Scandal brewing at Oral Roberts U.

[Cameron]

The dominoes are falling. Early christians met in the homes of other christians, not stained glass cathedrals and huge buildings with celebrity preachers begging for money to maintain their lavish lifestyle. Divorce is rampant among these charlatans and their charisma keeps them in business.

Hagee, Roberts (Richard), Tilton, Schuller's son, Charles Stanley and now Paula White, have all been married and divorced, and yet still draw large crowds. Divorce is not unforgiveable, but divorced people are banned from preaching the gospel in scripture.

Pride comes before a fall, and the pride of celebrity and riches destroy the high and mighty.

Let em fall!!

[magnum_the_logical]

Well, divorce is not an issue with me as far as a preacher goes. Times have changed and a spouse can leave you, take half of what you have and there is nothing you can do. There is no shame as there were in the bible days and the law allows it for any reason. Nope, If you mark out all of the divorced people no one over the age of 30 would be preaching.

BUT! This is ORU scandal is a shame and an outrage and although I started a post before I saw this one which I am sure will be closed, I want to ask the same obvious question that I ask in my post.

Obvious question:
"Do you still wonder why people are turned off by Church?" This is exactly the reason many people do not go to church. Now it is not the only reason but I know for sure this does great damage.

How do you convince someone to pay tithes to the church when so many of these people are just ripping people off and are in it for the money?

I am not talking about the crowd that has always paid tithes, I am talking about newbies. I for one, "and I know I will get slamed" I for one have stopped giving money to any religous organization. If I give now "And in the past I always paid 10 percent even when I was out of work and was having heart surgeries" If I give now it is to missionaries only. Period.

This is very sad and is doing much damage, much more than any left wing attack could ever do.

Sad, Sad, Sad and despictable.

[MochaMel]

Obvious question:
"Do you still wonder why people are turned off by Church?" This is exactly the reason many people do not go to church. Now it is not the only reason but I know for sure this does great damage.

How do you convince someone to pay tithes to the church when so many of these people are just ripping people off and are in it for the money?

I am not talking about the crowd that has always paid tithes, I am talking about newbies. I for one, "and I know I will get slamed" I for one have stopped giving money to any religous organization. If I give now "And in the past I always paid 10 percent even when I was out of work and was having heart surgeries" If I give now it is to missionaries only. Period.

This is very sad and is doing much damage, much more than any left wing attack could ever do.

Sad, Sad, Sad and despictable.

I wont slam you for your views.. I have to come to agree with them.

My views on this were so different last year... But unfortunately i have changed my mind about tithing to the church.. I am only giving when i know God is asking me too... And usually it has not been to the church it has been to missions, people truly in need, single mom's, etc. Basically people God has put on my radar.. And there are many ways to tithe, it is not only money -- many times it is giving your time to others for whatever the need they may have.. Sometimes listening, sometimes helping out around there house, etc.

I've seen the tithe abused or have no idea where it is going.. A church i know of use to help people out, but when I saw that even there own members were being banned from help, yet those not members of the church were receiving the church's money i became very sad about the whole thing... I believe that if we don't help our own first, how can we possibly help our communities.

I asked the friend that goes there about it once too and this was the answer i was given.... The laws they had to follow by the state forbid us from helping those inside, including elders in need. That was kind of it for me. WHy is the state dictating how charity is to be given out??? :twitch and better question why are we allowing it? I would rather not be a "church" according to state standards and have my money go to the truly needy.

You're right though it is SO very sad, :( and i don't believe it is being handled the way God wanted it.. All we need to do is look at the 1st church in Acts to see that.

[Mountain Girl]

I think a lot of people get started in tv ministry with good intentions, and then the money starts coming in, and, well, they get seduced by large amounts of money. Since the Roberts' side of the story hasn't been told, I don't know if that's what happened to them, but I wouldn't be surprised.

This is a disturbing story. Especially the part about underage males. Of course, a daughter could have been using her mom's cell phone to send the text messages.

Are these charges that were brought BY the sister in law, or was it a document found by accident on her computer. If it was something she'd written, and someone else found it and made it public, it might not all be true.

I wish we had more role models like Billy and Ruth Graham.

[prideman]

Sure does look bad to non believers, that is why we as christians should not put our heads in the sand and allow someone to use their position as a religous leader to line their pockets off of the uninformed and give God and true christians a black eye. We should put everyone to the test and see if their metal can stand the fire. I know they will be held accountable in heaven, but I will not sit back and bury my head because it might make us look bad, It already does especially when we do nothing about it. The non believer will see your true beliefs by your actions. I belive Jesus made that point very clear inside of a church about a week before he was crucified.

