Christian evangelists are forced to take down claim that ‘God TV’ has stopped ALL suicides in Aboriginal communities after a dark discovery
- God TV is a televangelist service set up in many indigenous communities
- Christian missionaries claimed the network has put an end to Aboriginal suicide
- But locals say the claims are untrue and exploit local Aboriginal people
- In one town, there have been two deaths by suicide since the start of the year
The director of an evangelistic Christian television channel has taken down a claim that the network had stopped all suicides in troubled Aboriginal communities.
God TV is part of Instal-Life Christian TV, a televangelist service that has been set up on televisions in many indigenous communities in the Kimberly region of Western Australia.
Missionaries featured in fundraising material for the network boasted that suicides in the remote communities had stopped as a result of Christian TV, despite a number of suicide and self-harm incidences this year alone.
‘The Instal-Life team know that installing Christian TV is changing lives. As far as we know, there has NOT been one suicide in any community that we have installed,’ they said.
God TV is part of Instal-Life Christian TV, a televangelist service that has been set up on televisions in many indigenous communities in the Kimberly region of Western Australia
‘The youth suicide seems to have stopped & we look forwards to the positive reports into the future of LIVES transformed, HOPE provided & the HOLY SPIRIT filling the people.’
The company made the powerful claims while fundraising for a mission to install the network in indigenous towns in far-north Queensland.
But locals say these claims are untrue and exploit the plight of Aboriginal people.
Community members have taken their own lives and self-harmed in towns where Christian TV has been installed.
In one town, there have been two deaths by suicide since the start of the year.
Co-chair of the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre Gordon Marshall said despite its popularity, the network wasn’t putting an end to suicide.
‘Some people like God TV because if they’re Christian, it helps them stay sober and stay healthy,’ he told the ABC.
‘But it’s not stopping suicide. I think it’s a bit false, and people thinking about funding it should be doing a bit more research to find out for themselves if it’s true.’
Director of God TV Australasia Wayne Knapman said the company didn’t know about the suicide count, and thought the claim was true.
The network has since removed the statement from its promotion material.
Missionaries behind the network claimed suicides in Aboriginal communities stopped as a result of Christian TV, despite a number of suicide and self-harm incidences this year alone
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