Did anyone watch the interview on Enough Rope this week with ex-Hillsong member Tanya Levin? What are your responses and thoughts on watching this? Have you read her book that has just come out?
However, the fact that she's turned up on Enough Rope, A Current Affair and 702 breakfast radio all within a few days, just when she happens to have a book launch on, makes me very suspicious of her motives. I smell a publicist.
Update: …and a full-page spread in today’s Australian. Someone is certainly milking this for all it’s worth.
Does Hillsong publish any books or do any fundraising?
How can you even say that she compares to their revenue raising activities.
If anything - the whole issue with Hillsong is how they are focussed on money and propserity. [Not to mention the disgusting things I've heard about focussing on looks and discriminating against ugly or fat people]
I'm neither a Hillsong basher or supporter, but there have been many questions raised.
In fact this issue is an issue for every single Australian Tax Payer.
The minute they remove their Tax Exempt status, the minute I say more power to them! None of my business. But they continue to have all Australians fund their lavish lifestyles.
Good question. And one Christian leaders of all colours should be asking a lot more often.I wonder what a poor carpenter's son from 200 years ago would have thought about this?
I wonder what a poor carpenter's son from 200 years ago would have thought about this?
This is very easily done in the AOG church as the leadership system is based on the American corporate structure. People look for a strong leader. When two AOG evangelists were fighting each other then other AOG churches wanted to distance themselves from it. They looked for a strong leader and Hillsong was it which is why you now have Hillsong churches rather than just a conference by the name of Hillsong and Hillsong churches in other states of Aus as well as in other countries.
Then there is the problem of how Brian Houston is able to rule Hillsong, indeed the whole AoG, like a dictator. People who dare cross Brian, or even show mild dissent, are crushed. Look at what happened to Geoff Bulllock. Look at what happened to the former head of Hillsong's bible school. Indeed, so powerful in Christian circles has Brian become (mainly because of his money, and boy does money talk) that only a few select individuals like Tim Costello dare speak out against him.
So were you actually there when this happened? Did you follow them out to find out that they refused to allow her to get her handbag and also hear that they refused to get it for here? Or are you just going on gossip?Hillsong reminds me a lot of my ex-church - abusive and destructive in equal measure. It was also Pentecostal and obsessed with money. The way Hillsong's Storm Troopers (euphemistically aka 'security guards') threw Ms Levin out of the building when she had done nothing wrong and wouldn't even allow her to collect her handbag from inside was disgusting.
In summary, "People In Glass Houses" was a profoundly disturbing book. It was painful for me to read through it - it saddens me and angers me to realise that a lot of churches do more harm than good. I am currently in 'rehabilitation' in a Baptist church. For Ms Levin the pain was too great and she is now outside the church. I can hardly blame her.
One of the distinguishing features of 'toxic Christianity' (as Ms Levin describes it) is guilt manipulation. And prosperity theology - which is just greed dressed up to look spiritual - is another feature.Prosperity Gospel. Manipulation. Grrr. Those are my thoughts on Hillsong.
I missed the interview I am on the lookout for the book though. Wonder if Kmart has it....