theophiles.org - Evangelist Oral Roberts dies at age 91

Written by grizzly

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 16:14

From the Tulsa World

The Rev. Oral Roberts, the internationally known television evangelist and faith healer who founded Oral Roberts University, died Monday in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 91. According to a release, his son, Richard, and daughter, Roberta, were at his side. Funeral services are pending. The often-controversial charismatic minister built Oral Roberts University, the now-closed City of Faith Medical and Research Center and the University Village Retirement Center in Tulsa.

Comments

grizzly

|2009-12-15 16:37:44

I just received an email from the ORU alumni association informing me of this.

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servant Oral Roberts in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth.

For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen.

metallurge

|2009-12-15 16:46:20

Amen.

PerpetualAgnostic

|2009-12-17 09:39:40

Clueless question, but who was he and what about him was so great?

SteveGus

|2009-12-17 15:30:51

A televangelist and faith healer from a Pentecostal background.

I never watched his shows; but my recollection is that his biggest claim to general fame was back in the late 1980s, when he claimed to have had a vision of a 900 foot tall Jesus, who told him that God would "call him home" if his listeners failed to donate eight million dollars. He founded Oral Roberts University, and also spent millions on a "City of Faith" medical complex that saw little use.

PerpetualAgnostic

|2009-12-18 08:13:17

The "call him home" thing sounds like it's very, very probable that he was a charlatan.

So why would people still revere him after that?

emperorbma

|2009-12-18 09:40:41

Remember, this is Pentecostalism. Things like visions, speaking in tongues and faith healing are not viewed with the same degree of skepticism that other Christians (and, obviously, most non-Christians) might view it with.

SteveGus

|2009-12-18 13:24:08

"Charlatan" would be a bit strong of a phrase to use, at least where visions immune to disproof are involved.

As a televangelist, he seemed somewhat more benign than his successors. He was a faith healer; but he was not heavily invested in right-wing politics. As far as I know he did not teach his followers to look for omens of Armageddon in current events or claim that the EC or the UN were the kingdoms of the Antichrist. The financial scandal fell on the shoulders of his son, not himself. There were no moral scandals that I recall.

In short, he brought slightly less mockery or disrepute on the Christian faith than many of his fellow televangelists. That he was imperfect is a given; insincere? I don't see that.

PerpetualAgnostic

|2009-12-18 15:50:16

It's the pairing of an inscrutable claim of having heard from God, coupled with a call for money.

It's conceivably a legit pairing, but it really, really sounds suspicious.

metallurge - re:

|2009-12-17 19:06:33

PerpetualAgnostic wrote:

Clueless question, but who was he and what about him was so great?

NY Times Obituary

ScriptureMenu - Memorial service live stream - 2pm CST

|2009-12-21 10:07:27

http://memorial.oru.edu/

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 21:55

Our valuable member grizzly has been with us since Thursday, 03 April 2008.

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