The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Auckland, New Zealand has found the cure for damn near everything: “tumours, mental illness, stomach and bladder problems, marriage difficulties, strokes and heart defects.”

Their cure: Olive oil.

Don’t believe it, you say? Well, the oil was “blessed” in Israel… and it’s magical now. So there!

When pushed by the Herald for evidence, Bishop Victor Silva said the oil could not cure illness. Using it was an act of faith, he said, and faith could help in the restorative process. However, the eight-page newsletter distributed in the mail drop claimed the oil had helped to fix people in situations where doctors had been unsuccessful. “The Holy Oil was chosen by God as an instrument of faith to heal the sick,” the newsletter said.

Last night, at a heavily-promoted mass faith-healing event, we saw clear evidence of the snake olive oil working:

Minutes after Bishop Victor Silva called on Jesus to cast out “the spirit of sickness” causing pain to the lives of the hundreds of people packed into the “holy oil” service in Auckland yesterday, a young man was helped on to the stage claiming his sight had been improved. Gaby Dean, 27, who said he had been blind since birth, told the crowded Vodafone Events Centre he could now distinguish the lights on the ceiling. His testimony was met by a loud round of applause.

Of course, people who are various degrees of blind can still distinguish light… and the lights on stage at a major venue like that are likely *way* brighter than the lights you would have, say, at home, and there were no doctors on hand to verify that Dean’s eyesight was now functional… but there I go again, looking for evidence of a huckster’s claims…

Oh, by the way,

Bloomberg says the Brazilian founder of the church, Edir Macedo, has become a billionaire from the tithes of his followers.

I’m sure he was just anointed with olive oil. There can’t possibly be another explanation.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to David for the link)



