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OPINION
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Jim Bakker makes a returns to evangelism
ERIC ANDRAOS/Tm Bm im kis
T o the cha
grin of tele
vangelist-
weary Christians,
Jim Bakker is back
in the pulpit.
Earlier this
month, Bakker re
entered the public
spotlight wijh an
appearance at the First Assembly of God
Church in Fort Myers, Fla. The warm re
ception he received from the 2,700 wor
shippers in attendance shows how selec
tive the public’s memory can be. It is
remarkable that a seedy sex-embezzle
ment scandal can be forgotten so easily.
Hopefully, no one will take Bakker’s
reappearance as a minister too seriously.
I lis criminal past and the questionable
tactics he continues to use today cast a
shadow of doubt on his attempt at obtain
ing redemption. Reserv ations people
may have about Bakker should not be
forgotten, lest they be doomed to repeat
the past.
Bakker and his former wife, Tammy,
were the “first couple” of televised reli
gious programming in the mid-1980s.
Their juggernaut PLT Ministries enjoyed
unparalleled success, raking in millions
of dollars in donations from viewers.
"The PLT Club” and “The Jim Bakker
Show" were mainstays on major market
television stations around the world.
Thanks to the PLT empire, Bakker was
regarded as one of the foremost authori
ties on morality and decency.
This regard and stature makes his
fall from grace all the more hilarious.
On March 19, 1987, Bakker was forced
to resign his position in the ministry
due to revelations of infidelity in his
past. A former secretary, Jessica 1 lahn,
revealed their Dec. 6, 1980 sexual en
counter.
The resulting media frenzy uncov
ered more wrongdoing in Bakker’s
past. Questions about his business deal
ings quickly surfaced. Soon alter, a
grand jury found evidence that Bakker
had defrauded his followers of $158
million during his tenure at PLT Min
istries. He was tried and convicted of
conspiracy and fraud in 1989 and was
sentenced to 45 years in prison, a sen
tence that was eventually commuted.
The images of Bakker being
marched off to the big house were ab
solutely cringe-inducing. Videotape of
a slumped and sobbing Bakker literally
being dragged from his home in shack
les were splashed all over the news.
How could this bastion of morality
have sunk so low?
To be able to forgive Bakker is one
thing — forgiveness is completely rea
sonable at this point. The man deserves
the opportunity to wipe the slate clean
and redeem himself. But to allow this
master manipulator the opportunity to
regain his past levels of influence and
power would be very naive and short
sighted.
Not surprisingly, Bakker’s skill at
manipulation reappeared in his sermon
at the First Assembly of God Church.
“Some of you hate me, I can tell,”
Bakker told the congregation. “How
many of you want to go to heaven?”
As the members of the congrega
tion slowly raised their arms high in
the air, Bakker pulled the ultimate of
underhanded moves — he pointed into
the crowd and declared, “You’ve got to
love me!”
Since when was Jim Bakker anoint
ed the sole gatekeeper to heaven? Who
does he think he is — Saint Peter?
Bakker has a lot of nerve questioning
the faith of Christians simply because
they do not support him. To draw a par
allel between a person’s devotion to
God and their trust in Bakker is blas
phemous. It perverts the purpose of
Christianity beyond recognition.
Granted, any sensible person would
laugh off Bakker’s rationalization as
garbage.
But one has to keep in mind that
there are many impressionable people
out there who w ill gobble it up, the
type of people Bakker preyed on be
fore his imprisonment. All of this eeri
ly foreshadows the possibility of
Bakker returning to his shady methods
of the past.
Clearly, it would be foolish to accept
the new Jim Bakker with no reserva
tions. It must always be kept in mind
that this man is a convicted felon who
turned his back on his so-called virtues
and easily manipulated the masses.
David Lee is a junior economics
and journalism major.
Colorado Supreme Court should uphold anti-protester law
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three anti-abortion actix ists, part
of a group Of protesters referring
to themselves as "sidewalk coun
selors," recently appealed a Colorado
Supreme Court ruling upholding the
1993 law that set up a 100 foot zone
around the entrance of any health care
facility. Inside the zone, people may
not “knowingly approach another per
son within eight feet” for the purpose
of handing out literature or engaging in
“oral protest, education or counseling” without consent. The
sidewalk counselors appealed the case to the United States
Supreme Court on the grounds that their free speech was be
ing violated. The ease is currently before the court.
Jay Sekulow, the lawyer representing the three demon
strators, argued the speech in question was “speech in a pub
lic forum.” I lowever, there are few conversations that cannot
be carried on from a distance of eight feet, provided both
parties want to participate. In the words of Chief Justice
Rehnquist, “Speech in a public forum typically refers to a
soapbox where people gather around, not to face to face con
versation from an eighth of an inch.”
