Newspapers / Mars Hill University Student … / Feb. 26, 1975, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO MARS HILL COLLEGE HILLTOP WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 15 *EDNESD5 \ 5i5\Sl5\SlSl0l01Sl5lSlSl5lSlSlSlSlS15lS\g 7 ^ I L 'ifSi ■5T Recently, a few articles have appeared concerning the tremendous sums of money some religions spend on themselves. The most recent appeared in a favored little magazine (favored because it does have courage to occassionally oppose the medium it flourishes off of) and quoted some facts and figures that are startling to say the least. In an article entitled That Old Time Religion Goes Big Time, TV Guide (TV Guide? TV Guide!) examines the move from sawdust to TV’s glaring lights. Written by a man with the charming name of Neil Hickey, the article sports such phrases as “the super media age," “elec tronic preachers,” and “television ‘cathedrals.’ ’’ As a preface to what is to come, we should state that we have found the major ity of these television religions to be appaling in the light of what is happening - and has happened - in the real world. We know that this will automatically put a heretical brand on us by some people and perhaps by some groups; however, we see as de meaning, for example, Billy Graham issuing statements like edicts, and then blithely breaking them. Such as the Rev. Dr. Graham’s edict that teenagers should never be allowed to marry and then announcing his 17 year old daughter’s marriage. Or recently, when he was visiting a primitive outback country and learned that the penalty for rape was castration, which he agreed was a just and fair penalty and that more rapes would be de terred if this penalty was enforced elsewhere. When he returned to this country it was saddening (as well as amusing because you knew it was gonna’ happen) to watch his gyrations as he attempted to discredit his statement to his angry followers. Not that I am picking especially on the Rev. Dr. Graham, all of the TV religions are at fault. Look at some of the figures quoted by TV Guide. Rex Humbard spends $3 million a year for the purchase of air time alone and that figure does not include the additional enormous amount spent for production and operat ing costs. In fact, Humbard’s business activities caught the eye of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1973, and as a result, he has had to curtail his outside business interests. Orai Roberts, once the best (and most controversial) “faith healer” known, has parlayed his activities into a $30 million university, of which he is the president, and a television syndication that generates $15 million a year. Garner Ted Arm strong is head of a $50 million empire. What has all of this done to religion? An FCC official told TV Guide that the gargantuan sums of money that are spent by the television religions are dis quieting, and they advise stations that the stations have a responsibility for their programming and should use reasonable diligence to assure that the stations’ facilities are not being used just to solicit contributions. Dr. Everett Parker, director of communications of the United Church of Christ, made a comment in the article that we find most enlightening. “Most of these people are on television to make money to be on television to make money—ad infinitium. They don’t do anything else. The major Protestant faiths spend about as much a year on food relief in India, Africa, and South America as one television evangelist does to buy TV time. But he doesn’t spend any money to help anybody.” We think that last statement is worth repeating— “He doesn’t spend any money to help anybody.” In thinking over the statements made by the TV religions, that statement doesn’t sound as original as it might. Oral Roberts theme is ‘Something good is going to happen to you.” Rex Humbard proudly announces the size and scope of his television facilities. The most bizarre of the TV evangelists is Rev. Ike. If you haven t caught the Rev. Ike show, you must make an effort to see at least one. Based in New York, Rev Ike earnestly ad vises his followers to pray for money. “The lack of money is the root of all evil,” he told TV Guide, “Why worship in some store front church waiting to die so you can have pie in the sky? Get yours now, with ice cream on top.” Perhaps people have become too accustomed to church on Sundays, life the rest of the week and if we attend, then we’re saved. But that’s not the way it works. The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead (see James 2:20). We rather tend to feel the way Episcopalian priest Malcolm Boyd does. He told TV Guide “I’m simply overwhelmed and baffled at the spectacle of religious figures buying an hour of prime time and coming on with big entertainers. The preacher becomes a kind of super- star, and values get lost in this process.” Right on Rev. “Instead of exploiting and manipulating people, it’s preferable to try and serve people: feeding them, tutoring them, educating them, improving their housing, visiting them in jails, working with parolees, counseling them. That to me is evangelism. Con fronted by these needs, I have difficulty seeing evangelism as a bright, glittering, starstudded hour on prime time television.” Now there are probably a fairly large number of people who have become Christians by hearing these people on TV, or by attending one of Dr. Graham’ Crusades (at least he does get out in the field — but why does it always seem like a circus is coming to town when one of his crusades arrive?). But what happens to these people when the bright lights and big names have gone? Does the harsher light of reality cause them to back slide? Where are the figures on what these people have done? Personally, we find it hard to be counselled in our pro blems by a man who drives a luxury automobile and wears $300 hand tailored suits. But the revival we have just ex perienced on campus is an example of how well Chris tians can work. I think it may have shocked some people. They did not expect as many students to support the revival as did. In addition, the after effects have increased the awareness of what a revival