Peter Popoff?

[Michael Moore]

Don't know if there has been much talk here about people out there who use techniques of magic & deception to con people out of money by claiming to have super natural powers, be able to talked to deceased loved ones, or sell you some water & call it "miracle" water that can solve all your life problems, people like Peter Popoff. For those that dont know, he is a faith healer who claims to be able to heal people with the power of God. The strange thin is, that even after being exposed as being a fake on TV numerous times, even by James Randi, yet his ministry is still striving. WTF?!! How? WHy? Why are there so many gullable people out there?? & how come no one has brought a law suit against this guy? & now, he's at it again by selling his "Miracle" bread, basically a saltine in a little baggy that can solve all your problems in life. I cant stand him, nor can I stand John Edwards. If there should be anybody the Masked Magician should be exposing, it should be these guys.

 

[lunatic core]

People who want to believe are the best at ignoring logical arguments. They don't have faith in the skeptics, so they don't listen. There will always be the faithfull, the skeptics, and the frauds.

 

[LuseifHo]

We have James Randi, Penn and Teller for exposing those hacks
and for Miracle Water.
It is 100% free. You just pay to show your faith as a donation to the church. The water itself is 100% free just not the faith.

 

[DannyT]

Main reason people fall for that stuff, is because they want to believe in it. They want to believe that some miracle water will solve all their problems instead of dealing with them themselves.
Why?
Because it's easier.
Many people wish to be rich.
Very few people do what they need to do in order to get there. (Get a job, go to college, work hard)


As to why don't these people get sued after being exposed?
I have no idea.

 

[DLeerium]

To put it simply.

Some people just want to believe. Regardless of what others say.

 

[Steerpike]

Why are there so many gullable people out there??

Marc Klaas wouldn't call it gullibility. He'd call it desperation and vulnerability.

Ever had cancer before? How about HIV? Ever had a child of yours abducted? I haven't. But I know or have seen people who have. And let me tell you something... you don't know emotional suffering until you've seen that.

When we're at our most vulnerable, a lot of crazy stuff starts sounding pretty attractive.

& how come no one has brought a law suit against this guy?

Most people who could either believe in him or are too embarrassed to admit having been conned. And they're the only ones who can file the lawsuit. None of us can because we have suffered no damage by his actions.

 

[RickEverhart]

I think Steerpike has hit the nail on the head.
Unless you have been someone who has been through something very traumatic I don't think you will understand how desperate people can get in these times. They are struggling and grasping for anything and everything that can help them... be it in a physical manner or to better them mentally. They truly want to believe that there is "something" out there that can help. Unfortunately....there are other people in our world who know this as well and profit from others misfortune.
Just my two cents. Not trying to offend anyone.

 

[lunatic core]

Alot of these people don't need tragic events to believe though. People tend to allow themselves to fancy this nonsense to make life seem entertaining, and the buisness of letting people buy into the paranormal rewards more than disproving it. Thats why so many of the hacks end up on Tv, and so many TV shoes have paranormal nonsense. People like fiction.

 

[RickEverhart]

Valid points as well lunatic. I agree.

 

[Michael Moore]

Well, my point is it is just plain wrong & unacceptable for these fakes to take advantage of vulnerable people who are at there worst in life, & slowing down any hope of real progress they might have if they were to just turn to real resources & solutions. So there should be more exposure TV specials on this subject , & targeted to the hopeless & desperate & try & encourage & educate them to not let there deperation overshadow ther good judgment & push that old saying of "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.". I thinkj an entire series could be made out of it, kind of like "The Hustle", yet anpther show with this simlar concept- here is how easy it us to be scammed/conned, than show how its done. & I know, alot of you will say no matter how many specials u could put out, there willl always be enough desperate people out there to keep guys like these going, & it will never go away. I wonder how Houdini would feel about it if he were alive today, since he exposed phony spirit mediums in his day.

 

[nexusmagic]

How is he taking advantage of anyone, people love to donate if they believe they will go to heaven or be healed. Religion is very powerful, just look at the loons who started the current war.
If you believe enough in something such as this man is so holy he can heal me, who are we to say that it isn't true?

Cons are suicide cults, these are real cons. One person convincing a massive amount of people to take there lives is criminal and in my opinion a real con. Popoff creates something powerful, Faith and Hope.

 

[lunatic core]

Actually these frauds can do some real damage beyond finacial problems. Kind of like gambling addiction doesn't just make somebody broke. These things ripple into the lives of loved ones, and can lead to bigger things.