The Colorado law in no way inhibits the activists’ right to
freedom of speech. It simply saves potential medical clients
from being forcibly bombarded with a “product” they do not
wish to be sold.
In the past, there have been two separate court injunctions
because of repeated incidents of violence outside clinics. In
an environment as emotionally charged as an abortion clinic,
the likelihood for violence is simply too great to allow un
wanted contact between clients and protesters.
Sidewalk counselors often use any means necessary to
get their message across. In doing so, they often make dan
gerous and incorrect assumptions about human nature, then
act on the assumptions to harass clients.
According to an instruction manual for sidewalk coun
selors from webcom.com, “A mother who is crying does not
want the abortion. You must redouble your efforts ... Do not
let up on her no matter how tired you are.” The instructions
fail to recognize that the woman could be crying for many
reasons — for example, family opposition or opposition
from a significant other. It is doubtful that even a psychiatrist
would be so presumptuous as to make such drastic assump
tions about the psyche of someone he or she has never met.
The manual also instructs counselors to “Stand directly in
her path,... If she walks past you, follow alongside her.” By
following this course of action, the counselors assume that
persistence will always prevail. But they fail to consider that
forcing their unwanted presence on someone who has al
ready expressed disinterest is a better way to cause a disrup
tion than to get their point across.
The instructions further direct, “It is far better to be too
aggressive in approaching these mothers than to be timid.”
Apparently, the protesters do not comprehend that it is sel
dom better to use a blow torch when a match will suffice.
If the above methods do not work, sidewalk counselors are
advised to take more severe measures. The manual states:
“From time to time you will run across a situation in which a
woman is prevented from leaving the abortion mill by the
start... ”
The counselors are advised to go inside and ask to see the
mother. The manual then instructs, “When they give you some
excuse why you cannot see her do not take no for an answer.
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
Walk boldly through the entire abortion mill shouting her
name, opening doors, and looking for her.... Get physical with
the staff if they try to block you.... Stop at nothing to get the
mother out of there.”
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School vouchers prove to be beneficial
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I t has been well-docu
mented that the United
States public school
system has many prob
lems. The system needs a
major policy change,
preferably one that does
not cost more than the
present system. The only
educational options open
to parents at this time are moving to a better school
district or sending their children to private schools.
However, low-income parents do not have either of
these options.
The idea of school vouchers, grants given to par
ents of underprivileged students that attend poorly-
run public schools, is a good one. These vouchers
would help offset the cost of private education, and
information from the National Center for Policy
Analysis (NCPA) proves that the voucher programs
already implemented in several school districts
have been beneficial. Vouchers are cost-effective,
improve students’ academic performance and aid
public schools.
The first issue when considering a voucher pro
gram is the cost. Private schools traditionally have
exorbitant price tags, but public schools now spend
an average of $7,000 per student, twice the average
cost of private schools. The NCPA documents the
average per-pupil spending by the 300 largest in
ner-city public school districts as very close to the
national average of per-pupil spending. The prob
lem with deteriorating school facilities in these ar
eas is more often a sign of mismanagement than a
lack of funds.
Most voucher proponents suggest giving each
parent around $3,000 per student, which is enough
for enrollment at most private elementary schools.
That payout brings a savings of $4,000 per student
per year for the public school system. The public
school students and teachers would benefit further
since their schools would have fewer students,
amounting to smaller, more manageable classes.
There are some locations where the voucher sys
tem has been tried, and it worked. Milwaukee and
Cleveland are two large cities in the United States
that have dismal records of success in their public
schools. The NCPA states that less than half of Mil
waukee freshmen graduate, and only 4 percent of
eighth-graders in Cleveland pass algebra. Both have
started offering vouchers to over 3,000 low-income
students.
Alternative forms of
education must be compared
to the presently
disproportionate system
Studies done on voucher programs in Milwau
kee showed that after three years in the program,
students receiving vouchers started showing in
creases in test scores which compounded each sub
sequent year. A Stanford study of the Cleveland
voucher program found the average student gained
5.5 percentage points in reading and 15 percentage
points in math between the fall of 1996 and the
spring of 1997. Plans to expand these programs
have been approved by both the Ohio and Wiscon
sin legislatures.
There has been some concern that vouchers, by
increasing the number of private school students
would create a system of haves and have-nots.