such as Happening ’75 can accomplish. Not only did col lege students, noted for cynicism and anti-religious behavior, attend in large numbers, but they financially supported the event, a rare occurrence indeed. We salute the organizers of the revival, and will support and help those who first came to know Christ as a result of the revival. This is what it is all about. - John H. Campbell The basis of the capitalist system is profit. It is because the worker is paid for less than he or she produces that the owner can make a profit. Exploitation is inevitable in a capitalist society. This ex ploitation is not only of the workers within a capitalist nation but exploitation of worldwide markets and sources of material. Thisworld- wide exploitation of workers and sources of material goes by the name of imperialism. Beyond this is the insight that the United States social wel fare system is directly based on maintaining the profit making markets of capitalism in America. The patching-up one prob lem at a time (residual) character of welfare programs in the United States is a func tional necessity for capitalism. By demeaning and punishing those who do not work, even the most menial paid labor in contrast is exalted. It will remain exalted so long as the relief system is inferior in providing resources as com pared to those “resources” that can be obtained from the lowest wage work imaginable. How is this maintained? It is maintained in two paradoxi cal ways. The United States social welfare system is so residual, provides such a demeaning standard of living, that workers are economical ly afraid to become a part of the system. This says little of the fear of having one self labelled within the wel fare system. A fear which may not be empirically measurable but is promoted by idealization of American ideals that were never reality. This method has much to do with keeping people from choosing (if the choice is there) welfare rather than work. The welfare system of a capitalist nation will never be operated in a broad sense where it will compete with the lowest wage structure systems that exist. The second way and the big tragedy is that there is a segment of the population that is kept in desolation. It is positively functional under capitalism for there to be a powerless portion of the population. This portion of the population from Marx to modern writers has gone by many names. For the purpose of this rave it shall be called the reserve army of the unemployed. What is its positive func tion? With a “maintained” portion of the population unemployed capitalists hold the upper hand on a large scale over workers’ demands. In a sense, the management is always and must always be in a sellers’ market where what little wages and bene fits it has to offer are on a take it or leave it basis. If one per son does not for some reason want to work under the con ditions the employer has set up, he has the choice to quit and look for superior work arrangements or fall into the welfare system. Either way, the employer has the reserve army of unemployed from which he can find a recruit who will at least on a tem porary basis be improving his position by escaping from the welfare system. This is not a theoretical assumption but an operational reality day in and day out in America. This says nothing of the reserve army of the unemployed that exists in America because of the United States’ before men tioned imperialist policies. The bourgeoisie do business in underdeveloped countries where the wage structure is even inferior to the welfare of support structure in America In this way, the big capitalists are able to undercut those the reserve army of the un employed even more and the same time increass profits through lower wag* structures. Pity to those underdeveloped countries of “welfare.” They exist on stratum three levels belo** that of the already exploits'^ American worker! Two points here are that welfare with emphasis prevention of poverty ratha' than maintainance of the po^' (developmental welfare) afi* full employment in Americ* are just big jokes so long America remains a bocf geoisie-middle class-prol*' tariat country. The paradox is that tf welfare system maintains tltj poor at such a level that will never compete with tt'* lowest wage structure America. This is done to keaf those in the working force* the lowest levels in the wof» ing force. At the same tim®’ is positively functional there to be a reserve army®| unemployed workers on wa^l fare or slowly dying who '*f,j jump at any chance to becoi^ part of the work-wage system This pardox keeps the pc'*! in the capitalist hands and tf poor at their “mercy.” Bits from '^hile '^ere fc terdror ^learlj ^ Oge siderir Sj-norit ed. attenti f’REAKS by Dick Newsoff^ BITS & bRlEF$ OPEN DORM POLL RESULTS for As called the Senate l^®*" Spring,Benny SproU^® joih* Man Speaker of Council, was to taK« Eric G£ ew^vid Ma - he att( junic a student poll gather opinions co^ cerning the posS*-1 bility of having do^ S'-’” 1^9-51 fi, Floi In weekly open visitation poli*'^^ Here are some suits. Out of 1/^^, 24) coK students surveys only were ftsion. 0;. ^ince is^orof Atj to „ l^'ssions Mr be lected, (more woi* have been appreci^ for '^ent to a Ba ors I°loc in is, 21 ed) that ^ of the on-camP^^ student body, students or 19% continued on three THE EDITOR ASS'T EDITOR. ADVERTISING EDITORS ADVISOR WRITERS TYPISTS. PHOTOS. Hilltop Staff .SARAH TRA . . BEN LIVE ,j)( .VERNON THOMASON, CHUCK HEff' JOHN CAMP^^ nRVTn MrciFF. .ttm .DAVID MCGEE, JIM SUSAN GEO) ERIC GARNER, SUSAN DICK NEWSOME MARK GR^ BECKY STONE, JEAN ^ CHERYL THOMAS, BELINDA LISA SAMPSON, SHAWN RUTH ROLEDER, CHARLIE ^ .DAVID HA» mately every Hill College. Mars Hill, N.C. ing rates are $2.50/column inch. The HILLTOP is published two weeks by the students appf^ at Mailing address is Box - Adverts,^ 28754. Phone 689-1250. logical S( Exc fes fact $10 tai educ nati oth ItlUs Sec: s ba info Corp 919 Subscription rate ig $2.00/ , to c ■''Urq'' Sot I ,OPer;p W hj;ovid Ihan*
Mars Hill University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 26, 1975, edition 1
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