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de LE A PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 7, 1987 -- § Viewpoint by John B. McClelland You have to hand it to Oral Roberts. Oral, in case you don't know, is a preacher, an evangelical preacher, Deep South-Bible Belt kind. And a few weeks ago, Oral announced that he had been talking with God, and God told him that unless his earthly followers coughed up some $8 million by the end "- of March. He was going to take Oral home. ~ Well, Oral's faithful followers not only came up with the $8 million, they exceeded that amount by about $700,000 -- helped along the way by a wealthy Florida entrepreneur who pledge $1.3 million. It didn't phase Oral one bit that the Florida man makes his money (lots of it, by the way) through a string of dog-racing tracks where mortals can part with their hard-earned cash by putting a ten-spot on the nose of a greyhound. No sir. Oral didn't even flinch when $1.3 million from the wages of sin was dumped on his desk. Why, Oral dispatched his own private jet to bring his Florida benefactor and the cheque to Ministry headquarters. Oral's idea for raising money worked so well, he now says there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to bring in $8 million every year until the Second Com- ing of Christ. We're not sure if God is still threatening to bring good old Oral home if the faithful fall a few bucks short. Oral is no slouch when it comes to tapping the flock for cash so that he can continue to do God's work here on earth. I mean, how can you argue with a guy who talks to God. Oral and his little trip to the end of the rainbow has been in the news recently almost as much as another good old nreacher by the name of Jim Bakker and his good wife Tammy Faye. Jimmy, up to very recently was the driving force behind Praise the Lord Ministry (that's PTL, for short) Tammy Faye, when she wasn't singing the praises of the Lord over the air-waves, had togo out to work, sell- ing make-up, just to augment the family income. Anyway, it seems a few shor! years ago, poor old Jimmy got himself into a bit of rouble with another lady. The PTL Ministry said that won't do. Jimmy and Tammy Faye have been banished from the TV air- waves, forced to retire to their humble. California homestead, where they can while away the time tinker- ing under the hood of a Rolls Royce parked beside the Mercedes in the driveway. Tammy Faye must have sold a powerful lot of cosmetics. Seriously, the trials and tribulations of Oral Roberts, the Bakkers and the apparent power struggle within the PTL Ministry (Praise the Loot, as one cori- mentator called it) make fascinating reading. What is even more fascinating is the amount of money involved in television preaching, evangelical- style. One estimate I read put the take each year in the States at over $2 billion, that's tax-free by the way. I find it hard not to snicker when a guy like Oral Roberts can stand up and say the Lord will call him home if he doesn't raise $8 million. - But how can you snicker when not only does he raise the bread, he says he'll keep on raising a similar amount until the Second Coming. _ One can conclude that the medium of television as a method of raising funds for any cause is extremely powerful and effective; or there are a lot of people out there who must feel they can buy a ticket to ever-lasting bliss by sending a few bucks to Oral Roberts. The sums of money are enormous. I wonder how many bake sales and strawberry socials in the church basement it would take to raise $2 billion in a single year. Maybe as these TV preachers continue to receive unfavourable and unflattering publicity about all the problems away from the pulpit, fewer people will be in- clined to dig into their pockets to pass the loot. Religion is a very private matter for each in- dividual, of course. I happen to like my religion sprinkl- ed liberally with such things as humility, modesty and charity towards the other guy, not the ones doing the preaching. IT WAS ONLY A JOKE. The reaction to last week's "story" on page two in the Port Perry Star about a prison coming to the Fairgrounds has been mixed. Most people saw it for what it was: a tongue in cheek April Fool's spoof. And a good number of readers have told me they got a chuckle when reading the story, which was the intent of the spoof. But there are some people with no sense of humour at all. More than a few phoned the Star office to com- plain that it was in bad taste, etc. And a few others were convinced the story was true and a new prison indeed would be built there. Those people better dust off the old specs and sign up for remedial reading courses at PPHS. . It was a spoof, only a spoof for April Fool's Day, and I thought the final paragraph spelled that out plainly enough. Obviously not. I guess I should have known better. For those who are offended, my apologies. But where's your sense of humour? (Turn to page 6) Yesterday's Memories 70 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 4, 1917 Mr. Soloman Fralick and family, Scugog have moved to Reach where Mr. Fralick will work on the Johnson farm. He lived for 60 years in Scugog and was recording steward of the Methodist Church for 40 years. Messrs. Hardy Purdy and Clifford Jackson have enlisted-with "Despatch Riders." They leave for overseas April 19th. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Lyle have moved to Dunbarton where Mr. Lyle will manage a farm for an English Major. Mr. Geo. Raines is moving to Mrs. Atter's house on Bigelow Street. Mr. Oliver Thompson, Prospect, is being transferred from the Stouffville Standard Bank to Colborne. 