Phenomenon

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

He did. And when confronted with a REAL challenge ALL of the so-called psychics back down (with excuses about the "energy" not being conducive at the moment or other hogwash).
Chris Angel is an exceptional magician but that is all he has ever claimed to be, even running a few specials on debunking those who do claim to have "real" abilities. I am not in Chris's class but being an amateur magician myself, it gives me a unique perspective on certain things that happen in the church and how the reality is far less amazing then the supposed miracle that many think just took place. (With a special spotlight thrown on the whole word-of-knowledge thing.)

When I was a teenager I attended an Apostolic Camp Meeting for the first time. I was very hungry for Christian fellowship and desparate for something from God. In other words, I was young and vulnerable.

There were a couple of guys from another district that somehow were put in charge of one of the daytime services. They did the old "one leg is shorter than the other leg" trick with a lady pulled from the crowd. I didn't know many of the people there at the time so I have no idea if the sister was also in on the act.

A bunch of us had kind of swarmed around the platform area where they had the sister lay down. Even though I had heard about this particular trick before I was open to the idea that maybe the poor sister really did have back problems caused by on leg being shorter than the other. When one of the Oklahoma guys started yelling that he could "see" her leg growing eveyone crowded around. The sister looked bewildered and no one but the two guys from out of state "saw" any miracle. The crowd was unconvinced and I was really disappointed in the whole charade.

Guys like that show up regularly to tell folks around here that they "don't have enough faith" or that they need "better" holiness standards. They fizzle out after a while and either go back home or to the district next door.