The first words were captured by a secret team of researchers as the Reverend Peter Popoff of Upland, California, stepped onto a stage at San Francisco's Civic Auditorium, where he was about to start a faith healing service that would be videotaped for his weekly national broadcast. The team heard (and captured on tape) an affectionate feminine voice from above: Hello, Petey. I love you! I'm talking to you. Can you hear me? If you can't you're in trouble, 'cause I'm talking as well as I can! (Her voice suddenly becomes businesslike.) ;I'm looking up names right now. This secret team of two was located in a hidden section of the auditorium complex. It consisted of Alec Jason, an electronics expert, and his assistant Bob Steiner. Jason was giving the thumbs-up sign to Steiner as they began a number of surreptitious recordings designed to expose how Reverend Peter Popoff was able to "divinely" recite personal details about audience members and their afflictions during his popular faith-healing services.
Peter Popoff, like many faith healers, calls out the names, illnesses, and sometimes addresses of people at his crusades, then "lays hands" on them and prays for their healing. The impression given at such services is that the information comes directly from God; indeed, a magazine distributed by Popoff's organization described an audience member being "called out by the Spirit for healing". Those in the audience are so impressed by Popoff's "Gift of Knowledge" that they break into applause. The subjects picked are so overwhelmed that they often break into tears. One woman who was "healed" at one of the meetings and later interviewed by CSER stated: " know he is real from the way he talked. He actually knew my address and had no notes to look at! he is real, all right!"
2006-11-04
01:19:36
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