Peter Popoff

Peter Popoff is a popular televangelist who has spent the majority of his career engaging in the controversial practice of faith healing. He has claimed that the power of God works through him to cure various ailments, and many of his stage performances have involved him working alleged "miracles" by laying his hands upon members of the audience.

In the 1980s Popoff was investigated by noted skeptic James Randi. Randi worked with popular TV host Johnny Carson to expose Popoff's methods on national television, and Popoff's popularity (and viewing audience) declined considerably as a result. His ministry declared bankruptcy in 1987, though he perservered and continues preaching to the present day.

Popoff's ability to know about his audience members ailments was part of his scheme (through the power of "Ja-hee-sus") This was accomplished by wearing an in-ear radio receiver listening to his wife, off stage, read from cards that the audience filled out before the show. Although Popoff was widely discredited as a fraudulent huckster, he has recently reappeared on late night television as a preacher.

Recommended reading: The Faith Healers by James Randi