While there may be an inequality in the wealth of
private school students versus public school stu
dents, the present system does not give students
equality in the caliber of their education. To solve
this, alternative forms of education must be com
pared to the presently disproportionate system.
Vouchers would reduce the educational gap that
exists between the rich and poor, since they would
only be given out only to less-fortunate children.
James Coleman of Equality and Achievement in
Education, found that the level of integration in
schools is higher in private than public schools. The
level of voluntary integration in school cafeterias
was higher in private schools as well, according to a
study done by Jay Greene and Nicole Mellow.
Vouchers offer more students access to the range of
benefits that social integration provides.
While not every student will be able to attend his
or her first choice school, the voucher system would
vastly increase the number of appropriate educa
tional environment choices for each student.
In Japan, the value of expanding a student’s
choices has been realized. Japan’s thriving educa
tional market makes schools expand their opera
tions, just as businesses in other industries do. As
successful schools begin to have more applicants,
the schools expand their facilities. In America,
money available from vouchers could be used to
add new classrooms and teachers in order to im
prove both private and public schools.
Do not be surprised to hear more about this pro
gram as the clock ticks toward Nov 2. Gov. Jcb
Bush made Florida the first in the nation to imple
ment a statewide voucher program last June. His
brother. Gov. George W. Bush, discussed a similar
plan for Texas involving stripping federal funds
from underperfonning schools and giving that mon
ey to parents in September — smart man, consider
ing that 79 percent of Americans are looking for im
provements to schools as a platform of the
candidates in the 2000 presidential race, according
to WorldNetDaily’s David Limbaugh.
The public school system has not always been as
it is today, and Americans need to change the failing
system. Vouchers may prove to be a viable way to
shape up America’s education system.
Jill Riley is a senior
journalism major.
The sidewalk counselors have apparently failed to realize
that “abortion mills” are professional medical centers which
can legally refuse visitation.
The Colorado law was not passed because pro-choice ad
vocates want to suppress the opinions of the protesters, but
because of reckless actions such as the ones described above.
Debbie McCall, Director of Community Services for
Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas, stated:
“1 do not have a problem with the protesters. I have a prob
lem only when they start judging and harassing the clients.”
McCall expressed concern that the protesters could occa
sionally be dangerous to the welfare oi themselves and oth
ers. She described how the protesters have often tried to keep
cars from entering the Planned Parenthood parking lot, once
nearly causing a wreck.
Thoughtless speech that is detrimental to the immediate
welfare of others is illegal in any form. Freedom of speech is
not absolute — hence the classic example of yelling “fire” in
a crowded theater. If setting an eight foot boundary will re
duce the risk of bodily harm to both parties involved, it
should be enacted and enforced without further delay.
The Colorado law does not silence protesters — the ac
tivists are still allowed to demonstrate, as well as to invite
clients to speak with them about options other than abortion.
The law simply gives the clients a right to decide for them
selves whether they want to speak with the counselors —
the same freedom of choice the United States is reputed to
provide everyone.
Jessica Crutcher is a sophomore
journalism major.
MAIL CALL
Faith alone not
worthy of election
/n response to Heather Corbell’s
Jan. 28 column.
Few can deny that character is,
and should be, an important con
sideration when considering a can
didate for public office.
But it is not the only considera
tion. It is foolish to assume that
because Gov. Bush appears to be
a good and decent man that he is,
for that reason alone, “fit to lead a
nation.”
The mere fact of professing
himself a sincere Christian is no
guarantee that Bush possesses
any of the traits necessary to be a
successful President.
His Christian faith may mean
that if elected President, his con
stituents need not expect any
“Clintonesque” scandals — but it
does not necessarily mean that
the policies he advocates will
prove effective, appropriate or
even intelligent. Character is, of
course, an important considera
tion — but not all well meaning
men and women of impeccable
character are fit to be the next
President.
I suspect that character is not
the real issue with Corbell, howev
er, so much as the fact that the
governor is Christian.
I cannot help but wonder if Cor
bell would be so glowing in her
praise if Gov. Bush happened to
be a sincere and devout Jew for
whom Moses was the favorite po
litical philosopher “because he
changed [the governor’s] heart”.
Or if Bush .happened to be a
Muslim, a Hindu, or a Buddhist.
Or a man of integrity and charac
ter who happened to be an agnos
tic.
Above all, in spite of the sin
cerity of his professions of Christ
ian faith, the showcasing of sec
tarian religious beliefs in the very
public manner of the governor
only serves to alienate Americans
who are either not religious or not
Christian — and betrays the gov
ernor's lack of sensitivity toward
the significant religious minorities
of our nation.
Nathaniel Rich
Class of '01
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