Forbes’s Unprofessional Behavior: Six Years After Publishing Misinformation on Brazilian Televangelist Silas Malafaia Before Its U.S. and International Audience, Forbes Retracts — Only Before Its Brazilian Audience

By Julio Severo

Through its largest outlet, which reaches a massive U.S. and international audience, Forbes misrepresented a Brazilian televangelist in 2013. Then, 6 years later, realizing that its information on the minister was exaggerated and unfair, Forbes used its smaller Brazilian outlet, far away from the U.S. and international audiences, to apologize.

Silas Malafaia

The victim was Pastor Silas Malafaia.

Forbes’s small apology, translated by me from Portuguese, was:

CLARIFICATION NOTE

May 3, 2019

On January 18, 2013 a report was published on our website entitled “Bishop Edir Macedo is the richest pastor in Brazil with a fortune of $ 950 million — Leader of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is ahead of Valdomiro Santiago and Silas Malafaia.”

The mentioned report contained information that Pastor Silas Malafaia had estimated assets of US$ 150 million.

Thus, in the face of allegation that the publication of the report at the time would have caused displeasure in Pastor Silas Malafaia, since his patrimony in fact, according to him, allegedly corresponds to only 3% of the amount quoted in the article, according to official documents that he has allegedly voluntarily made available, FORBES, historically committed to ascertaining the truth of facts, regrets what happened and seizes the opportunity to offer excuses to Pastor Silas Malafaia.

Forbes’s apology referred to its Portuguese report and forgot mentioning that Forbes’s main misrepresentation was in English, in a 2013 report titled “The Richest Pastors In Brazil,” which said:

Religion has always been a profitable business. And if you happen to be a Brazilian evangelical preacher, chances of hitting a heavenly jackpot are actually pretty high these days. Even though Brazil remains the world’s largest Catholic country, with about 123.2 million of its population of approximately 191 million defining themselves as followers of the Vatican-based church, the latest census figures pointed to a strong decline among the ranks of Roman Catholics, who now account for 64.6% of the country’s population–down from 92% in 1970.

Meanwhile, the number of Protestant evangelicals has soared from 15.4% of Brazil’s population just a decade ago to 22.2%, or 42.3 million people. It’s likely that the downward trend for Catholicism will continue and it’s estimated that by 2030, Catholics will represent less than 50% of Brazilian churchgoers.

So why are evangelicals taking over Brazil’s religious scene?

One of the evangelicals’ most appealing qualities is their belief that material progress results from God’s favor. While Catholicism still preaches a very conservative look to an afterlife instead of earthly riches, evangelicals–especially the ‘neo-Pentecostal’ ones–are taught that it’s all right to be prosperous. This doctrine, known as ‘Prosperity Theology,’ is in the foundation of the most successful evangelical churches in Brazil.

The value of material progress in Brazil’s evangelicalism is explicit and actively promoted…

Then there’s Silas Malafaia, the former leader of the Brazilian arm of the Assembly of God, Brazil’s biggest Pentecostal church. The most outspoken of his colleagues, Malafaia parted ways with the institution in the late 1990s to start his own spin-off denomination, the Assembly of God-Victory In Christ Church. Malafaia is constantly involved in controversies related to the gay community in Brazil, of which he proudly declares himself to be the biggest nemesis. The supporter of a law that could classify homosexualism as a disease in Brazil, Malafaia is also a prominent figure on Twitter, where he is followed by more than 440,000 users. In 2011, Malafaia–who’s worth an estimated $150 million according to several Brazilian business publications–launched a campaign called “The One Million Souls Club,” that aims to raise $500 million (R$ 1 billion) for his church in order to create a global television network that would be broadcast in 137 countries. Those interested in contributing to the campaign can donate sums starting at $500 (R$ 1,000), that can be paid in installments. In exchange, donors will receive a book. Malafaia also owns one of the four biggest record companies in Brazil’s gospel segment, according to Billboard Brasil, and the country’s second largest gospel publishing company, Central Gospel, with sales of a reported $25 million (R$ 50 million) per year.

Forbes inaccurately published information that Malafaia had a fortune of about $150 million, when actually he has just 3% of that amount.

Only after many years Forbes accepted the truth, because according to Malafaia’s website Vitória em Cristo, “With official documents, Pr. Silas Malafaia proved, in court, that the value of his patrimony corresponds to 3% of the amount quoted in the article.” So it was judicially proven that Malafaia had just 3%. It is proven truth.

The problem is that Forbes apologized only in regard to its report in Portuguese, which had a smaller audience, not to its original English report, which had a massive audience.

For example, Christianity Today, in a 2013 report titled “List of Richest Pastors in Brazil Prompts White House Petition,” mentioned Malafaia according to Forbers’s misinformation. Christianity Today, which is one of the leading Protestant magazines in the U.S., has never apologized to Malafaia and, considering that there is no English apology of Forbes available, it will be unlikely to apologize.

