Pastor Michael Guglielmucci has shocked his flock of faithful at the Edge Church International in Australia that he is not dying from cancer and that he used the fraud to hide a 16-year addiction to pornography. Guglielmucci is internationally known for his hit song, Healer.
The minister explained in an interview that “[t]his is who I am … I’m addicted to the stuff, it consumes my mind … I’m sick and this is why I had to come up some sort of explanation of what was happening in my body.”
He says that his loss of hair and constant vomiting were physical reactions to the addiction — a curious notion. He says that he not only lied to his congregation with falsified emails from non-existent doctors but to his own family, including his father who founded the church. For a video of Guglielmucci discussing his cancer, click here.
There remains the question of criminal fraud and possible civil liability for Guglielmucci.
Guglielmucci was something of a religious sensation after he wrote the hit song Healer that has become popular worldwide. For a video of his playing the song, click here. It is a rather limited piece, but notable for its chorus: “I trust in You” — a reference clearly to the Almighty and not the Minister.
rsWypU http://dy5Ndo9BsL1vpVv5kqsUh.com
This is so sad, but a good reminder to myself. It is easy to forget your own recovery, and begin helping others. But the ultimate point is helping yourself first.
They don’t hand out oxygen tubes like candy. They hand out oxygen tubes if you start desatting. I refuse to believe that masturbating will make you desat. Erectile dysfunction, maybe. Desatting, no. If watching beautiful women gives him heart attacks, then . . . well, that’s awfully peculiar, and he’s an idiot. Unless I am misunderstanding what you mean by oxygen tube.
Jill: Couldn’t he still buy the farm if he really had cancer?
D’oh! Why didn’t I think of that?
scott and Mirele,
That is interesting additional info and analyis. I personally feel there is only one “right purpose” in pretending to have cancer–closing the deal in real estate.
Hillsong, Guglielmucci’s music publisher, has had every version of “Healer” featuring Guglielmucci pulled off YouTube due to copyright. Why, you might ask? Because these videos show Guglielmucci with an oxygen tube up his nose.
Oddly enough, none of the homegrown “Healer” videos have been yanked, which is what you might have expected from the music publisher if they were so very concerned about copyright.
I’ve posted my own video regarding this remarkable state of affairs, and have managed to get a few hundred comments from the faithful. Most of them are pissed off that I’ve put up the video and I should take it down so that Mike G. can “heal.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytp0snHXj1M
The great irony of all this is that Hillsong Church, Planetshakers, Edge Church (Guglielmucci’s father’s church) and the Australian Christian Church (former Australian Assemblies of God) all claim to have special gifts from the Holy Spirit, including the gift of discernment. I guess the Holy Spirit was on vacation. I don’t think any of these people knew what Mike Guglielmucci was up to, however. But the actions of Hillsong in the aftermath indicate to me that they’re trying to cover up so that their discernment is not questioned.
There’s another interesting legal tangent to this story, in that the publisher, Hillsong Church, has been issuing DMCA takedowns of copies of the song found on youtube, an issue I discuss on my blog here: http://realitybasedcommunity.net/archive/2008/08/hillsong_misuse.php
Wow, that’s scarey, but I get the sense that this is all about an excuse for lack of self control – although the amount of self control these guys seem to need is horrendous. (and we’re pervs for even talking about it)
Well, I guess we shouldn’t be too upset.
After all, some religions actually slaughter animals like Chickens for example, which can be quite gruesome.
He was merely “choking his chicken”.
Thanks and hello to you palindrome. I think it’s the commuincations. Used to be the rum demon, now it’s the porn demon. My question is was he visted by inncubi or succubi because one of those may mean he’s gay.
“Incubus and succubus are real. … The following article on Incubus and Succubus is consistent with what I know about lustful devils and I believe it may be …
http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/incubus.htm“
Good one, Jill. Are these people getting crazier or is communications technology getting better?
“Healer” was a cry for help. His ultra platinum single will be a remake of Helen Reddy’s “I Am Porn-O”.