EDITORIALS &
’.il .
Materialism - Is It God?
“Honor the Lord with thy sub
stance, and with the first fruits of
all thine increase,’ says the Bible
in Proverbs 3:9. Some so-called
preachers of the electronic or
television ministry, have inter
preted, or more accurately, pro
stituted this verse to mean that
they should “layeth up treasures
for (them)self...” but ignore the
latter part of this verse from
Luke 12:21 which says a person
with such treasures "...is not
rich toward God.”
It appears to us that three
recent news reports about cler
gymen who claim to have
brought millions of people to
Jesus Christ have themselves
stepped away from Christ be
cause of a blinding quest for
increased wealth and riches for
themselves on this earth.
Quite evidently we are refer
ring to recent reports that Jim
Bakker, Oral Roberts and
Robert Schuller, three of the
major television ministry per
sonalities have each alleged act
ed as "...the ungodly,* who
prosper in the wOrfd;* (and)
increase in riches." (Ps. 73:12).
Jim Bakker’s PTL ministry re
portedly spent 3440,000 recently
on an oceanfront condominium
in Florida and on new PTL studio
dressing" rooms for Jim and his
Wife, Tammy, that are equipped
with gold-plated plumbing fix
tures. Ironically, the decision to
make this expenditure in v
October, 1982, was at a time
when PTL was claiming it was in
a serious "financial crisis" and
had laid-off nearly 100 of its
employees. Ironically, too, is the
fact that a personal* aid of Jim
Bakker’s was supervising the
purchases and decorations while
Bakker was Claiming he had
asked his board not to buy the
condo and the board reportedly
claiming it approved a condo
purchase but had no knowledge
of the sales price.
TV Ministry
It appears Hiat Jiii Bakkei*
may need to re-read that part of
2 Kings' 12:13 which says,
“Howbeit there were not made
for the house of the Lord bowls of
silver...vessels of gold...But they
gave that to the workmen.”
' The Rev. Oral Roberts, an
ordained minister, reportedly
said he has received a personal
message from God to solicit to
pledge of $240, or $20 per month
per' person for one year to en
able him to complete building his
city ot Tower of Faith because
“God has picked me (Roberts) to
fTnd'a cure for cancer.”
We sincerely hope God has
sent such a message to' Oral
Roberts, or anyone else, if it'will
result in finding a solution to the
dreaded disease of cancer. How
f"
ever; we have to wonder why if
Rev. Roberts is certain of God’s
message he does not solicit
financial assistance from some
of the research foundations as
opposed to, as one person claims,
soliciting help from retired peo
ple on fixed incomes.
The book of Genesis (11:3)
notes “...let us build us a city and
a tower...to reach unto heaven.”
An the scripture adds God was
not pleased with man’s plan. We
think Oral'Roberts should renew
his understanding of why God
opposed the building of such a
tower before further soliciting in
the name of God’s work.
Lastly, the Rev. Dr. Robert
Schuller, pastor of the Garden
Grove (Calif.) Crystal Cathe
dral, an $18 million glass Church
has reportedly been charging
people $12 and $17 for tickets to
attend concerts in the church.
Readi Ihto Heawai
California tax officials claim
that since the church is being
used for a variety of profit
making enterprises,' it must pay
about $200,000 annually in taxes.
Again, we look to theBible as a
basis for questioning the wisdom
or lack of it, behind Dr. Schull
er’s use of his church for com
mercial purpose when he al
ready has a relatively wealthy
10,000 member tide-paying con
gregation and a prosperous te
levision evangelist ministry.
Matthew 21:12 says, “Jesus went
into the temple of God, and cast
out all them that sold and bought
in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the money-changers...”
While The Post is mindful too
that Jesus has said, “He that is
without sin..liet him first cast a
stone,” (John 8:7), we believe
that anyone who chooses to
question or criticize what these
apparent money-hungry televi
sion ministers are doing should
look to the Bible as a basis for
such criticism because the Bible
is supposedly the source of
strength of these alleged men of
God. Each of these men'will face
judgment before God’s Court.
A TEAM WITH CHARACTER
When Dean Smith’s Tar Heel
basketball team got off to a very ,
poor start this school year
losing half its first six games,
and again when their 18 game
winning streak was broken
which cost them their No. 1
national ranking, his comments
were always irt the context of
'*We” did or did not do some
thing.
...And One Without
Earlier in Hal Wissel’s con
tinued march toward a losing
season with his UNCC 49ers, he
publicly criticized one of his
players then apologized for it.
