Bartholomew's Notes

I like the Charismatic Christian news service ASSIST Ministries. It often contains very interesting information unavailable elsewhere, and usually its news journalists try to bring in various views and perspectives, rather than just push a particular line. Also, in a world where most of the religious wingnuts have been snapped up by Pete at the Dark Window and SZ at World O’Crap, its opinion pieces have provided one or two just for me, such as Tom Snyder and Tom Marsland. However, for some reason the writers have completely fallen for extremely dodgy South Korean faith healer Lee Jae-Rock, who for months has been reported in nothing other than gushing terms. Back in November it described at length a miracle rally in St Petersburg:

Soon, people were moving out of the audience to stand on the stage and give witness to their healing. One of them was a 44-year-old who had not walked since his childhood. As he came on stage, it was obvious that his leg was bent like the letter Z. Soon he was walking across the stage and holding up his crutches. Scores of others follow him including a woman who threw away her crutches and walked and there were several people who were blind and deaf who were healed. (Pictured: 44-year-old man walks for first time since childhood).

In fact, the accompanying picture was completely underwhelming (James Randi agreed with me). As we can see, the man is still clearly disabled in both his left leg and arm:

ASSIST also added that:

There were two medical teams on hand – one led by Dr. Vera [Samarina], a professor at a St. Petersburg university and also a radio personality and writer – and Dr. Nikolai [no apparent surname], who is a psychiatric professor at the Naval Academy.

“Dr. Nikolai is going to write a paper about the miracles that have taken place during the crusade,” said Johnny Kim. “And Dr. Vera is planning to have a special seminar in which she will bring some of those who were healed before the medical community so that they can personally see what God has done! She is also planning to form a Christian doctors association in St. Petersburg.”

In May I contacted ASSIST to ask about the academic paper proving Jae-Rock’s supernatural powers. They forwarded my question to Johnny Kim, Lae-Rock’s assistant. After a while, having received no response there, I wrote back to ASSIST suggesting the need for a bit of scepticism, and perhaps some input from someone like Peter May (a British Christian who opposes irresponsible claims of miracles). That received no reply (perhaps I shouldn’t have also mentioned Randi), and neither did my query about what they thought about some odd beliefs attributed to Jae-Rock. Some of these are (as reported on a hostile website):

The prophets, disciples, apostles, God and Jesus all appeared in photos he took with his camera after he imposed his hands on it in prayer.
(July 17th 1998 at a Friday all night prayer meeting)

Sin resides in the blood of the human. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross had no original sin or committed sin. Jae Rock explained that he himself shed all of his blood in 1992, so the sinful blood from his parents was done away with and he was refilled with new blood that does not have any original or committed sin.
(July 5th 1998 Sunday evening service)

When Jae-Rock calls any of the prophets, disciples or Patriarchs they appear before him just like an executive will appear when the president calls. Jae-Rock says they come and greet him.
(July 5th, 1998 Sunday evening service & July 17th,1998 Friday all night prayer meeting)

Jae-Rock has accomplished all the words in the 66 books of the Bible except walking on water.
(June 21st, 1998 Sunday service)

There is also some strange stuff about UFOs. Back in 1999 the BBC reported that a critical South Korean TV documentary on Jae-Rock was forced to postpone after his followers invaded the television station.

Now, ASSIST reports that Jae-Rock is planning a new “Miracle Healing Festival” in Düsseldorf, and this has inspired his assistant to make what must be the ministry’s most crass statement yet:

We have come to believe that God the Trinity wants the Manmin ministry to have a conference in Germany so that firstly, God wants to show his great love by giving a chance to German people who did something really bad towards His chosen people, the Jews, in the Second World War to repent before the return of Jesus Christ.

Yes, Germans are still all Nazis. They have done absolutely nothing to mend their ways since 1945, and it’s high time Jae-Rock got them to repent. Plus, the Germans didn’t just kill anyone, they killed people chosen by God, which is worse.

(More of Jae-Rock’s “evidence” for miraculous healings can be seen here)

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