A certain amount of Americans are completely obsessed with people called Televangelists. For those of you across the pond, these are people that sell Jesus for a very high price. Much like days of yore when traveling preachers would sell “snake oil” to cure various ailments, Jim Bakker is now selling a COVID-19 cure called “The Silver Solution”.
Bakker first became famous on his show called PTL Broadcast that he hosted with his then-wife Tammy Faye. Yet, after a sex scandal (because there is always a sex scandal with these types) he stepped away from the show and Bakker actually went to jail for defrauding his watchers out of millions. So much for his godliness.
It doesn’t seem that Bakker has learned anything because on his new show The Jim Bakker Show he had so-called expert Sherrill Sellman on to explain the amazing properties of this Silver Solution. She is quoted as saying, “Well, let’s say it hasn’t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it has been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours. Totally eliminate it. Kills it. Deactivates it.” That’s not only wildly untrue but VERY dangerous.
The state of Missouri was not happy about this lie of Bakker’s and has now sued him for his false claims. In a letter from the Food and Drug Administration to Bakker it has been written that:
The FDA has determined that your website offers products labeled to contain silver, such as “Silver Sol Liquid,” for sale in the United States and that these products are intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-191 in people. FDA has determined that these products are unapproved new drugs sold in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), 21 U.S.C. § 355(a). Furthermore, these products are misbranded drugs under section 502 of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352. The introduction or delivery for introduction of these products into interstate commerce is prohibited under section 301(a) and (d) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. §331(a) and (d).
FDA Letter to Jim Bakker
In the trying days ahead, we all must unite to protect those most vulnerable to this virus. The elderly, immunocompromised, and tiny babies are all of our most precious people, but buying into fake cures will do nothing to help them. Follow local precautions, wash your hands, and for the love of others, stay home if you are sick.
Featured Image via WikiMedia Commons
