Customer Reviews

Selling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal

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This is depressing. I'm depressed that I have to give this book 5 stars, because I would be so much happier if the research were sloppy or inaccurate. Then I could possibly believe that the allegations about Mike Warnke were indeed false. But this book is so thurough, it's sad.

Let me explain. I stumbled accross this book while searching the Internet for information about Mike Warnke a few months ago. I had listened to a tape of his as a child, before I became a Christian (I had actually memorized many of Mr. Warnke's monologues from this tape), and it was so moving that I wanted to find out if I could order it somewhere. I was surprised to discover that Mr. Warnke had claimed to be a former satanist-the tape I'd listened to had never mentioned this part of his "testimony," and I'd never heard about it before. I came accross information about this book, got it, and read it. Honestly, it made me sick to my stomach. And I can't help but be compelled to believe the charges brought out by this book, due to the overwhelming evidence presented therein.

I grew up admiring and respecting Mike Warnke, and his observations about the Christian life became all the more relevant once I gave my life to Christ. I was saddened to find that he was not what I'd thought he was. Yes, I know that no one is perfect. David was an adulterer and murderer-and the Bible calls him a "man after God's own heart." But the thing we need to remember about David is that when confronted with the truth, he didn't just say that he repented, he really did. And he changed. Mike Warnke is still claiming to be a former satanist. While I'll never know for sure, since I wasn't there, I'm faced with the decision to either believe that every single one of the people interviewed in this book who knew Mike Warnke during the time he was supposedly a satanist (and who all say that this isn't true) are lying, or Mr. Warnke himself is lying. I don't know about you, but I know which of those options seems the most logical to me. And if what these people say is true, than Mr. Warnke's ministry is founded on lies-lies that he refuses to admit. After praying through the matter, I've decided that though Mr. Warnke has done good things with his testimony, if it's built on lies, I need to reject the source (not the good that has come from the source). That means not putting any more money into his bank account (sorry, his MINISTRY'S bank account). Though God has used him to lead people to Christ, and that's awesome, there are plenty of other ministries that lead people to Christ without being built on lies. I'm not condemning him, that's in God's hands. I'm simply choosing to be a good steward of the money God has given me, and use it to support other, less dubious charities.

It sems like there are few people we can truly trust these days. I'm glad Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I guess I'll just trust Him and let Him take care of the rest.

Mike Warnke was the most popular Christian comedian of the 70's and 80's. His rumpled, comfortable style of storytelling made his tales of satanic involvement "safe" for Christian audiences--sorta like a horror movie, where we have a cathartic but protected encounter with the bogeyman. As his reputation grew, so did his visibility: he was even consulted by police departments as an "expert" on satanic crimes. The albums and accolades kept on coming; Warnke was the undisputed king of Christian comedy, and the unofficial chaplain of the Jesus movement. But not all was well: under the surface, rumblings of dissent could be felt from those who knew Mike best. Friends and associates began to call the offices of Cornerstone magazine, a Christian periodical that has a long history of debunking the sensationalistic claims of religious frauds. When Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott, Cornerstone staff writers, started to review the facts, it became clear that Mike Warnke's tales of satanism were built of two parts imagination, and one part research (one of Warnke's friends during his junior college days wondered why an satanist would have to spend so much time reading books on the subject.) Mike had never had been the leader of a coven; he had never cast spells on people or hobnobbed with Anton LaVey. Hertenstein and Trott really dug in and started to uncover more and more discrepancies; while Mike's pre-conversion exploits were false, his life as a "Christian celebrity" more than made up for them. Multiple marriages, lie on top of lie, and a staggeringly profligate use of money raised for a non-existent ministry were all part of the Warnke we never saw on stage, never heard on tape. But when Hertenstein and Trott finally went public with their well-documented findings, a bomb went off on the playground of what is known as Contemporary Christian entertainment. Warnke, as expected, tried to lie his way out with a tenacity that would do Bill Clinton proud. Many Christians villified Hertenstein and Trott as muckrackers and trouble makers. Extensive documentation and careful journalism weren't good enough: we can't expose the misbehavior in our midst, so the mantra went, because we have to forgive. Forgiveness is one thing; obfuscation is another. To this day Warnke maintains his innocence (on a website), and continues to peddle albums that contain his "testimony." But if you go to the website with the intention of discussing the truth, don't bother: the guest book is censored. Hertenstein and Trott, I know how you feel.

