Selling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal: Hertenstein, Mike, Trott, Jon: 9780940895072: Amazon.com: Books (original) (raw)
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A Must Read!
This is a book that was well researched and written on Mike Warnke. After receiving some tips that Mike might be lying about his testimony Mike & Jon from Cornerstone Magazine, launched an investigation. What they found was disturbing. This book was published after their original article and so it gives a lot more detailed information. It is well researched and well written. It amazes me that Mike can even say it's not true when it is so filled with facts. He has yet to share any evidence as to what he says is true. This book is a must read for those who have ever purchased a Mike Warnke product, financially supported his ministry or seen him in concert. People need to know that they have been lied to and swindled.On the whole debate that is going on here, I do believe that Mike deserves our forgiveness and I have forgiven him but what people need to realize is that those who have supported him, have a right to be angry and need to process that and work through it. I have still chosen to listen to Mike's material since I still find it funny. He does have a lot of good things to share and I am able to separate the good and leave the rest.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
This book was difficult to find, and I am so glad I found it. It was worth the price I paid for it, and if you happen to get a copy, and you know anything about either fundamentalist Christianity (I was raised in it) or the 80's Satanism scare, you will think this book is worth the price, too.
This is the story of a man who made himself famous for telling lies. And he wasn't in office. He convinced Christians he was a former Satanist and he told the other believers all manner of things they still believe today. But it wasn't based on any facts. Warnke simply made claims. Now he's trying to come back on the Christian comedy circuit. But you know what they say; once a liar, always a liar.
I'm not here complaining because he doesn't know (or care) the difference between actual Satanists and harmless earth-worshippers (who mostly do benign magick). That's not the point. The point is that there's no foundation for anything he says at all.
This is not his book, merely an investigation into and about him. But well worth reading. Christians, read this book because your powers of discernment are terrible. Facts are what you need to make decisions, not faith. And non-Christians, read it, because this kind of fraud will work almost as well on you if the subject is right, and because what you don't know can in fact hurt you (in this case, how easy it is to get people to believe whoppers).
I had no idea he had contact with so many people involved in Christian 'ministries', such as John and Vicki Jo Witty, who are a pair of Christian entertainers, or Marilyn Hickey, who teaches and elucidates the Bible, or at least she did the last I knew of her television program. And his association with Melodyland just blew me away.
Just read the book.
One person found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2006
But this one was that only one to my knowledge! What an incredible book. Not only did the authors do their research (which is absolutely awesome to do before they made public accustations) but they also gave the dude a chance to come out with the info himself! My sixth grade teacher used to let us listen to his stuff in class during free time. I was a huge Warnke fan. Then the "stuff" hit the fan. I was very angry and obviously extremely skeptical about any "Christian" comedy or entertainment product or artist. My favorite comedian is still the late Mitch Hedberg, but a guy named Daren Streblow changed my view of Christian comedians. I watced a demo of his for the first time in 2004. I couldn't believe how good it was. He was at a CLUB! Doing a great set! I also got to see him perform at Zanies. Thank God that some people take the craft that seriously. And that is comedy. Not Witch Craft. Warnke didnt even take THAT seriously. You know what though...after I checked out his new website and emailed them for some more info, explaining how much i liked his stuff when I was younger, something just broke down inside of me. I am not any better than he is. Where would i be if others hadn't forgiven me and welcomed me back into their lives? I tell you this much...I would go see Warnke perform. I would pay for the ticket. If he still has the comedic talent...I would buy a DVD.
16 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2015
Although it focuses almost entirely on Warnke, the book spends that effort examining the minutiae of his life--where he lived, who he lived with, what he drove, etc--instead of focusing on the entire reason anyone knows the name "Mike Warnke" at all: his claims of Satanism. Rather than an expose of Warnke's lies and the (evangelical) media's mindless trumpeting of those lies, this is instead more a history of evangelical music and small press from the 60s to the 90s. In addition to the tedious fact that the authors write about themselves in the third person and even inject their politics in some situations that have nothing to do with Warnke, I find myself slogging through pages and pages of discussions about who got their feelings hurt, or who was cheating on whom. This is not why I bought the book, and not what I was expected. I was looking for a detailed accounting of Warnke's claims with a thorough debunking of them. Instead, I get Walter Middy without the exciting parts.
16 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2011
This is a book that was well researched and written on Mike Warnke. After receiving some tips that Mike might be lying about his testimony Mike & Jon from Cornerstone Magazine, launched an investigation. What they found was disturbing. This book was published after their original article and so it gives a lot more detailed information. It is well researched and well written. It amazes me that Mike can even say it's not true when it is so filled with facts. He has yet to share any evidence as to what he says is true. This book is a must read for those who have ever purchased a Mike Warnke product, financially supported his ministry or seen him in concert. People need to know that they have been lied to and swindled.
On the whole debate that is going on here, I do believe that Mike deserves our forgiveness and I have forgiven him but what people need to realize is that those who have supported him, have a right to be angry and need to process that and work through it. I have still chosen to listen to Mike's material since I still find it funny. He does have a lot of good things to share and I am able to separate the good and leave the rest.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2011
This is a book that was well researched and written on Mike Warnke. After receiving some tips that Mike might be lying about his testimony Mike & Jon from Cornerstone Magazine, launched an investigation. What they found was disturbing. This book was published after their original article and so it gives a lot more detailed information. It is well researched and well written. It amazes me that Mike can even say it's not true when it is so filled with facts. He has yet to share any evidence as to what he says is true. This book is a must read for those who have ever purchased a Mike Warnke product, financially supported his ministry or seen him in concert. People need to know that they have been lied to and swindled.
On the whole debate that is going on here, I do believe that Mike deserves our forgiveness and I have forgiven him but what people need to realize is that those who have supported him, have a right to be angry and need to process that and work through it. I have still chosen to listen to Mike's material since I still find it funny. He does have a lot of good things to share and I am able to separate the good and leave the rest.
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13 people found this helpful