# I thought I had seen it all with religious shysters - but wow Peter Popoff ! Scum! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 22, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955 "2009-02-22T16:38:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/21 "2009-02-23T03:38:58Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > That’s a flatbread that they’re calling a “Miracle Manna Loaf,” isn’t it? Is that supposed to be what the miracle is? That it’s a flatbread and a loaf at the same time? Meh, couldn’t he just put the recipe up on his website like most people do nowadays? I mean, wouldn’t it be stale by the time it gets to you? (Besides, I’ll bet the “Miracle Spring Water” is just holy water he thiefs from the local Catholic Church-he probably just goes and siphons it out of the fonts when no one’s there) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/22 "2009-02-23T03:44:00Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I believe that you are talking about Dr. Gene Scott: > > [purgatorio1.com](http://purgatorio1.com/?p=102) > > I remember a comedian then said of him: Does this guy \*\*ever \*\*goes to the restroom? Is brother Guy Gobuster in the house? God is watching you, and He has told me you are constipated! He has told me you live in Arizona and have 6,370 posts! Are you ready? God come down and BURN the feces out of this man! Hallelujah! ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/23 "2009-02-23T03:54:35Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Is brother Guy Gobuster in the house? God is watching you, and He has told me you are constipated! He has told me you live in Arizona and have 6,370 posts! Are you ready? God come down and BURN the feces out of this man! > > Hallelujah! [I look at the open bag of sunflower seeds and the few seeds already in my hand and being munched] Too late preacher guy… Other nerds already showed me the secret for being more than regular a year ago. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/24 "2009-02-23T04:01:15Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (Besides, I’ll bet the “Miracle Spring Water” is just holy water he thiefs from the local Catholic Church-he probably just goes and siphons it out of the fonts when no one’s there) Why on earth would he go to that trouble and not just use tap water? ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/25 "2009-02-23T04:07:14Z")
My grandmother, when she was in her late eighties, took to watching these guys on TV. And she began sending them money. She would watch Popoff, especially, or that guy in the crystal palace, what the hell’s his name? - and she would start getting scared of hell and start crying. She was going to buy her way into heaven, I guess. Now, it’s true that my grandmother had a LOT of sins to be forgiven. An awful lot. I won’t bore you with the details, but she had been a very naughty woman for most of her long life. (The men, you know . . .) However, the sending money part led to worse: a couple of brutes from one of these outfits actually came to her door. This was a shock, I can tell you. And it does happen, more often than people think. Preying on the feeble and elderly must surely rank very high on the list of sins. I am as one with the poster above who wants Jesus to come and smack them down. But I daresay it’ll be a long wait. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/26 "2009-02-23T04:36:25Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > This dude sells\* Miracle Manna\*. It is by far the creepiest nutcase religious fanatic bullshit I have ever seen. The Miracle Manna is not all that effective, but the Miracle Spring water is really excellent for producing results. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/27 "2009-02-23T04:47:53Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > The Miracle Manna is not all that effective, but the Miracle Spring water is really excellent for producing results. Not if you hit it with a couple of [Miracle Absolution Tablets](http://www.campingsurvival.com/milwatpurtab.html) first. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/28 "2009-02-23T05:29:39Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > Using religion to prey on the gullible, the poor, the hurting. Isn’t that what religion is about? He’s just more obvious about it than others. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/29 "2009-02-23T05:50:14Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Why on earth would he go to that trouble and not just use tap water? Because then he’d have to pay the water bill-duh! 😉 (You’re no fun!) **vison** -you mean the Crystal Cathedral? [Robert Schuller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Schuller)’s “Hour of Power”? My family’s Catholic, and while yes, the church has its issues, to put it mildly, at least there have never been any annoying televangelists. Mother Angelica, aka the “Pirate Nun”, maybe. That’s about it. (EWTN can be traditionalist and reactionary, but I don’t recall anyone bilking little old ladies out of their life savings.) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/30 "2009-02-23T06:08:12Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > **vison** -you mean the Crystal Cathedral? [Robert Schuller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Schuller)’s “Hour of Power”? Friend of mine who used to attend the church calls it “The Crystal Cashbox.” And with good reason, too. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/31 "2009-02-23T06:16:22Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > My family’s Catholic, and while yes, the church has its issues, to put it mildly, at least there have never been any annoying televangelists. I don’t know – look up Bishop Sheen sometime. ---