In Brazil, the consequence of the misinformation was also devastating. Coincidentally or not, the Brazilian version of Christianity Today, Cristianismo Hoje, targeted Malafaia in a long 2013 report titled “Malafaia: A quem ele representa?” (Malafaia: Whom does he represent?) immediately after the Forbes report, according to GospelMais, one of the most prominent Protestant websites in Brazil, in its 2013 report “Malafaia não me representa” (Malafaia Does Not Represent Me).

Brazilian Calvinist outlets exploited the Forbes report to increase their attacks on Malafaia. Calvinist Facebook page Bereanos launched a campaign that Malafaia does not represent Brazilian evangelicals.

Calvinist minister Renato Vargens, interviewed by Cristianismo Hoje on Malafaia, seized the opportunity to note: “This has contributed to an unnecessary belligerence between civil society and the Church. So his errors, unfortunately, eventually affect all evangelicals.” He meant Malafaia’s conservative activism, which includes open stances against abortion and the homosexual agenda. Malafaia has been the more forthright evangelical voice in Brazil defending pro-family and pro-life values, even in prominent TV shows.

Vargens and other Brazilian Calvinists consider Malafaia’s message “heretical.” In fact, Vargens said clearly in Cristianismo Hoje that Malafaia’s teaching is “heretical.”

Now that Forbes published an apology in Portuguese to Malafaia, will the Brazilian version of Christianity Today produce an equal long report apologizing to him?

Will Calvinists leaders and outlets that exploited the Forbes report to attack Malafaia publish their apologies?

Yet, Forbes should now publish an apology in English too, because its original report was in English.

After Forbes publishes its apology in English, will Christianity Today publish an apology in English too?

Forbes was unprofessional by publishing inaccurate information that eventually strengthened left-wing and Protestant voices that hate Malafaia’s message, values and stances. For a publication as Christianity Today, to redistribute such misinformation is not only unprofessional. It is unchristian too.

A retraction from the original source and its secular and Protestant redistributors is long overdue.

Portuguese version of this article: Comportamento não profissional da revista Forbes: Seis anos depois de publicar informações errôneas sobre o televangelista Silas Malafaia diante de sua audiência americana e internacional, a Forbes se retratra — somente diante de sua audiência brasileira

Source: Last Days Watchman

Recommended Reading on Silas Malafaia:

Brazilian televangelist Silas Malafaia says that it is just ridiculous to discard evangelicals to credit Bolsonaro’s victory to astrologer Olavo de Carvalho

Supported by Evangelicals Angry with the Left and Its Anti-Family Attacks, Jair Bolsonaro Is Elected Brazilian President

Right Wing Watch, of People for the American Way, Attacks Jair Bolsonaro: “U.S. Right Helps, Cheers Rise of Brazilian Authoritarian”

Evangelicals Can Put a Right-Wing Candidate in Brazil’s Presidency

Why Judge Silas Malafaia?

Putin, the Most Powerful Man in the World

By Julio Severo

Forbes has named Vladimir Putin (Russia), Angela Merkel (Germany), Barack Obama (U.S.) and Pope Francis (the Vatican) in its latest “World’s Most Powerful People” list.

According to WND (WorldNetDaily),

“Putin was named the world’s most powerful last year, and the year before as well. To compile the list, Forbes considered four areas: whether the person had power over lots of people; the level of financial resources the person controlled; whether the person was powerful in more than one area; and whether the person actively used his or her power. A panel of editors ranked the candidates separately, and then those with the highest scores were placed on the list. ‘Putin emerged as the world’s most powerful person for the third year running,’ the news outlet wrote.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin had huge disadvantages to take the top spot on Forbes. He has been vilified in the Western world because he has gone against the homosexual tsunami promoted by Obama and his administration. In fact, the Western culture seems obsessed about promoting homosexual propaganda, especially about how to impose it on children.

Conversely, Putin has passed a ban against homosexual propaganda on children — a ban praised by Rev. Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, but condemned by Obama and other Western leaders. So it is no wonder that Putin was named “Person of the Year” in 2014 by The Advocate, the oldest homosexual magazine in the U.S. He was portrayed as the number 1 enemy of homosexual militants around the world just because he protected Russian children from homosexualists and their harmful propaganda.

The Russian opposition to the gay agenda has been a powerful motivation for Obama and his allies to fight Putin. In fact, Rev. Scott Lively has warned: “Obama Orchestrated Ukraine Coup to Re-Start Cold War and Prevent Russia from Leading Global Revolt Against LGBT Agenda.”

The Ukrainian crisis, ignited by George Soros and U.S. neocons, has been a convenient U.S. tool against Putin and his international image.

So how did Putin manage to reach the top stop on Forbes?

