I was discussing faith healing with another ex-Fundagelical last week. That gave me the idea to write about some of the fraudsters who practice so-called “faith healing” and to write about the bad theology involved in the “word of faith” movement. As I was doing research, I came across a website that told me Peter Popoff is up to his old tricks again. The website is Doubtful News. Allow me to quote them,
Peter Popoff, the controversial televangelist who amassed millions from a “prophetic anointing” that was later revealed to have come, at least in part, from information fed to him over a radio by his wife, Elizabeth, is now hawking baggies of “miracle spring water” that promises to rid its drinkers from debt.
The wealth-attracting water is being marketed through Popoff’s website and early morning and late night broadcasts on popular Cable TV channels like Black Entertainment Television (BET) despite a wealth of evidence, including a report by noted skeptic, James Randi, that his miracle ministry reeks of chicanery.
In the electric infomercial about the miracle water, which Popoff provides for “free,” several of its sippers swear by its potency and report hundreds, even thousands of dollars in debt being canceled by the water’s power.
Popoff has commercials and longer infomercials for this. Below is the one-minute commercial
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wU10/peter-popoff-ministries-miracle-spring-water
What makes this particularly insulting to the intelligence of everyone who keeps track of Fundagelical hucksters is that Popoff was exposed by famed magician James Randi in 1986. Popoff “claimed” he was a prophet and healer. He would receive a “word of knowledge” from “the Holy Spirit” that revealed people’s prayer request and concerns. He would then call out people at his meetings and tell them what the Holy Spirit had revealed.
James Randi proved that the Holy Spirit had nothing to do with it and it was Popoff’s wife on a hidden radio transmitter sending the information off prayer cards, previously filled out by people before the meeting began, to Popoff through an earpiece. Watch Randi’s debunking of the fraud below.
Peter Popoff’s ministry was derailed temporarily, but he’s back in full swing. As Doubtful News says, he’s hawking “Miracle Spring Water.” I decided to conduct an experiment. I went to Peter Popoff’s website, and sure enough, there was the link to Miracle Spring Water.
I filled in the information requested, and now we will wait and see what arrives. I entered as my prayer request “Freedom from debt.” Popoff Ministries now have my name, address, email, and phone. I’ll document each thing I receive from Peter Popoff. I’m using my knowledge of cheap tricks and cons to predict that I’ll get a request for a donation.
After submitting my personal information, I was taken to the thank you page.
They want me to make sure I tell them my prayer request. Didn’t I just do that? Remember back on the request page for Miracle Spring Water. I wanted freedom from debt. So much for the “Word of Knowledge” guess he lost that when he lost his in-ear radio receiver.
I clicked back to the home page and found myself on the donation page. There was a suggested “seed faith” donation of $17.95. What an odd amount. I guess everything is marked down for the Spring seed sale from $20.00. Even though I appreciate a sale price, I declined to send it in. I will, however, write a follow-up blog on the bad theology of “seed faith.”
Stay tuned to see what else shows up and if Peter’s prayers eliminate my debt. Don’t forget to subscribe to see if my debt is erased and you can catch me vlogging at Rev’s Reels on YouTube.