Televangelists

Remember Jim of Jim and Tammy Faye fame? He has a show again, and it’s very entertaining. Straight outta Branson.

http://www.jimbakkershow.com/

He’s bald now. I tell ya, if there’s one group of people who have job security, it’s disgraced televangelists. Jimmy Swaggert is still stomping away. Robert Tilton is still bent over your prayer requests. Pat Robertson apparently can’t say anything dumb enough to get end his career. I think it might be time for me to start my ministry.

I find these people fascinating, which is why I’ll also be watching a documentary appearing on PBS tonight about Amiee Semple Mcpherson. She’s kind of the grandmama of all this crap:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimee_Semple_McPherson ⇓

Aimee Semple McPherson (October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as “Sister Aimee” or “Sister,” was a Canadian-born evangelist and media sensation in the 1920s and 1930s; she was also the founder of the Foursquare Church.^[1] She was a pioneer in the use of modern media, especially radio, to create a form of religion that drew heavily on the appeal of popular entertainment.

McPherson was born Aimee Elizabeth Kennedy on October 9, 1890, on a farm near the town of Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. ^[2] Her father, James Kennedy, was a farmer, and her mother, Mildred, called Minnie, worked for the Salvation Army.^[3] Little is written about McPherson’s father, and it is unclear what impact James Kennedy had on his daughter. It was through her mother that McPherson got her first exposure to religious exercise, which would have an impact on her later evangelical crusades. Mrs. Kennedy’s work with the Salvation Army included providing for people through soup kitchens. This reflected her idea of bringing faith to the people, which was reflected in Aimee’s later work in spreading the Gospel.

As for tv preachers who haven’t quite been disgraced, Benny Hinn has the magic, but Rod Parsley has the hate of ten thousand hateful things spewing from his maw. I’m torn between those two in terms of entertainment value. So, is there anyone thumping bibles out there that you particularly enjoy? Thoughts? Feelings? Prayer requests?