File this under “Obvious”
Twenty years ago, Oral Roberts got on stage and loudly proclaimed that if America did not send him $8 million God would call him home. I was in my mid-teens or so when this happened, and I was not nearly as wise in the ways of the world or as cynical as I am today. Even to my young and somewhat naive mind, Mr. Roberts’ claim seemed positively ludicrous. I distinctly remember thinking that anyone who sent him even a penny of their hard-earned cash deserved to get ripped off. After all, as British writer Thomas Tusser said, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” The intervening twenty or so years have only reinforced my belief.
A couple of days ago, a story broke about financial mafeasance at Oral Roberts University. A lawsuit against the university was filed by three former professors, accusing university president Richard Roberts, son of the university’s namesake, and his wife of using university funds to purchase private vehicles, cell phones, and the offerings of nonacademic scholarships to children belonging to friends of the family.
Naturally, when the story broke, the first thing I thought of was Oral Roberts making his absurd claim on a nationally televised sermon. Charlatans like Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, et al, have turned religion into a lucrative industry supported by the gullible. They have created these so-called “universities” as their own personal fiefdoms as a means of sopping money from their students while at the same time subjecting them to a half-baked religious indoctrination masquerading as an education.
The second thought to run rampant through my head was the realization that I wasn’t at all surprised. I was actually surprised at my total lack of surprise. The staff and the students of Oral Roberts “University” either knew their school was founded by a charlatan or never bothered to properly investigate the “school” before spending their money there. I honestly cannot tell which option is worse than the other – willful ignorance or gullibility.
Speaking in defense of the university and his own head, Richard Roberts is on Larry King tonight claiming that “God” is speaking to him, as he once did to his father. Only this time, God is not telling the younger Roberts to scam money from the gullible, but rather that the lawsuit is unwarranted. Though, I am sure if any gullible folks out there are willing to donate money to the Roberts’ defense, they will not complain overmuch.
Oh, well. All I can do is shake my head at the absurdity, and try to ignore Richard Roberts and his wife telling their sob story to the obsequious Larry King.
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