Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn (born 3 December 1952) is a Palestinian-born American evangelist and faith healer who heads a worldwide television ministry centered on his claims of channeling miraculous healing powers. The veracity of his healing claims, and the material wealth he personally enjoys at the alleged expense of his donors, has made him one of the more controversial personalities in religious broadcasting.
Known as "Pastor Benny" to his friends and "con man" to almost everyone else, he hosts regular "Miracle Crusades" held in major cities around the world, at which thousands of people with ailments ranging from cancer to HIV to physical disfigurement come in the hope that God will heal them through Benny. The highly-choreographed spectacles are broadcast on Benny's TV show This Is Your Day and religious broadcasting networks like TBN.
But despite Benny's loyal following, no evidence exists that any of the miracles that are aired on his show are genuine. Many investigative news programs have looked into his claims and checked up on people that he implied were cured through his Healing Hands, only to find that they later died of disease. Not surprisingly, he has become a polarizing figure in U.S. Christianity, with all but a small group of Pentecostals condemning him.
Is known outside religious circles as an inspiration for Steve Martin's performance as Jonas Nightengale in Leap of Faith.
This program contains examples of:
- Catchphrase: Calling his viewers "precious saints."
- Corrupt Church: On top of questions about his alleged powers and his wealth, strange statements made by Benny early in his career — about how Adam was a "superbeing" who flew to the Moon and how thousands of dead people would return to life after watching TBN — have fueled this perception.
- Healing Hands: Benny often holds up his hands when he is supposedly channeling God's power, especially when he "slays in the spirit."
- I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!: One of the preachers of the spurious "drunk in the Spirit" teaching used in Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
- Karma Houdini: Despite clear evidence that Benny's healing powers are bogus, or more charitably, that he's not as successful a healer as he claims to be at the very least, no proper government agency has successfully investigated Benny and people are still lured to his Miracle Crusades.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: "Benny" is short for his middle name, Benedictus.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Some of Hinn's more bizarre statements (such as the one about Adam being a superhuman capable of flight and his teaching that there was a Trinity inside a Trinity {"...there's nine of them"}) are examples of this.
- You're Just Jealous: Invokes this kind of response among his fandom in regard to his critics.