45 YEARS AGO : Thursday, April 9, 1942 The Ontario County Holstein Banquet was held in the United Church. President Mr. Roy Ormiston was chairman for the evening. © Mr. and Mrs. Percy Jeffrey have moved into their new home recently vacated by Mr. Fred Crozier. . Mr. George Raymes, Port Perry, recently celebrated his 90th birthday. oo Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Bert Wanamaker, Toronto, on the birth of a son. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 4, 1957 . The ice went out of Lake Scugog on April 2nd. This is muc earlier than last year when the ice hung around until April 25th. Port Perry Mill rate was set - Residential 66.5 mills; Commer- cial 72 mills. Mr. John Greenwood, Cedar Creek was in Toronto as a delegate to the merger meeting of the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Ontario Provincial Federation of Labour. Mrs. Jessie Hope flew to'Scotland recently to visit relatives. Mr. Dan Nichols, Times Gazette carrier, qualified for-a trip to Buffalo. 20 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 6, 1967 On Tuesday evening, March 28th, Sidney Lorraine Channey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Channey, Port Perry was honoured by the St. John Ambulance {Whitby Brigade), when she was presented with a plaque for her quick thinking when she saved the life of-a 16-year-old girl last summer in Jamaica. ! 3 Catherine Nicholls, a piano student of Mrs. J. E. Jackson won "top honours and the Keith Rynard Trophy in Class 12 and under, on Piano Day at the recent Music Festival held in Sunderland. Murray Carnaghan and Neil McLaughlin joined other Cartwright "and Port Perry boys and played hockey in Young Canada Week at Goderich last Thursday morning. Mrs. M. McMillan has recently returned from Calgary, Alber- ta. where she attended the wedding of Miss Jo Anne Pickard to Mr Gary Peterson of Vancouver. : (Turn to page 6) Letters Beliefs & tactics unorthadoxed To The Editor: It has recently come to our atten- tion that the Toronto Humane Socie- ty has initiated a campaign to solicit new members outside the Toronto area. This campaign is targeted at | Ontario residents, some of whom have never been active with Humane Societies anywhere in the province, SL Before surrendering to their ap- peal for money, local residents - should he aware of the facts. The Toronto Humane Society has recent- ly taken a new direction .... that of the Animal Rights Movement. The radical movement began with -the recent election of Vicki Miller as president of the society. Ms. Miller, also founder. and national co- ordinator of the activist group ARK 11, has been the cause of much con- troversy within the Humane Socie- ty Federation of the province. You're in good hands To The Editor: - I was in an automobile accident on Friday, March 20, 1987. I want to take this opportunity to commend the Port Perry Am- bulance Attendants for their knowledge, efficiency and the speedy manner in which they got rhe out of my car. I have heard various comments from city and country people alike concerning inadequate "small town emergency services. These Challenge accepted Dear Sir: : Through you I would like to in- form the "'Phantom' that sreenbank-Epsom Schools accept the challenge. We are ready and anxious to prove that Scugog Township children are the fittest! Yours truly, (Mrs) C. Hamilton, Principal Greenbank-Epsom Public Schools 'remarks are unfounded and unfair in my experience. I must say that this attitude is very negative. The attendants who came to my aid projected an air of confidence that made me know I was in good hands. Special thanks to the off duty at- tendant in the "yellow sweater." Port Perry is a wonderful, caring community -- let's stop criticizing and support our Local Emergency Services. They are there when we need them. Yours truly. Gary W. Cleeton, Blackstock Her unorthodox beliefs and tactics have sprouted the recent dramatic decline in public support for the organization. This, I would imagine. is what has precipitated her plea for support from unsuspecting residents outside of the Toronto area. However, it is presumptuous ~ of Ms. Miller to expect our support for her society when our local organizations are equally in need of such funding. There is a vast difference between animal rights and animal welfare. The Ontario Trappers Association supports and encourages Humane Societies that operate on an animal welfare basis and solidly believes that they need our support. - Leadership, ds~ Ms. Miller has displayed, is not the standard for the. respectable Humane Societies of our province. I urge you -- donate rather to your local Humane Societies. Well established." reputable local organizations deserve your support and will do much more to promote animal welfare on your behalf. Sincerely. James J Donnelly General Manager Ontano Trappers Association North Bay ter to the editor ; Letters to the Editor ... our policy It has always been the policy of this newpspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters col- umn helps make a better community newspaper. We insist. however. that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions. we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name. if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous let- , While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must con- tinue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer -------- 4 ¥