Bentley: Looking Rather Sheepish

The October edition of ‘Christianity’ magazine reports the latest news on the Todd Bentley travesty. Bentley has left his wife for another woman and the disgrace has prevented him from using the platform of his own ministry. In this connection the October ‘Christianity’ focuses on the subject of ‘fallen leaders’. But isn’t this rather assuming that we are talking about people who are genuine Christian leaders in the first place? In Bentley’s case was there anything to fall from? His ministry survives using gullibility logic (“if it’s bizarre it must be from God”), the ultimate spin doctoring in all its resuscitating glory (30+ resurrections are claimed) and above all spiritual intimidation (“Don’t touch God’s anointed”). So does Bentley, along with his Angelocentric gospel, really classify as a leader of a Christian movement with integrity?

In any case succumbing to a good old fashion extra-marital affair is the least of Bentley’s faults in my opinion. His gullible followers have so quickly thrust him to the top of the social pile and with a little help from media like ‘Christianity’ the resulting pressures of exposure and public status has increased the temptation and opportunities for an extra-marital fling. I certainly would not want to judge Bentley harshly in this respect, especially as I am very unlikely to ever face this sort of temptation myself.

Those behind the Lakeland ministry want Christains to overlook its hornet’s nest of issues as mere human foibles in a genuine ‘move of God’. Their view is that the 'outpouring' has imperfections that are forgivable. For them gullible belief equals faith and a vehement expression of faith is self-verifying and considered to be far more compelling evidence of a ‘move of God’ than the fruits of solid evidence or any negative evidence. So don’t let lack of material evidence get in the way of a self-feeding delusion ...err.. I mean, faith, and stop you from being ministered to by God’s move at Lakeland.

But there is, of course, one sin that is not likely to be forgiven by Lakelanders, namely that of critically appraising the movement and deciding that it's not worth bothering to go to Lakeland or connecting with the ministry after all: that is regarded as the unforgivable sin of resisting the Spirit.