Who Was Oral Roberts and Why Should You Care?

By Sam Brand Posted Dec 15th 2009 06:47PM

He's not a hygiene product found in your grandma's bathroom cupboard. Oral Roberts isn't just a college either (though maybe you picked the Golden Eagles to make it into the second round of the Big Dance in 2008). He is, or rather was until today, a living and legendary man. And a very famous and wealthy and devout one, at that. But the 91-year-old televangelist died on Tuesday after suffering a weekend fall. The man might be gone, but his controversial legacy lives on.

Oral Roberts – Born in rural Oklahoma in 1918 to a poor reverand and his wife, Roberts grew up to become one of the most successful traveling faith healers of all-time. In the years out of college, Roberts attracted thousands to his tented sermons and public healings. By the mid '50s millions were watching him deliver his "prosperity gospel" on television. By the '70s, Roberts' program 'Oral Roberts and You' was the highest rated religious telecast in the United States. And by 1980 Roberts was recognized by 84% of Americans, second only to the President and fellow evangelist Billy Graham. According to the New York Times, estimates suggest Oral Roberts "personally laid his hands on more than 1.5 million people during his career, reached more than 500 million people on television and radio, and received millions of letters and appeals."

Oral Roberts University – Oral Roberts claims he was obeying a command sent from heaven when he founded Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1963. The university is alive and kicking today with an enrollment approaching 4,000 students, and even today, each ORU student is required to sign an honor pledge promising not to drink, smoke, or engage in premarital sex. And yes, the Oral Roberts mens basketball team made it into the NCAA tournament 3 consecutive years (2006-2008).

Oral Roberts Scandal – The controversial preacher was no stranger to scandal during his 91 years on earth. His theatrical healings provoked outrage from religious and secular critics alike throughout his career. In the '50s a group of Arizona ministers offered $1,000 to anyone who could prove Roberts had indeed healed them through his touch. Nobody claimed the reward. And Roberts frequently sought donations from his followers under dubious pretext. In the mid '80s he told a TV audience God would "call him home," which many interpreted as a suicide threat, if he didn't raise $8 million. He ended up raising $9.1 million. At another time Roberts said he built his gaudy City of Faith Medical and Research Center after a 900-foot-tall Jesus appeared before him in a vision. And Roberts and his son Richard were implicated in a lawsuit alleging the family used University money for their own personal use.

Oral Roberts Death – Roberts survived two heart attacks in the 1990s. He survived his son's ouster from the board of Oral Roberts University in 2007 after being accused of misusing school funds. He survived to see his denomination, the Pentecostal movement, become the largest protestant group in the world. He survived the tumble he took over the weekend, but he did not survive the pneumonia that followed. On Tuesday he died at a hospital in Newport Beach.

Tags: billy graham, BillyGraham, oral roberts, oral roberts death, oral roberts scandal, oral roberts university, OralRoberts, OralRobertsDeath, OralRobertsScandal, OralRobertsUniversity, richard roberts, RichardRoberts

Comments

(26)

Tuesday 15 December

By leroy

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I always thought he was Hate Monger.Judging other people and saying they would burn in hell for being a sinner..I wonder if god let`s Hate Mongers into heavean?? UH UH UH # 1 AGAIN ..Don`t hate cuz you`re # 2 UH UH UH

By Jim

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You answered the first part of the opening question. As for the second part, we don't.

By Wilma Hinshaw

Oral Roberts healed my grand dad back in 1955 of lung cancer. They had given him 6 months to live. He died in 1968 of a kidney disease.
Tell me God does not do miracles and Oral Roberts was one who helped him get to this people. Believe in prayer

Wednesday 16 December

By everet

Oral Roberts NEVER HEALED ANYONE! OR HIS SON! ONLY GOD CAN HEAL, THEY JUST PUSH YOU DOWN LIKE BENNY HIN DID>

By Barry W. Hersh

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Oral Roberts did not heal anyone. But God does heal through people, through doctors or he performs the healing himself. As belivers we will all have our prayers answered and receive a healing. In may not be in this life but there are no wheel chairs in heaven, no dementia, no cancer. We will all have new bodies when we reach Glory.

By DarthJoe8

Prove that he had lung cancer and that it disapeared...foolish

By damien

By ed

He was a fake. Too bad hell doesnt exist, he should be there, if it did. Stole millions of dollars from ignorant, sick people.

By Barry Hersh

If you believe in Hell then you must believe in Heaven. I do not believe you will be seeing Mr. Roberts in Heaven. Oh he will be there it's you that must stand before God's great white judgement seat and have your life reviewed. Do the words "depart for I never knew you mean anything to You"? They will!!!!!

Saturday 19 December

By Vanessa Ekeke

Your opinion is your entitlement, its a gift from God and without repentacne, but you know, it yours and yours alone. I have mine own opinion and that is the fact that I KNOW ORAL HAS GONE TO BE WITH THE LORD JESUS. TAKE IT OR LEAVE..ITS STILL YOUR OPINION........HAHAHAHAHAHA

Wednesday 31 March

By Juddy

Hell does not exist? Are u for real? It's suprising to hear talk like this at this age and time after all the knowledge and exposure one would think they have gotten. I advice you better go get Christ into your life so that we won't see you in HELL...

By publicv

I guess this whitewash story ain't going over so well. The verdict is in. No one alive seems to think he is as great or needs to be so known as your article states.

By imnotthefnmanagr

I used to have a boss who graduated from Oral Roberts University. He was the biggest liar and hypocrite I ever met. He fired all the administrative assistants and replaced them with his fellow churchgoers who were totally illiterate. Nothing he ever said could be trusted.

By Bobby

I remember Oral Roberts telling people that God was going to take him if he couldn't raise a million dollars, well he would be in heaven so what was the problem, never the less he got the money.

By Wolfman

It's a great example of white collar crime.

By Justin igger

Oral was like one of the first big time TV preacher's.

At least with Oral you never heard of him banging hookers or having gay sex like we have with some other TV preacher's.

By gma

Oral Robert and his son, Richard are/were liars who preyed on older people. Old people who only had their socia securit checks to live on every month. He bull chitted everyone he came in contact with. This so-called "holy man" was a huge crook!
Wonder if they will put a statue in Tulsa of his ears, right next to his praying hands statue. He had mansions, luxury cars, etc. The man was PURE EVIL! I live in Oklahoma & I remember his crap on TV when I was a child. "Friends, we need a little "seed money". I ask you in Jesus' name,we MUST have more seeds to spread the word!"

By sieben13

He may have FOOLED many here on earth, but he must ANSWER to the ONLY ONE THAT COUNTS

By Jonitia Johnson

First, I want to extend my sympathy to the Roberts family in their loss. I did not know Oral Roberts or if the claims he made were true. If they were, God will usher him in and say, "Servant, job well done". If they were not true, well we all know what that means.

Oral Roberts was a phony, lived on the MILLIONS he scamed from the poor. lived in great luxury & had the expensive mersades benz & cursed tv repoeters as they were on public property filming his home & car. A SCAMER BY HIS LIFE STYLE!!!!!!!!

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