I have been a fan of Warnke's since about '91. I was amazed when I came across this book. A part of me wanted to resist the evidence presented at the beginning of the book. I wanted to believe that Warnke's family and friends simpley remembered things differently than he did. As the book progressed however, the evidence, pictures, dates, activities, that the authors presented became harder to make to excuse. I could not put the book down once I began reading. I think the authors did a remarkable job in tracking down all the people and following the numerous information trails. There was a lot of repetition of information from chapter to chapter and it was tricky to follow the timeline of what happened in which years. However, it appears that they left no stone unturned including attempting to talk with Mike Warnke. I was very disappointed by Mike's responses. The authors bring up a very good point. Just because someone professes to be a Christian and may even bring others to Christ does not mean they should not be challenged. Being a Christian does not mean we should stop asking questions.

For many years, I admired Mike Warnke. I listened to his recordings, bought his book, "The Satan Seller" and listened to his "testimony" about being delivered from a Satanic Cult. I attended one of his Oklahoma City Concerts and donated $20 to his "ministry." Now, I would like to have the money back.
I lived in Kentucky, not far from his headquarters when the story broke. I was shocked, bewildered, and flabbergasted by the Cornerstone Article that came in just under 20,000 words. When the book came out, I read it extensively.
All through the 1980's, I heard of a vast Satanic Conspiracy that Evangelicals had lamented about. One of the two books that got it started was Mike Warnke's "The Satan Seller." Others entered the fray like Lauren Stratford (Satan's Underground), Bob Larson's "Seduction of Evil" and the fringe Rebecca Brown "He Came to Set the Captives Free." However, none of these had the impact, notoriety and visibility of Warnke.
Authors Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott (whom I've both had the fortune to meet) did the most exhaustive research any journalists ever did.
They interview college friends, high school acquaitences, Viet Nam buddies, ex-wives, and former employees. All the testimony, research and investigation leads to one inescapeable conclusion: Mike Warnke was a fraud.
Warnke never had the time or the ability to oversee a Satanic Coven. He never had the ability to get four or five Master's Degrees, and he misused funds just as bad as Jim and Tammy Faye Baker.
I never knew of Warnke's ability to keep tight information on his three (now four) ex-wives, the adultery involved, and his very strange Church, the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of Kentucky. I never heard of the IRS revoking his tax-exempt status. I never knew he made a quarter of a million dollars from the mid 1980's and on.
Probably the most striking ability Trott and Hertenstein have is to write in a way to display concern for both Mike Warnke and the Truth. There is a somber approach instead of a cynical, sarcastic, and acerbic tirade. The reader will get the sense the duo felt heavy laden and sad about what they wanted to do ... and what they had to do. In some junctures, you get the sense they were aiming for justice, while trying to keep their own motives in check.
Probably the most interesting part of the book is the chapter called News Cycles and Spin Cycles which chronicles events after the Cornerstone Story broke. Once the story hit the airwaves, journalists and fans followed up. Some helped, others prodded wanting to know more, while others lambasted Trott and Hertenstein for their expose.
The final chapter, an interview with Anton LaVay also has a melancholy mood that actually evokes sympathy for a man who made a million dollars creating the Satanic Bible.
The truly amazing thing is that some people will not accept the truth. Despite the evidence, Mike Warnke refuses to admit any wrongdoing. Despite the evidence, many fans refused to leave Warnke's side.
It's not easy facing the facts on someone you admire. Feeling foolish, I first ripped up Warnke's "Satan Seller." I don't hate him, but I truly feel sorry for him. Like Walter Mitty, I think Mike Warnke suckered himself into believing his own hype.
The book, though, helped me in many ways. First, I started to think more skeptically and critically. Ultimately, though, my paradigm changed and I discounted the idea of Satanic Covens plotting to take over the world.

Unlike many of the reviews that I've read for this book, I read this book with an open mind. Even more than that, having personally been a Mike Warnke fan many years ago, I had noticed on my own that his stories do not line up. With that in mind, I sat down and sketched out many of the simple facts that do not add up. I encourage anyone with an interest in Mike Warnke to step past their own emotional responses and actually study Mike Warnke's words.

For example, if you were to listen to all Mike Warnke's concert recordings and keep a journal of everything he claims, and then compare the notes from the individual recordings and the Satan Seller, you will quickly realize on your own that Mike's portrayal of his own life just is not possible. His story of his own life changes too greatly over time. Additionally, the timeline of events as Mike describes cannot be accomplished on a calendar. Although some errors can be attributed to the passage of time and the possibility that a fact or two can be misplaced, the staggering number of incongruities that occur in Mike's own words are just too many to be shrugged off. After amassing such list of apparent mistakes on your own as I have suggested, sit down and read this book. You will see that not only does your list make sense and Mike's life does not, but you will be able to fill in many of the causations and backgrounds for the inconsistencies.

