Ernest Angley
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Ernest Angley
This is only peripherally related to magic, but . . .
"Faith Healer" Ernest Angley has died, age 99. He was pretty prominent in my youth (1970s or so). When I was in high school, a good friend of mine worked at the Grand Ole Opry house at Opryland. He came in one Monday morning talking about Angley's show the previous evening. He would have people on crutches, in wheelchairs, etc. brought up on stage, and he would lay hands on them and they could walk again. He would stand them up, sometimes with assistance, and whack them on the forehead, holler "Heal!", and then they would walk around. You may have seen Robin Williams parody him.
While I never watched him as anything other than a spectacle on TV, my friend told me that most of those he healed had arrived on the tour bus, and when they show was over, they got on it for the next city. And sure enough, if you watched from week to week, you could see the same people getting healed over and over.
"Faith Healer" Ernest Angley has died, age 99. He was pretty prominent in my youth (1970s or so). When I was in high school, a good friend of mine worked at the Grand Ole Opry house at Opryland. He came in one Monday morning talking about Angley's show the previous evening. He would have people on crutches, in wheelchairs, etc. brought up on stage, and he would lay hands on them and they could walk again. He would stand them up, sometimes with assistance, and whack them on the forehead, holler "Heal!", and then they would walk around. You may have seen Robin Williams parody him.
While I never watched him as anything other than a spectacle on TV, my friend told me that most of those he healed had arrived on the tour bus, and when they show was over, they got on it for the next city. And sure enough, if you watched from week to week, you could see the same people getting healed over and over.
Re: Ernest Angley
Interesting to note Angley's passing. When I first saw him on TV, I thought, (and others originally did the same) that I was watching some comic doing a parady/stereotype of a crude preacher/healer. Some I knew among the independent (i.e. unaccountable) media ministries, had nicknamed him, "Drag City", (their words not mine) noting his very affected manner in person and on-camera.
I remember someone who ran a gay bar telling me he learned that some were leaving his bar to go home on Sunday nights (not as many VCR's back then) to watch Angley, he was so outragious. ("WHO does he think he's fooling?!") The bar manager then announced they would always turn Angley's show on their TVs each Sunday, and many stayed. It became a shared ritual, (like when watching, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show.") when AS ONE, everyone in the bar would jump to their feet and parady Angley's speech and manner, forming a chorus line of would-be Angleys.
I remember someone who ran a gay bar telling me he learned that some were leaving his bar to go home on Sunday nights (not as many VCR's back then) to watch Angley, he was so outragious. ("WHO does he think he's fooling?!") The bar manager then announced they would always turn Angley's show on their TVs each Sunday, and many stayed. It became a shared ritual, (like when watching, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show.") when AS ONE, everyone in the bar would jump to their feet and parady Angley's speech and manner, forming a chorus line of would-be Angleys.
Re: Ernest Angley
If you google Angley, his ministry had declined in attendence/support in the last few years, as media reports of accusations/exposes of his sexual encounters with male members, resulted in news stories and lawsuits. Be interesting to see who does what with what's left of the ministry, or not, as more than a few are born (and buried) with it's founder.
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Re: Ernest Angley
Finally some good news.
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Re: Ernest Angley
His toupee lives on.
Re: Ernest Angley
Darn, I'd forgotten Angley. We used to watch him and Oral Roberts do their healing routines on a tiny little TV when I was a boy. They were a lot of weird fun, louder and odder than the contemporary faith healer Benny Hinn, who is too slick by half.
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Re: Ernest Angley
I had never heard of him, and I'm kinda of glad about it ...
Re: Ernest Angley
jason156 wrote:I had never heard of him, and I'm kinda of glad about it ...
Same here. This is certainly as much as I need to know.
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Re: Ernest Angley
Bill Duncan wrote:Finally some good news.
Necessary?
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Re: Ernest Angley
Steve,
Hell yes. I grew up with people he prayed upon. I can only hope they lived to see this.
Hell yes. I grew up with people he prayed upon. I can only hope they lived to see this.
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Re: Ernest Angley
Prayed and preyed.
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Re: Ernest Angley
Faith healers are still out there.
