1987_02 The Daily Collegian February 1987

              .Juesday. Feb. 3,1987 .
Page 2
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TV evangelists are mail order frauds
Oral Roberts needs $8 million by March
or he will die.
Most television evangelists want
money, but they don't go as far as saying
God told them to raise the money or else
they will meet the big guy himself.
I first heard about Oral's plight last
month when a staff photographer made a
comment about the predicament. At first I
didn't Nrneve him because, to tell you the
truth, the photographer in mind has a
tendency to be sarcastic. I  thought it was
so outrageous it had to be a joke
But it wasn't. He showed me a United
Press International story that verified his
statement.
According to Oral, God told him last
March to raise $8 million for a medical
missionary program within a year or he
may have to call Oral "home." As of Jan.
1 Oral and his fellow-evangelist son,
Richard, were $4.5million short of their
goal. So they went'over the airways to
arrnounce Oral's dilemma Jan. 4. They told
their television audience to send money so
Oral may live. Richard reportedly begged
hopeful contributors via mail not to let
this birthday be his father's last.
Apparently their pleas worked. The
Jan. 26 issue of Time magazine reported /
that money is flowing into Oral's Tulsa,
Okla. headquarters at a rate of more than
$160,000 per day.
But how can anyone believe that God
told Oral Roberts to raise money or die? It
seems unlikely God would act like a loan
shark and demand money.
Mike Royko, a syndicated columnist
from the Chicago Tribue, said in his
column that people shouldn't send money
to Oral, let. him die to prove how close he
is to God.
I simply think the conversation never
took place, and Oral is trying to pay for
his corporation, which has been losing
money.  Maybe if people don't give any
more money to Oral, we can find out if he
is for real, which is debatable, or if he is a
prime candidate for the starring role in the
sequel to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest."
I don't think Oral is out to consciously
rip people off. I think Oral is looking at
the world with puritanical values and has
intertwined them with capitalism and
delusions of grandeur.
How can Oral Roberts take in millions
of dollars in the name of God and spend it
on things such as his S250 million City
of Faith Medical and Research Center as he
did in 1977?
Television evangelists such as Oral, Pat
Robertson, Jim and Tammy Baker and
Jimmy Swaggart all seem to ask for
money - lots of money - so they can
spread the word of God. They all seem to
hold puritanical-type values where the
United States is God's chosen country and
we are destined to be the moral leaders of
the world. But these puritanical-type
values are contradictory to their lavish
complexes, clothing and studio sets. If
they rcjjjly held these puritanical-type
values'fhey would follow the puritans'
See TWISTED, page 4
>>
Reader
Response
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to The Daily Collegian is welcome.
Please send letters of no more than 250
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University, Fresno, Fresno. CA 93740.
Letters must be signed and have the
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J
Arnold defended
Dear Editor.
I'm sore that the intention of Angela
Arnold's column was not direcdy
suggesting that he or she wishes the
communist- doctrine victorious- over
ours. However, I feel that the content
accentuated that she would rather live
under the disadvantages of communism
than the horrors of possible nuclear
holocaust Indeed, just because one
disagrees with the ideology of
doesn't make fact that
is    bad    for    particular
Melikian     shouldn't     be     so
insult Angela Arnold.
Her letter merely opens up the reality
of the current world situation. While
Mr. Melikian enjoys the luxuries of
Coca-Cola and color TV, conflict
progresses until destiny is
uncontrolled. Thus, the existence of
the world is in jeopardy because two
ideologies want to secure the world
from the exploitation of the other.
Moreover, Mr. Melikian labels
Angela Arnold's opinion as "a liberal
claptrap." Well since Ms. Arnold wrote
the article, Mr. Melikian ruthlessly
attacked from what I believe is either
igraorance, arrogance or nationlist
pride, then he claims Angela as "a
liberal."
This world needs liberals, for the
world's    population    faces    the    most
threatening times of extinction in all
of history. We must realize as
humaqbeings, capable of rational
thinking that if we don't think liberally
(implying to make changes), then we
won't, and ultimately we will utilize the
thousands of nuclear weapons available
at our disposal. If we use them, no one
will live to write il down as history.
Of course, we all don't ponder the
nuclear question with constant effort
because if systematic indoctrination
from televison, but the nuclear dilemma
should be contemplated through
educational forum and intelligent,
rational discussion.     Of     course
resolution doesn't occur overnight
Mr. Melikian is not wrong in
stating his opinion. I too refuse to
accept., the communist ideology
governing the United States. However,
as human beings, Communist or not,
we must realize what valuable
information lies within "liberal"
history books,so that we may discover
a renassiance of thought instead of the
stagnant death trap of conservatism.
The immortal Albert Einstein
declared a profound statement of the
nuclear dilemma. The unleashed power
of  the   atom   has  changed   everything,
save  our modes  of thinking,  and  we (
thus       drift       toward       unparalleled
catastrophe."
Think about that one Mr. Melikian.
BUI
Loch/
Interest conflict?
Dear Editor,
Last week, Senator Scott Vick was
hired as the Associated Students' public
relations director. In my opinion, A.S..
Adrrunistrative Vice President John
Love wrongfully exercised his power to
hire Vick without first advertising for
people qualified in the public relations
field.
• Does the Reality Party think that it
can do ariything it wants? Senator Vick
already has a desk and nameplate
sitting in the AS. office. How efficient
our A.S. government is all of a sudden.
See RESPONSE, page 5
;
HTTEIlTIOIl
students and clubs
;iii club hrs a mEETingl!
lllllillippYS m
illlpDR DETAILS
If you have ever had experience with page layout and
graphics, we could have a job for you. A graphics
editor is needed at The Daily Collegian..
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