[Ali Kat]

This is no surprise for those of us who live here. The Roberts' have always been WOF, health, wealth, and prosperity gospel their entire ministries~and LIVE IT to the hilt! They talk about Lindsay's cars...they should see Richard's Jaguar (among other expensive cars, I am sure). As well as their airplanes and million dollar houses all over the country. Tulsans have always been sickened and repulsed by all of the Roberts' antics, and this is no exception. I am, however, surprised it took this long for someone to stand up to them and front them out for the liars and wolves we have always known them to be. GOOD FOR YOU, PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS!!!!!!!!:thumb:yeah



I am with you! I live a few miles from the university and I have heard 'rumors' my entire life about the Roberts. I don't know them personally, nor do I claim to. I will say, I parked next to Richard Roberts in the Wal-Mart (across from the university) parking lot and he was driving the Lexus SUV. How do I remember (b/c I thought - this man must be raking it in with his high tuitions over at ORU).

Okay, what I know that the story did not mention. He "allegedly" contributing to Randi Miller's campaign. She lost to our now mayor, Kathy Taylor. The people that came forward have been fired from the university. They have hired a local attorney, who is well known around here - not in a bad way. Richard said on television and to his students at chapel that the university (according to him) had been sued 20 times and every lawsuit had been dismissed - I have someone (an attorney friend) finding out if that is a legitimate claim.

You know the praying hands (there is a picture of it in the article). When I was a kid the story was that the hands used to be open until a dollar flew by and the hands closed to grab it. So, even as a child I got the impression of greed from there (and these were other kids saying things). As I got older, I didn't think much of it b/c they went through such financial trouble and had to sell off the City of Faith (now City Plex Towers) and move the praying hands to the campus. Then when all this happened I remembered how it was when I was a kid around here.

All that being said, I will say they have reached a lot of people and spread the message. He MIGHT have made a very very bad choice or choices, but should that negate all the work he has done spreading the Word? I don't know how I feel about that.

[markofthebest]

Well whatever the truth is, we should be praying for them and not judging them. I am not saying anyone is judging, but you know this looks bad to non believers. They need our prayers more than anything.

God Bless!!

Acutally, the Word says plenty about what to do to wolves in the midst of the sheep - and we are told to point out evil and to have nothing to do with it.

They need to be exposed for what they are and removed from any ministry they pretend to be in.

[ByFaithIFly]

I've always thought that when the Rapture happens,their will be Alot of churces that won't have to go out and find a New Pastor.In the same vein,we'll all be SURPRISED of who got Raptured and who did'nt.:nod

[MochaMel]

I think a lot of people get started in tv ministry with good intentions, and then the money starts coming in, and, well, they get seduced by large amounts of money..

Sadly i think you're right... An elder at our church knew some of them in the beginning by their walk; and now she's so sad that some of have strayed so far.... I don't personally believe they're all like that, there are a select few that i dearly love to listen to and think they are still doing God's will, unfortunately so many have fallen the wrong way.. Narrow is the path that leads to God.

I really have no opinion on the Oral Roberts U, i hesitate to judge on only media coverage... I am more the type if i hear it and don't like it i will pay close attention and ask God for discernment.

[dramama]

Scandal brewing at Oral Roberts U.

Twenty years ago, televangelist Oral Roberts said he was reading a spy novel when God appeared to him and told him to raise $8 million for Roberts' university, or else he would be "called home."

Now, his son, Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts, says God is speaking again, telling him to deny lurid allegations in a lawsuit that threatens to engulf this 44-year-old Bible Belt college in scandal.

Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local political campaign and lavish spending at donors' expense, including numerous home remodeling projects, use of the university jet for his daughter's senior trip to the Bahamas, and a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.

She is accused of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to friends of her children and sending scores of text messages on university-issued cell phones to people described in the lawsuit as "underage males."

At a chapel service this week on the 5,300-student campus known for its 60-foot-tall bronze sculpture of praying hands, Roberts said God told him: "We live in a litigious society. Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person whether they have a legitimate case or not. This lawsuit ... is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion."

San Antonio televangelist John Hagee, a member of the ORU board of regents, said the university's executive board "is conducting a full and thorough investigation."
Excerpt
http://www.star-telegram.com/462/story/258257.html

I remember that! Never did find out if he raised all the money he "needed"....shady characters these Roberts...do an appologetics search on them......