Why I liked Oral Roberts…
Dec 16th, 2009 | 3 responses
I just found out that Oral Roberts passed away at the age of 91. I never sent him any money, or attended any of his crusades, but I liked listening to him because he seemed genuine to me.
He was old school. Never in your face about whether your theology, faith and belief was correct in his eyes. He often said, “I’ll leave them to their theology. I’m out to save souls. I have more friends among doctors than among ministers.” I can’t imagine a media preacher having the same kind of tolerant tone in today’s I’m right, You’re wrong environment.
A far cry from the charismatic Pentecostal preachers of today, Roberts was a man who was sought after by Presidents because he stayed out of the political fray. At the height of his popularity, way before the infamous January 1987 prediction of his own demise, Roberts could have inserted himself in the Roe v. Wade political debate but for whatever reason did not make a public statement on the Supreme Court decision.
Rest In God’s Hands, Oral Roberts. You gave people hope and followed God’s will upon you life while being wise enough to keep your mouth and your ministry out of the policy making arena.
3 Responses to “Why I liked Oral Roberts…”
Well, I guess one can respect most of what he did after he built his empire and put some championship caliber basketball teams on the court at ORU, but he built it all as a tele-evangelist faith healer and I just can't help thinking that faith healing is charlatanism at its worst, giving people false hope and in worst cases causing them to ignore the treatment they need. That too is part of his legacy.
Oral Roberts was a jerk. The worst fraud criminal that ever existed. He spent two million dollars of gifted money to put a solid marble pair of praying hands outside a “faith healing” hospital. They dropped and broke them, sooooo….he spent two million more for another pair. Of course this “faith healing” hospital failed.
Then there is the Oral Roberts university and the Oral Roberts Arian race being created there. I personally watched a University Official scream a browbeating rant at a man delivering a rent-a-car to the university for being overweight while students watched and laughed. He was just the delivery guy!
Buying your way into heaven with donations is as stupid as religion itself. It is a scam. A theft by fraud. An abuse of the elderly and desperate whom need people to love and care for them, not gods and BS artists browbeating them and cheating them.
People like this are an embarrassment to our country.
I'm from Tulsa. I frequently visit the News8 website. The local politicians have been falling all over themselves in praise of Roberts. In one particular article Jim Inhofe, one of our state senators, praised Roberts for “putting Oklahoma on the map”.
I responded:
“Oral was a true innovator. He started off scamming poor farmers under tents in rural Oklahoma, but soon saw the potential of television to spread his scam to a larger audience. There have been many imitators: Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, Peter Popoff, Benny Hinn, Elmer Gantry to name just a few. None could skin'em quite like Oral. It's a shame a great city like Tulsa is so closely associated with this charlatan. I hope Richard gets thrown in prison and they rename ORU to something more respectable – Bernie Madoff University maybe.”
One following post reminded me that I too will die (Yeah, I was afraid that might happen). The writer then goes on to express his hope that I receive the same respect I have just shown to Roberts. This man spent his entire adult life ripping off the desperate and the gullible and I'm not supposed to say anything out of respect for dead when others are pissing all over themselves in praise. Am I wrong?