Eric's Beijing Diary

This evening, I happened to watch a CBC documentary on Benny Hin. I don't know why I watched it--I knew it was going to make me sick to my stomach. You know, since I came to China, I have been pretty critical of religious groups (mainly Buddhist sects) that are seeking to cash in on religion. But no one in the history of the human race has used God to make money more than the Americans. And lest I focus unfairly on Benny Hinn, it should be noted that he is not the only one who has found a way to turn religion into a very lucrative business. Here is a report of compensation packages for contemporary religious leaders. In fairness, I should say that the report is (perhaps deliberately) a little misleading because it does not distinguish between salary and benefits. Sometimes companies give benefits packages (insurance and retirement) which, although quite costly, do not really increase the disposable income of the employee. Nevertheless, I think it is clear that serving God is big business in America. We can only hope and pray that China does not adopt American style religious freedom.