 

[lunatic core]

Well, my point is it is just plain wrong & unacceptable for these fakes to take advantage of vulnerable people who are at there worst in life, & slowing down any hope of real progress they might have if they were to just turn to real resources & solutions. So there should be more exposure TV specials on this subject , & targeted to the hopeless & desperate & try & encourage & educate them to not let there deperation overshadow ther good judgment & push that old saying of "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.". I thinkj an entire series could be made out of it, kind of like "The Hustle", yet anpther show with this simlar concept- here is how easy it us to be scammed/conned, than show how its done. & I know, alot of you will say no matter how many specials u could put out, there willl always be enough desperate people out there to keep guys like these going, & it will never go away. I wonder how Houdini would feel about it if he were alive today, since he exposed phony spirit mediums in his day.

Tv is generally on the side of the believers. Skeptics are a minority and generally don't seem attracted to shows as well as the believers. Paranormal is big buisness, just like religion and fear. There is more money funding cancer than fighting it.

 

[Steerpike]

If you believe enough in something such as this man is so holy he can heal me, who are we to say that it isn't true?

You did not just say that.

Cons are suicide cults, these are real cons. One person convincing a massive amount of people to take there lives is criminal and in my opinion a real con. Popoff creates something powerful, Faith and Hope.

So if I were to be dying of some withering disease and in lieu of actual medical treatment that could save my life I instead went to a faith healer like Popoff, that would be okay? In fact, Popoff wouldn't be taking advantage of me, he would be heroically giving me Faith and Hope (TM)?

Amazing that people think waving the banner of faith somehow excuses the fact that in reality a eucharist and exorcisms are not medicine.

 

[Steerpike]

Tv is generally on the side of the believers. Skeptics are a minority and generally don't seem attracted to shows as well as the believers. Paranormal is big buisness, just like religion and fear. There is more money funding cancer than fighting it.

Also skeptics are a bit of a hard sell. We burn security blankets and slaughter the sacred cows. And we offer nothing to fill the void. Not even direction.

There is a solution, but not many people are willing to take it.

 

[Cliff|Bumgardner]

Though I believe this discussion is just moments away from going down the drain, I do wish to comment.

First, I don't quite understand where the discussion of skepticism came in here. There is nothing to be skeptical about. Popoff himself was debunked by James Randi years and years ago. He is a proven liar, charlatan and waste of protoplasm.

That said. I think that anyone who uses deception as a way to convince someone of a religion, belief, or false viewpoint and especially to make money off of said beliefs are disgraces to humanity and their so-called "beliefs".

If you believe in anything, whether it is that your shoe is god or whatever, good for you. Its not my place to stop you or talk against you. However, when you knowingly and purposefully deceive others to sway them to your beliefs and or make money off of them I believe you have no purpose on this earth. As a deceptionist myself, for entertainment purposes, it makes me sick.

C

 

[lunatic core]

Though I believe this discussion is just moments away from going down the drain, I do wish to comment.

First, I don't quite understand where the discussion of skepticism came in here. There is nothing to be skeptical about. Popoff himself was debunked by James Randi years and years ago. He is a proven liar, charlatan and waste of protoplasm.

That said. I think that anyone who uses deception as a way to convince someone of a religion, belief, or false viewpoint and especially to make money off of said beliefs are disgraces to humanity and their so-called "beliefs".

If you believe in anything, whether it is that your shoe is god or whatever, good for you. Its not my place to stop you or talk against you. However, when you knowingly and purposefully deceive others to sway them to your beliefs and or make money off of them I believe you have no purpose on this earth. As a deceptionist myself, for entertainment purposes, it makes me sick.

C

Yea, he WAS called out. He DID go bankrupt. However despite those facts his flim flam buisness is currently better than ever, and he is not alone. These frauds are actually getting more common.

 

[Steerpike]

Yea, he WAS called out. He DID go bankrupt. However despite those facts his flim flam buisness is currently better than ever, and he is not alone. These frauds are actually getting more common.

Part of the problem is as you pointed earlier: TV is giving them more attention.

These are tough times, and lots of people are offering solutions. And TV producers are all over that like androgyny on emo kids.

TruTV actually has a show all about psychic detectives and how great they supposedly are. Despite the fact that no psychic detective has ever done anything useful in solving a case. And before some rube gives me another feel-good platitude about how I can't disprove that they have powers, yes I can. That psychic detectives have never worked is a verifiable fact.

 

[nexusmagic]

just to clear up my post, I was speaking like there is no hope for a person. They have seeked out medical help only to have an incurable disease.
The cults, religion, whatever they all ask for money, they all provide Hope whether it be false or Truth.
Exposing it as fraud obviously doesn't do anything.

 

[Steerpike]

Exposing it as fraud obviously doesn't do anything.

Which is why I pointed out there is something that skeptics can do. It's just few of them are willing to do it. The names I can think of that would include Penn and Teller and Michael Shermer.