One reason, I suspect, is his warm relationship with Israel and the Jews. While Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s new media chief has called Obama anti-Semitic (a characterization denied by the Netanyahu administration, not because it is false, but because he does not want problems with the haughty emperor Obama and his empire), Putin’s attitude toward Israel and the Jews have been far away from anti-Semitism.

Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu

Writing in the Israel newspaper Jerusalem Post, Isi Leibler said about Putin:

There are no rational explanations for Putin’s extraordinary attitude toward Jews, which some have gone as far as to describe as being motivated by philo-Semitism. Some say he was influenced as a youngster by his Jewish German teacher, Mina Yuditskaya, now living in Israel and whom Putin invited for a social chat to the King David Hotel during his last visit.

He may also be highly sophisticated and pragmatic, and having seen the outcome of Soviet anti-Semitism, may have come to a realization that Jewish support would represent an asset at many levels.

Putin has ruthlessly suppressed violent anti-Semitism. He has gone out of his way to attend Jewish functions, such as the opening of a Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow, to which he contributed $50 million of state funds and even symbolically personally donated a month’s salary.

He also attended Hanukka celebrations and conveyed warm messages of praise and goodwill to Jews on the advent of the Jewish New Year – utterly unprecedented, especially from a nationalist Russian leader.

It is also astonishing that, despite his strategic involvement and alliance with the Syrians and Iranians, Putin has determinedly kept the channels to Israel open, making a point to personally visit Israel. In fact, in June 2012, Israel was the first country he visited after his election. He frequently speaks warmly about the Jewish state, expressing pride that it contains the largest diaspora of former Russian citizens. At the Western Wall, accompanied by Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, he donned a kippa, which undoubtedly made his Bolshevik predecessors turn in their graves. He also seemed quite indifferent to the rage this created among his Arab allies.

Immediately after announcing Russia’s intervention [in Syria], Putin agreed to a three-hour summit meeting with Netanyahu, who flew to Moscow where parameters were drawn up in order to minimize any possible military overlap and try to protect some of Israel’s security concerns.

Coordination has been maintained at the very highest military levels between both countries, with Russia operating a direct hotline with Yossi Cohen, Israel’s national security adviser, informing him in advance of Russia bombing targets in Syria.

Furthermore, according to Ehud Ya’ari of Channel 2, the Russians have allocated a future role for Israel in their area of influence by offering to buy a substantial chunk of Israel’s newly discovered gas fields and provide military guarantees against Hezbollah attacks on the offshore locations. It is also proposing to export this gas to Europe.

Isi Leibler also included negative expectations about Putin. Yet, even Ronald Reagan, who was considered a friend of Israel, was not spared criticism by Jews regarding his sincerity on his pro-Israel stances. Israeli journalist Chemi Shale has written about the Jewish suspicions on Reagan. Some of his negative remarks were well based, because the U.S., which has considered Israel a strategic military ally in the Middle East, has never recognized Jerusalem as Jewish. In contrast, the U.S. has never failed to recognize Riyadh, the Saudi capital, as Saudi. Saudi Arabia is also a U.S. ally in the Middle East and a major global terror sponsor.

Notwithstanding Jewish criticism over Reagan’s and Putin’s sincerity on Israel, my view is that Reagan and Putin are commendable for their pro-Israel stances and conservatism.

Putin’s positive attitudes toward Israel and the Jews, as described by Leibler, can explain his international success and top spot on Forbes, in spite of massive opposition and hostility from Obama and other Western leaders intent on fighting against Putin’s staunch effort to protect Russian children from the gay agenda.

Other Putin’s positive attitudes are toward persecuted Christians. Last April, when Armenia remembered the Armenian genocide that happened 100 years ago, where over 1.5 million Christian Armenians were slaughtered by Turkish Muslims, U.S. President Barack Obama, who represents the largest Protestant nation in the world, did not attend the ceremony. Pope Francis, who represents Catholics, did not attend it too. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who represents the largest Catholic nation in the world, did not attend it too. But Putin, representing the largest Orthodox Christian nation in the world, attended it.

In the Syrian war, where ISIS, al-Qaeda and other Muslim groups have been raping, torturing and slaughtering Christians, while America under Obama has sided with anti-Christian Muslim groups, Russia under Putin has sided with pro-Christian groups.

Pro-Christian attitudes are good for Putin and Russia.

Pro-Israel attitudes are good for Putin and Russia.

God said that he would bless those who bless Abraham’s descendants — Israel and the Jews.

God is blessing Putin. If he wants more blessings, he should bless Israel and the Jews more. He should also bless persecuted Christians and their values more. If he wants less blessings and more curses, he should imitate Obama.

Portuguese version of this article: Putin, o homem mais poderoso do mundo

Source: Last Days Watchman

Recommended Reading:

Is Vladimir Putin’s Conservatism False?

Putin’s Olympic Controversy

Vladimir Putin: Person of the Year in U.S. Gay Magazine

Israeli Journalist: If Obama treated Israel like Reagan did, he’d be impeached