THE CHARLOTTE POST
—
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BLACK COMHUHirmS *
THAT CARE ABOUT THE
BLACK FUTURE,SHOULD
HELP IMPOSE ORDER
HHERE NEEDED.
Answer To "Block On Black " Crime....Better Team Work!
'_ . * ■
^_ _
' < • /*
Ho.
H&e SeUton:
I > I
Still Living In Racist Society
m_ ■ ■ •
In viewing the new on TV
and reading the Observer
March 11, 1983, I find my
self still living in a racist
society. A society where
we, as black people, are
made guilty before due
process of the law. In our
Democratic society, we as
American citizens are inno
cent until proven guilty.
The new media has a way
of dealing with blacks who
are accused of committing
a crime. It tries us, and
makes us guilty before a
fair trial, by making sure
the public knows we are
Mack by parading pictures
on the front page of the
papa-.
We in the community
have yet to see a picture of
the white man charged
with sexual misconduct in
volving young children at a
Pen Pal Needed
+ *
Dear Sir:
I am incarcerated in the
North Carolina prison sys
tem and the loneliness that
surrounds me is far than
any man should have to
pndure. I’d greatly appre
ciate it if you would place
my ad in your paper, in
topes that someone out
there will see it and be
willing to accept my friend
ship.
I am a 32 year old black
male, 5’ll”m ISO pounds,
and would love to hear
from anyone.'
Until I hear from you, I
will remain.
Very traly yours,
Floyd Howie
835 W. Morgan Si.
Raleigh, NC 27503
Rinuergurien tne nas Deen
arrested a second time),
but the picture of the black
teacher from Hawthorne
Junior High made head
lines. a big picture, also the
pictures of the young black
men accused of robbery in
Texas.
Let me say here I do not
condone anyone, black or
white, for breaking the law.
My children and I have felt
the results of the double
standards in printing the
news about blacks and the
black community in a
white paper. My late bus
oand, the Bishop George J.
L«ake III, was always a
target foe the news and the
TV.
Are we still living in the
60s? Will we ever be ac
cepted as true American
citizens with a heritage?
Must we always be the ones
to suffer or made to look as
if we are not a proud people
having morals and values?
What will we say as blacks
about this in a black com
munity? Double standards
in a free and Democratic
society?
Mrs. Vilma D. Leake
Black Health Profiles
Dear Editor:
Despite the tremendous
expenditures for health
care which approaches 12
percent of our Gross
National ProAict ,(GNP),
almost SO nilifaAmeri
cans remain with little or
no health insurance.
Health profiles in black
people and other minorities
are far worse than those of
the general population,
with the average life ex
pectancy of immigrants
being only SO years.
Babies born to poor fa
milies are twice as. likely to
die before their first birth
day as babies born to mid
dle-income families. More
than one out of every three
black mothers (age 22-40)
does not receive prenatal
care until they are at least
four months pregnant.
National health insur
ance needs to be one of
America’s priorities for
1963. We should call for a
national health insurance
plan which would provide
for basic health care tor all
Americans; protect all fa
milies from ruinous
medical bills; reform ade
quate health services on
underserved areas and
emphasised preventive
services.
Esther Edwards
Helms Votes “No”
Dear Sir: '
Senators Jesse Helms
and John East voted yes
terday to eliminate the
benefits of 35,000 unem
ployed workers in North
Carolina. It was only
through the good graces of
the 82 senators who voted
for the bill that these 35,000
workers are not losing their
unemployment benefits.
In North Carolina, the
unemployment rate is 10.0
percent. Although there
may be natidnai spokes
men who can glibly say
that the economy is getting
better and that we are
rounding the corner on un
employment. state Rep.
5WIT1I SABRIN^^
Sabrina
Ticket Oii Or Wcridhg Up?
Many young minority athletes believe
their ticket out of the neighborhood is to be a
superstar athlete: they want a ticket out
instead of working up. *A ticket out is only
achieved by a select few exceptional
superstars. Julius Ervings, O. J. Simpsons
and Arthur Ashes' do not come down the
avenue like new Fords. They are bora with
a gift; it is cultivated, supported on its way
up and rewarded upon reaching the ton.
Thousands are good, but few are exception!
al. - -
ut the thousands of good athletes, more
than half are talented in other areas such as
business, technology, art and music. How
ever, because of the obsession with making
the pros one day, these talents go unde
veloped and overlooked. Why? Because
everyone has dreams tf being nationally or
internationally known but sotoetiiiies
dreams get in the wayfof reality. Not to say
that dreams are useless or should not be;
however, they should be put into perspec
tive and parallel with reality.
