ideologyhunter
Contributor
The Akron Beacon Journal just ran a series on Ohio's most flamboyant televangelist, Ernest Angley. If you've ever seen him, you haven't forgotten him. He's the faith healer with the glued-on toupee who cures the deaf and dumb by pulling at the sides of their faces and loudly commanding them to "Say Jay-zuss!!" or "Say Bay-bee!!"
Among other things, the ex-communicants who talked to the ABJ claim that Angley urged abortions on some members (the stated rationale being that he didn't want these members to devote their time to new babies, but rather to his ministry -- that part sounds too strange to be true) and counseled men to seek vasectomies, after which he would personally inspect their genitals to check that the procedure had been done. And horror of horrors, they're claiming he's gay.
Angley is so weird in demeanor and speech and doctrine that I have no idea if the accusations are true. Anyone who would look at this guy and decide to seek truth and wisdom in his organization has a different set of assumptions than I have. His followers have to be strange just to be there. "Say Bay-Bee!!"
My favorite Ernest Angley moment (and he was always mesmerizing to watch) came back in the 80s, when some mother brought in her deaf son to be healed. Angley worked on him, trying to get the child to speak, and finally said to the mother, "Is he dumb?" and she replied, "Oh, no, he's very smart!"
Among other things, the ex-communicants who talked to the ABJ claim that Angley urged abortions on some members (the stated rationale being that he didn't want these members to devote their time to new babies, but rather to his ministry -- that part sounds too strange to be true) and counseled men to seek vasectomies, after which he would personally inspect their genitals to check that the procedure had been done. And horror of horrors, they're claiming he's gay.
Angley is so weird in demeanor and speech and doctrine that I have no idea if the accusations are true. Anyone who would look at this guy and decide to seek truth and wisdom in his organization has a different set of assumptions than I have. His followers have to be strange just to be there. "Say Bay-Bee!!"
My favorite Ernest Angley moment (and he was always mesmerizing to watch) came back in the 80s, when some mother brought in her deaf son to be healed. Angley worked on him, trying to get the child to speak, and finally said to the mother, "Is he dumb?" and she replied, "Oh, no, he's very smart!"