**Author:** ![tirial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@tirial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tirial)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/32 "2009-02-23T06:47:00Z")
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxqRN5vjDHQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxqRN5vjDHQ) - another news report covering James Randi’s original debunk and what Peter Popoff’s done since… ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/33 "2009-02-23T07:56:32Z")
> [@vison](#): > > Preying on the feeble and elderly must surely rank very high on the list of sins. I am as one with the poster above who wants Jesus to come and smack them down. > > But I daresay it’ll be a long wait. It almost makes you wish that god was real, doesn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/34 "2009-02-23T08:05:54Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Oh, come on, Jack and Rexella are FUN! They are SO enthusiastic about the upcoming cataclysm! And they have (had? it’s been a while) Chuck Ohman, the Dom Pardo of televangelism voiceovers, that’s gotta count for something. > > Popoff OTOH is just… unbelievable that he’s still on. If it wasn’t for Jack and Rexella, I would never have known that King Juan Carlos of Spain is, in fact, the Antichrist. Well, maybe not anymore, but he was for a while in the '80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/35 "2009-02-23T08:10:23Z")
> [@3trew](#): > > If it wasn’t for Jack and Rexella, I would never have known that King Juan Carlos of Spain is, in fact, the Antichrist. > > Well, maybe not anymore, but he was for a while in the '80’s. I hesitate to ask lest the answer make my asplode through sheer idiocy exposure, but: why? ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/36 "2009-02-23T08:40:04Z")
It has been at least 20 years, so I’m short on details of the “reasoning”, but if you’re familiar with televangelism, populist North American cold war politics, and conspiracy theory you should recognize the style of argument and Multiple Superfluous Capitalization. The European Economic Community (as it then was) had a bunch of countries in it. The Great Beast of Revelation had a bunch of heads. Anything that calls itself a community must be Communist, and the Communists were going to launch their missiles any day now, which would bring about Judgment Day. Spain had just joined the EEC. They were the 11th nation to do so. As per Jack, the Book of Daniel says that the Antichrist will be the leader of the 11th nation to join the new Roman Empire. What else could the EEC be? A quick Googling of Juan Carlos Antichrist will lead you to far more than you ever wanted to know. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/37 "2009-02-23T08:41:53Z")
Thanks. I should have hesitated indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/38 "2009-02-23T12:36:04Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I believe that you are talking about Dr. Gene Scott: > > [purgatorio1.com](http://purgatorio1.com/?p=102) > > I remember a comedian then said of him: Does this guy \*\*ever \*\*goes to the restroom? Yes, that is the guy … When yuo are tired and half blasted, he is so amazingly funny=) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/39 "2009-02-23T13:02:06Z")
> [@3trew](#): > > The European Economic Community (as it then was) had a bunch of countries in it. The Great Beast of Revelation had a bunch of heads. Anything that calls itself a community must be Communist, and the Communists were going to launch their missiles any day now, which would bring about Judgment Day. Spain had just joined the EEC. They were the 11th nation to do so. As per Jack, the Book of Daniel says that the Antichrist will be the leader of the 11th nation to join the new Roman Empire. What else could the EEC be? > > A quick Googling of Juan Carlos Antichrist will lead you to far more than you ever wanted to know. The late 1970’s! I was there. The twelve-headed Beast! There was also something about the Chinese building a road to Tibet that would allow them to … (maybe build the rail line.) Or somthing. Whatever you, don;t accept the Mark of the Beast! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955/40 "2009-02-23T13:10:14Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > He sends it in a package with another envelope that says you need to send him money after you’ve eaten your all powerful saltines. Also, your name is now on a mailing list which he will use and use and use for various scammy efforts to get cash out of you. Mailing lists are probably the most valuable thing to anybody selling anything outside of a brick & mortar store. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-i-had-seen-it-all-with-religious-shysters-but-wow-peter-popoff-scum/486955.md?page=3)