The Great Imposter

How many times have we read or heard about Impostors who, for one reason or another, pawn themselves off as something other than what they really are? A quick search on the internet uncovered more than 100 famous “Impostors” who donned the identity of someone else, real or fictitious. Among the most recent was Jerry Alan Whittredge, who, in 1998, gained access into NASA during a shuttle operation. He was dubbed the “Great Astronaut Impersonator.” In the 1970’s a man by the name of Frank Abagnale passed himself off as a pilot, doctor and lawyer. He scammed banks, credit card companies, and even his own father. Other well known Impostors include Gerald Barnbaum, Ravi Desai, Anna Anderson, and a host of others who masqueraded as various personalities. Perhaps one of the most famous impostors was Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., best known as “The Great Impostor.” He impersonated a wide variety of people from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. He was the subject of a movie, The Great Impostor, in which he was played by Tony Curtis. Some years ago the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported yet another Impostor whose “military tale even fooled his relatives.” It seems that Brig. General G.B. McDowell passed away on Veterans Day 2011 near Seattle. Condolences were sent to his son, Michael Douglas McDowell (a self-proclaimed Colonel in the United States Army) from some well-known military figures, including Maj. Gen. J.T. Furlow and Retired Gen. David Petraeus. The problem? Colonel McDowell’s father never served in the military. The letters from Furlow and Petraeus were fake, as was the on-line obituary about McDowell’s father. In addition Colonel Michael McDowell  himself was a fraud, having never served in the Army or any other branch of the military. The younger McDowell passed himself off as a CIA agent and often carried official looking folders in his brief case labeled “Top Secret,” “President’s Eyes Only,” and “Classified Documents.” Seized items included what appeared to be military records and a Purple Heart recipient license plate. McDowell fooled his ex-wife, his fiancé, and public officials in the Fort Worth Police Department for well over a decade.

While such stories are interesting, sometimes bordering on the bizarre, it leaves us wondering how in the world some of these impostors can get by with their scams, impersonations and out and out lying. Just as intriguing is the “Why?” Some have suggested that the impersonators often seek recognition that they otherwise do not receive in true life. So they live in a dream world; a world of fantasy and make believe. The recognition and notoriety that was not achievable in the real world is easily obtained in their own little world of make believe. Most eventually get caught; some manage to keep the proverbial wool pulled over the eyes of their victims (and even acquaintances) without any detection at all.

Jesus warned of such con-artists and spiritual impostors. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15). Careful note should be given to the word “beware.” Teaching error is not child’s play, nor is the false teacher a harmless and innocent person simply espousing his own opinion. Jesus likens him to a “wolf.” Like his physical counterpart, the false teacher will take on the appearance of something he is not, and do it in such a way that he will appear legitimate, and even honorable. “For such men are  false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of  righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Michael McDowell is now in the custody of the authorities. His make believe world has come crashing down around him. His wife and children feel betrayed; his reputation is ruined.

While Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. may have obtained the dubious distinction of being “The Great Impostor,”  or Jerry Alan Whittredge the title of “The Great Astronaut Impostor,” it can be said without fear of contradiction that neither of these men, nor the dozens of other men and women who have ever impersonated someone else, come anywhere close to the greatest impostor of all time – Satan! There is a day coming when the devil and all of his angels, as well as his human agents who helped perpetrate a lie and present it to unsuspecting souls, will be discovered for what they really are. Tragically, those who have believed and followed the lies of these spiritual Impostors will suffer eternal separation from the Father.