Re: Ernest Angley
While the faith healers on TV/online are known to some of the greater public, many have and do operate under the public radar, thru their religious organizations/sub-culture. Or use religious radio/TV, and other stations that target their desired demographic, that the public isn't mostly aware of. Because of this, much of the human wreckage of those who aren't healed, those who delay/avoid medical treatment, resulting in more serious conditions/death, isn't known. Some see (understandably) Angley as a source of derision/comedy, but the body count isn't known. They might tout those who are supposedly healed, but not the vast number who are not. One of the hardest things listening to, are sincere believers who ask, "Why wasn't I (or loved one) healed? We saw the others who were healed, why not me? I borrowed to give the money they asked for, live a good life, attend faithfully...what's wrong? Why didn't ___heal me?"
Re: Ernest Angley
I still live less than 8 blocks from the orginal Cathderal of Tomorrow and then sold the Angley. It still an active church and they still run rebroadcast of hi "healing" cursades. The people in the area have many stories to tell about the Humbard and Angley's. I think it is a sad state that these people can convince people to give up their life saving to them. Faith and hope is one thing but becoming a multi millionaire in the process is not one of things that should be happening.
Richard Hughes
www.hughesmagic.com
www.hughesmagic.com
Re: Ernest Angley
Richard,
The last years Angley was alive and news reports of his sexual actions were exposed, attendence was reported down to a few dozen. It seemed larger during and after his memorial services. Can you tell what attendence/activities look like now? As noted before, it will be interesting to see how those left in charge do...sometimes things go downhill when a founder/leader is gone, sometimes it goes uphill, if the founder/leader who was later a liability is no longer to be another reason to stay away.
The last years Angley was alive and news reports of his sexual actions were exposed, attendence was reported down to a few dozen. It seemed larger during and after his memorial services. Can you tell what attendence/activities look like now? As noted before, it will be interesting to see how those left in charge do...sometimes things go downhill when a founder/leader is gone, sometimes it goes uphill, if the founder/leader who was later a liability is no longer to be another reason to stay away.
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Re: Ernest Angley
Putting aside the more unseemly aspects alleged in regard to Angley's personal life, it would appear that, for a good long while, he was a very successful operator of an elaborate con game, not that far removed from a 3-card monte scam, shills and all.
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Re: Ernest Angley
This is a good spot to put in a plug for the movie "Leap of Faith".
Re: Ernest Angley
I saw the movie and the live musical with Brook Shields in L.A., before it's short run in NYC.
One factor is that I pointed out in a previous post is the human wreckage that isn't seen by most...those who believed, donated money, sometimes more than they could afford, and weren't healed, or their lives otherwise improved, left with "Why?". Those who got sicker or died because of timely medical attention being delayed in the interests of faith, aren't there in the service or make it on camera. Many accountable denominations, pentecostal and otherwise, avoid/discourage their congregations from attending/supporting some independent healing/blessing evangelists, because they leave a mess that they have to deal with, long after the healer/blesser is gone. ("But Pastor, why wasn't I healed?" "Why didn't God want to heal my husband?" "Why are we broke after donating our money to Rev. _____, when we were told we would prosper because of it?") It's more than just a con game for dollars, the damage in body counts and more, is what results.
One factor is that I pointed out in a previous post is the human wreckage that isn't seen by most...those who believed, donated money, sometimes more than they could afford, and weren't healed, or their lives otherwise improved, left with "Why?". Those who got sicker or died because of timely medical attention being delayed in the interests of faith, aren't there in the service or make it on camera. Many accountable denominations, pentecostal and otherwise, avoid/discourage their congregations from attending/supporting some independent healing/blessing evangelists, because they leave a mess that they have to deal with, long after the healer/blesser is gone. ("But Pastor, why wasn't I healed?" "Why didn't God want to heal my husband?" "Why are we broke after donating our money to Rev. _____, when we were told we would prosper because of it?") It's more than just a con game for dollars, the damage in body counts and more, is what results.
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Re: Ernest Angley
Perhaps a large part of his appeal was that he and his church accepted all denominations:
fives, tens, twenties, fifties, one hundreds...
fives, tens, twenties, fifties, one hundreds...