I find it amusing, however, that the people who are accusing the writers of this book of dishonesty are also stooping to name-calling, and at the same time degrading the book's authors and promoters as name-callers. That's like saying, "Stop calling me names, you pooh-pooh head!" I understand that there are a great number of people that loved Mike's public image in the past, and several people still do. This causes an emotional reaction to the truth, and that makes it almost impossible for some people to take. For example, most people have been around the Internet long enough at this point to have seen an Urban Legend or two. When you point out that someone has forwarded you an Urban Legend, there is an underlying realization by the sender that they have just been fooled. They become embarrassed, defensive, and sometimes deny the truth by trying to back up the story with allegations that the story was verified by other sources. There comes a time when you have to put aside your emotional reaction to a situation and just analyze the facts.

I also find it interesting that one of the reviewers seems to base his assertion for Mike's innocence on a personal conversation that he had with Mike. Although I am not 100% sure, I feel that most people would be easily subdued by Mike if they spent an afternoon with him. That's part of Mike's recipe for success - his charisma is unmistakable. Like a skilled artist, Mike knows how to make you see "his" side of the story, regardless of any basis in fact.

That being said, the accusation that Christians "shoot their wounded" is all-too-often true. If Mike had come forth and openly admitted that he had lied, asked forgiveness from those that he had offended, and the church still treated him as an outcast, then the church would be guilty of such a crime. But with Mike Warnke, the reverse is more the case. Mike has wronged a great number of people, and yet he still maintains his innocence and claims to be the victim. (The closest that Mike has come to admitting any wrong-doing on his part was to assert that he had exaggerated slightly.)

From having studied human behavior, there is an explanation to Mike's actions. Mike's stories and defenses seem to put him more in the category of a Pathological Liar and not a Compulsive Liar. For those of you that have never met a Pathological Liar, they are interesting people to know. Compulsive Liars simply tell lies for personal gain or self-preservation. They are aware that they are lying, but they can justify their behavior patterns to themselves. (This behavior is frequently forgiven by others because of Situational Ethics, but I digress.) Pathological Liars, on the other hand, tell lies for a myriad of reasons, but believe their lies as deeply as we believe the truth. Therefore, they can defend their lies with a zeal that parallels the defense of truth. Having personally known a few Pathological Liars in my lifetime, it is frequently hard to distinguish their truths from their lies. Because of this predisposition to dishonesty, Pathological Liars often lose the trust of everyone around. And unless they make an attempt to regain trust, they may never be trusted again. Mike Warnke's conduct suggests that he is not concerned with regaining trust, because he continues to assert that he never lied, even when faced with insurmountable evidence to the contrary. Because of this, Mike's behavior can only be categorized as unrepentant.

This leaves us with a few questions and answers:

Should the church reject Mike Warnke? Absolutely not.
Should Mike Warnke be forgiven? Yes.
Should Mike Warnke repent? Yes.
If Mike does not repent, should he still be forgiven? Yes.

But the most important question: If Mike does not repent, and we have forgiven him as the Bible instructs, should he still be trusted?

That answer, I'm afraid, is NO.

This extended version of Hertenstein & Trott's original Cornerstone expose on Warnke is a fine example of solid journalism and fact-finding w/out resorting to condemnation or judgement.

Was this done maliciously or solely for the sake of a good story? Not at all...Cornerstone gave Warnke an opportunity to refute their findings and prove his outlandish claims, but he refused to talk to them. More to the point, have the handful of reviewers who gave it such negative reviews actually READ the book? "Philosopher", I'm sure your one-time meeting w/Warnke may have left you w/a good impression, but such false prophets are convincing in what they attempt to convey, as the Bible will tell you. And what do the "liberal left" and your list of conservative talking points have to do w/anything? Both Hertenstein and Trott are evangelical Christians, and their expose was first published in Cornerstone, a well-known Christian publication.

Should we forgive Warnke for his sins? By all means...however, his inability and/or unwillingness to admit the false testimony, defrauding followers who thought they were contributing to the work of a genuine anti-Satanic organization and other wrongdoings indicate a man who seeks only to portray himself as a martyr suffering unjust persecution at the hands of fellow Christians...as others have pointed out, had Warnke fully come clean and still been castigated afterwards, he would be justified, but this is not the case at all.

Former "PTL Club" host/televangelist Jim Bakker not only fully admitted his past sins, but also denounced his former "prosperity Gospel" teachings and even went so far as to title his tell-all book "I Was Wrong"...*this* is a man who showed courage, and was rightfully welcomed back w/open arms for it by the majority of the Christian community. Warnke, on the other hand, continues to cling to his fictitious Satanic experiences, which is why his attempted comeback has gone nowhere.

I close this review w/a quote from 1 John 1:8 - "If we say we have no sin, we decieve ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".

I was involved in the Contemporary Christian Music industry when the Warnke scandal broke and, frankly, it wasn't a shock to many people in the industry.

