. Popes can be evil too...SURPRISE!
 

yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#8
Ive read many books (and written a few)but never Jack Chick.
The JEsuits were created by the papal knights of St John in 1540 as a reaction against HEnry 8th.
Henry outlawed the knights of St John who are the papal order which rules the vatican to this day.

When I blame Jesuits its a given that they are the CIA (if you like) of the papal Knights of St John
 
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yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#9
these same knights created USA, and fomented revolution.You fly their flag stupid.
To divide and conquer the protestant british empire.
A reaction to the bulletproof British constitution

Keep biting off more than you can chew though son.
I love having the opportunity to expose wickedness .
And what better way to present it than an argument with mine enemy

Ive got another dozen bombshells to drop you thought were secret
lets expose them together shall we?
 
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K

kaylagrl

Guest
#10
I've heard of Popoff,the name always made me laugh.Dont know much about him though.Too bad people are so easily tricked.People give to get a lot of times and therefore are easily fooled by these sharks.I'd never give a dime to tv evangelists with the exception of Biily Graham.
 

Yet

Banned
Jan 4, 2014
3,756
69
0
#11
Our catholic brothers??? I cannot believe you have been fooled in believing that pagan papal Rome is the ecclesia!
Well then how about the Mormons, the JW's, the Muslims.....r they our brothers also? To even slightly think that Catholics that hold to all the beliefs/doctrines of the Babylonian system, is a work of satan himself. And you come off as so intelligent and knowledgable at first. I pressed the 'like' button way to soon. Wish I could take it back.

Billy Graham told the Catholics to stay in their church. He got a lot of financial support from the Catholic Church.
 
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K

kaylagrl

Guest
#12
Our catholic brothers??? I cannot believe you have been fooled in believing that pagan papal Rome is the ecclesia!
Well then how about the Mormons, the JW's, the Muslims.....r they our brothers also? To even slightly think that Catholics that hold to all the beliefs/doctrines of the Babylonian system, is a work of satan himself. And you come off as so intelligent and knowledgable at first. I pressed the 'like' button way to soon. Wish I could take it back.

Billy Graham told the Catholics to stay in their church. He got a lot of financial support from the Catholic Church.

Hummm not aware Billy Graham said that...Have to check that out.
 
O

oldthennew

Guest
#13
[TABLE="class: gr_incontext"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:7 [/TD]
[TD]For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:8 [/TD]
[TD]And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:9 [/TD]
[TD]Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:10 [/TD]
[TD]And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:11 [/TD]
[TD]And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:12 [/TD]
[TD]That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.[/TD]
[TD="class: tdcb"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2Th 2:13 [/TD]
[TD]But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
T

The_highwayman

Guest
#14
these same knights created USA, and fomented revolution.You fly their flag stupid.
To divide and conquer the protestant british empire.
A reaction to the bulletproof British constitution

Keep biting off more than you can chew though son.
I love having the opportunity to expose wickedness .
And what better way to present it than an argument with mine enemy

Ive got another dozen bombshells to drop you thought were secret
lets expose them together shall we?
Let me drop a bombshell on you:

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

The only thing you have exposed is that you do not know God, because there seems to be no love in you.
 
K

kennethcadwell

Guest
#15
Not even close. I cannot believe that lie is still being believed and spread like a cancer.

In Biblical prophecy Mountains are used as symbolism for Kingdoms or Countries, just like Horns are, just like crowns are, and just like Heads are. The beast with seven heads symbolizes a Seven Nation Confederacy. The beast with 7 heads and 10 Horns with 3 horns being torn up by their roots, just like East Germany was; leaving the same Seven Nation Confederacy. And the City of Seven Mountains, NOT HILLS, that the Antichrist rules from it's the Capital City is the same Seven Nation Confederacy. The ten toes on the STATUE of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream is the the same 10 Nation Confederacy as the 10 Horns, that has 3 of there smaller countries merge with larger countries to have more influence with their votes.

NOW, according to Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, that FINAL WORLD EMPIRE occupies the same territory as the original Roman Empire, thus even though they are a form of the IRON (ROMAN) EMPIRE, they never fully give up their divisions (borders), HENCE THE TEN TOES mixed with clay are always bickering, maintaining their independance, thereby remaining weaker than the original IRON (ROMAN) EMPIRE. The EUROPEAN UNION fits that description perfectly, and once it is voted to hand over the supreme rule to a Dictator (the Antichrist), several Countries will pull out before he takes Power, and then three of the remaining 10 countries will merge with others. Is that Capital City ROME? NOT LIKELY, BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN UNION MEETS IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, NOT ROME.

Hatred for our Christian Brothers the Catholics is a sin that GOD HATES, and it obviously a work of SATAN HIMSELF.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (HCSB)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] The LORD hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to Him:
[SUP]17 [/SUP] arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
[SUP]18 [/SUP] a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,
[SUP]19 [/SUP] a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.


I agree with you here that the European union will end up being the revised holy Roman empire as the bible clearly points to in the bible as growing back into power, and the antichrist will be the main ruler over this union.
However, and I don't have nothing against my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that are part of the Catholic church, but I do believe as well as many biblical scholars I have come across that the pope will be the false prophet. Even when I was in the Catholic church for five years I took their RCIA classes, and this was taught by them in those classes.
 

yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#16
Let me drop a bombshell on you:

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

The only thing you have exposed is that you do not know God, because there seems to be no love in you.
I am an olde fashioned protestant.
catholics are not my brothers anymore than satan is
They are liars like their master.
Every last one
 
T

The_highwayman

Guest
#17
I am an olde fashioned protestant.
catholics are not my brothers anymore than satan is
They are liars like their master.
Every last one
How can you be old anything at 24....come to full age already....we are compelled to love them as Christ loved us...
 

yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#19
How can you be old anything at 24....come to full age already....we are compelled to love them as Christ loved us...
Im 45 and you do not know your enemy.
Or have any respect for the power of satan that works in thse that serve him.As roman catholics do.
This isnt the 15th century
Roman catholics today know who they serve, and if they do not they are without excuse.
 

yep

Banned
Dec 10, 2014
81
0
0
#20
A protestant christian is closer in brotherhood to a sikh or a muslim than he is to a Roman Catholic.
For these at least have the excuse that they didnt know jesus or had a choice
I know many catholics who are aware but stay in the church for family reasons, habit -love of the church over jesus
 
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