I’ve delayed writing anything about the accusations against Georgia pastor Eddie Long, as it doesn’t seem there is anything redemptive that can be said about the sordid situation. Long was one of several people I had in mind when I wrote this column more than five years ago. Anyone with an ounce of discernment who has observed Long’s ministry could have seen this coming, as with nearly every moral failure among high-profile ministers that we’ve observed in the last few years.

Although the accusations against him have not yet been proven in court, the trajectory of a ministry characterized by false teaching, greed, manipulation, arrogance, lack of accountability, ethical ambiguity, etc. naturally leads to sexual immorality. Because both the American church and culture are fixated on sex, scandals like the one Eddie Long is facing attract morbid curiosity. However, this scandal is not about sex. We fumble around attempting to solve the “sex problem” in the church by setting up counseling programs, forcing pastors to take lie detector tests, initiating background checks, arranging accountability structures—anything to avoid having to address the root issue: idolatry.

When the treasure of Christ alone is replaced with the idols of religious activity, mystical encounters, superstar status, political power, financial prosperity, etc., God turns people over in judgment to their own affections. This is Romans 1:18-32 in action:

“… For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator …”

I wasn’t surprised when I read this article that cited a study revealing that, “when we fall under the spell of a charismatic figure, areas of the brain responsible for scepticism and vigilance become less active.”

The research used MRIs to examine the brains of believers and non-believers as they listened to pre-recorded prayers from someone posing as a faith healer. “Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer,” the study noted.

This research is just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine if scientists were to explore the effects of certain subtle keywords and phrases, musical stimuli or hearing someone speaking in tongues. From experience I can say I have sat through Christian events and accepted things being said—only to later evaluate them in a more neutral (and biblical) light and realize that I had been completely hoodwinked.

Often in these settings, music was being played in the background, statements were prefaced with phrases such as “The Bible says …” and “The Lord told me …” or the speaker was introduced as “a pastor of a great church” or “a man used mightily by God.” Of course, these are subtle—and mostly unintentional—cues that have become part of religious subcultures. However, in some settings, the manipulation is anything but subtle, as audiences are instructed to “shut down your mind” or “don’t question what God is doing.”

I’ve learned–sometimes the hard way–that any religious system that openly discourages discernment, critical thought or reflection and instead encourages us to evaluate truth based on our feelings and emotional responses should be avoided.

I would point out that this phenomena is not exclusive to flakey Christians. Have you ever sat through a visually-stunning film or listened to a moving musical performance, only to realize after the fact that you were manipulated into accepting the artist’s worldview by the aesthetic appeal of their art?

As you know, I’ve been following the Todd Bentley fiasco and attempting to reconcile the fact that people may be healed and miracles may happen in his services. How can he be a false prophet, if there is positive fruit in his ministry?

One explanation is that God is endlessly compassionate and responds to the sincere faith of His children, even when they are receiving ministry from someone on whom God’s calling and gifting no longer rest, because they have disqualified themselves through immorality or false doctrine.

But I think there’s a better explanation for Todd Bentley. We know that miraculous signs, healings and even professions of faith are very poor indicators of whether someone is a true prophet, because Scripture predicts that in the last days false prophets will perform miracles and deceive even the children of God (Mark 13:22).

Therefore, is it possible that signs, miracles and healings in Bentley’s ministry are being performed by the enemy for the purpose of validating the bad doctrine and lifestyle of a false teacher, so that weak believers may think that God does not care about morality, truth or righteousness?

Satan’s ultimate goal is not the destruction of bodies, so allowing a healing or miracle here and there is no big deal to him. His targets are much larger: the supremacy of God’s word, the sanctity of marriage and family—the building blocks of the church itself and a reflection of God’s own Trinitarian nature. If he can give people the impression that God is not particularly concerned when a man cheats on his wife, leaves his children and marries his girlfriend, he will gladly risk people being saved, delivered and even healed through that man’s ministry.

So, that’s my theory. Any takers?