I had lobbied the production company I was working with numerous times to hire him for the music festival we did every year, only to be told that there were "integrity issues" involving Warnke.

I was stunned to see that the Cornerstone Magazine article and the accompanying book confirmed what I had hoped were only ugly rumors.

This book is well researched and heavily footnoted and, sadly, irrefutable by Warnke.

I'd like to take a moment to point out to those who defend him that he is still passing himself off as a former Satanic "high priest", a Marine who saw heavy combat in Viet Nam, a drug dealer, a child abuse survivor and a PhD.

Each of these claims has been disproven, yet, he still persists in them.

When it's pointed out that these things have all been shown to be lies, rather than demonstrate that they are true, he plays the dewey eyed victim. One almosts expects to hear the phrase, "vast, right wing conspiracy".

I strongly believe that we should rally around fallen brothers and sisters in Christ to restore them but nowhere in the Bible do we see restoration without repentance.

Warnke clearly is not repetant, as a trip to his own website reveals that he is unwilling to put behind him the sin from which he is supposedly repenting.

Warnke has failed every single Biblical criteria for fitness for the ministry. Were he a rank and file church member, rather than a Christian celebrity, he would have been disfellowshipped long ago for refusing to give up his sin (assuming, of course, that there were still churches around that practiced Biblical discipline).

I was in Bible college when the Cornerstone expose of Warnke came out. I had seen Mike in concert several times prior to this, and always considered him a great man of God. Like so many others, I just assumed his story was true, because - well, because everybody said it was. Fortunately, the authors had the good sense to launch a long overdue investigation into his claims. Selling Satan is a masterpiece of investigative journalism. The writers are to be commended for their tenacity, investigative skills and commitment to truth.

As for Warnke, a quick visit to his web site will reveal that he hasn't changed, still claiming to have been a Satanist high priest. The five pastors he "submitted" to were extremely easy on him, never challenging him to either prove or denounce what he has written. If you don't believe me, email Warnke himself and ask for copies of the documents regarding their "investigation." The whole thing was a joke. This con artist has managed to avoid doing honest work thanks to fools and cronies, but he has forever disgraced himself and caused terrible hurt to those who used to admire him. Pathetic.

History is told twice, it is said: as history, and as farce. This is the revised version of the Mike Warnke story. Trout and Hertenstein unravel the untrue tale of Warnke thread by thread: fake ex-Satan worshipper, womanizer, whiner, con, and man whose gift of gad is always welcome in a dumbed-down, feeling-over-fact church. They do so not to gloat, farcical as events may sometimes seem, but with openness and I think compassion as well as sorrow. Their goal is to wake the church up to the importance of telling the truth.

The story is not only well-told, but carefully told. The secondary heroes of the tale are, inescapably, the intrepid investigators, but the primary hero is Truth, with a capital T, and with personal names whose initials are J.C.

It has been said that in ancient Rome, commoners saw all religions as equally true, philosophers saw them as equally false, and politicians saw them as equally useful. The reviewer below who criticizes a book she has not read because Warnke wins people to Christ must take a very pragmatic view of things. Does the God who created the galaxies need to run scams to get people to believe in Him? Can we, by telling lies, convert people to the Truth? Mike Warnke's story is taudry and sad, but by telling it, and by telling it well, with thorough research, good writing, and honest introversion, the authors give us an important wake-up call...And while we do, take heed lest we fall as well.

Hertenstein & Trott have done an invaluable service in the cause of truth. I urge those who have ever heard of Mike Warnke to read this book at least as many times as you read Warnke's "The Satan Seller", or as many times as you have listened to his albums or tapes.

There is no way Warnke could refute the evidence in "Selling Satan." He has not responded to specific charges raised in this book to date (October 2000). Warnke is still on the church circuit, selling his books and tapes, though only a few dozen people show up now to hear him.

The good people at Cornerstone magazine (JPUSA) are to be highly commended for this in-depth look at a con artist who once billed himself as the country's "#1 Christian comedian."

Mike Warnke is currently married to wife #4. He continues to claim that his testimony of being a satanist priest is true. He denies fraudulently taking money for the care of the victims of Satanic Ritual Abuse. I heard him in person this year defending his ministry.

If you want the truth about this charlatan, please read--or reread, "Selling Satan." You won't be disappointed. Plus, it is a good historical perspective on the Jesus movement of the late 1960's & '70's.

I met Mike Warnke & his first wife, Sue Studer, in Stillwater, OK in the mid-1970's. Those of us that attended the "Back Room Chapel", a charismatic group, in those days all looked up to Mike, including myself. Not many things have made me as sad as to discover what Mike packaged was a big bag of lies.

I still find the time to pray for you, Mike, whenever I think about you. But you still need to come clean and leave the public ministry.

---John Paul, Oklahoma City