There is a tendency for parents, teachers
and coaches to push good athletes into the
school starlight and, iti a sense, brainwash
the individual into believing that he or she
will be a professional athlete one day.
Under this approach the team takes over
and neglects the intellect. Athletic develop
ment should parallel intellectual develop
ment, not outweigh it. The days of the dumb
jock are fading; today’s superstar athletes
are well educated and do have something
other than glory to rjly on in the future -
themselves.
working up on the pther hand starts out
as a reality and develops into a dream.
Working one’s day uf> in the neighborhood
and community comes with the realization
of personal and intellectual potential, the
desire apd drive to life everything one can
be. George Jefferson of the TV show “Tte
Jeffersons” is a good example of this belief.
George Jefferson believed that he could
successfully own and run a cleaners and
dreamed of owning a chain of stores - the
rest is known history. There are minorities
who live this life and there are many more
Who could if theif- dfeaiuo did not cloud the
clarity of thinking and planning.
Improving one’s station under the work
ing up theory involves teaching an equili
brium of the body and mind. The strengths
and weaknesses of the body and mind are
realized causing there to be a Competition of
will versus dream. The will being a success
and the dream public celebration. Success
brings with it personal security among the
family and financially. It mekhe living the
life one really wants and enjoyi.
. Working up generally does not neglect
one’s entity of the seif, but demands of all. A
ticket out focuses on only one, ai}rf it is not
the mind. As stated by the United Negro
College Fund- “The Mind Is A Terrible
Thing To Waste,” because it is one of the
greatest resources among minorities. You
decide which is best- a ticket out dr working
Up.
tram IxipOal HUl
Blacks Gearing For All Out Assault On Reaganomics i
Special To The Pool
If the Reagan election
neans anything to bUcks,
t is a blessing in disguise,
oecause not since the 80s
have blacks become so or
ganized to learn and And
ways of really becoming a
part of “we the people” of
the United States Consti
tution.
The Joint Center for
Political Studies launched
a nationwide voter re
gistration drive, which is
highly emphasized by all
Mack political organiza
tions, the Congressional
Black Caucus keeps blacks
Informed of major legisla
tion, that affects them, the
Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights and National
Urban League in their re
cent annual meetings alert
ed blacks of the problems
and the impact their sup
port has had in turning
back some of Ronald Rea
gan’s assaults on civil
rights gains and how they
can continue to prevent the
Administration's anti
black gains.
necemiy, me iSAAcr
held its usual March agen
da session. Thirty-eight
states were represented.
This conference was
planned and organized by
the Washington Bureau,
which translates aasocia*
tion's policies and resolu
tions into legislative pro
Alfred*
grams, mis is done by
closely scrutinizing actions
of both the legislative and
executive branches. Direc
tor of the Washington Bu
reau is Attorney Althea
Simmons. When Clarence
Mitchell held that position
he was often called the
101st senator. Althea tes
tifies before congressional
committees on all Issues
that affect blacks and she
is most often seen button
holing key legislators on
those. She can easily be
considered the biuck
female senator
At the agenda meeting
each attendee was provid
ed with a kit that Included
legislation of deep concern
to blacks, a full back
ground was given on each
piece of crucial legislation,
and names of key .legisla
tors who should be con
tacted, along with the con
stituents’ own represent
stives. The members were
loiu now uiey can partici
pate in the Bureau’s Ope
ration Network, which is
the grassroots lobby de
signed to link NAACP
members to local branches
and state conferences to
monitor civil rights legis
lation.
The chapter mentors
were fully briefed on ef
fects the Reagan proposed
budget with its balanced
budget rhetoric, and defi
cit of nearly t2 billion
echoee freeze on social pro
grams, but at the same
time Is really reducing
funding for these pro
grams. 'n,
unemployment took cen
ter stage because it is the
hub of the wheel, With all
other salient issues. While
President Reagan* talks
about his training pro
gram^ his FY M budget
would reduce total training
by 87.5 percent. This Ad
ministration constantly
emphasizes a minimum
wage, which it states will
cause the private fee tor to
employ and give youth on
the-job training. This was
contradicted by the confer
ence experts. A submini
mum wage of 85 percent of
the 83.85 already exists and
it was found that 30 per
cent of these were teen
agers and 70 percent adult
heads of households
The new Federalism was
shown as a synonym for
■ 15111*. many social
programs have been com
bined, but funding for them
has been cut and non-dis
crimination regulations
have been removed. Rea
gan's Medicare changes '
for 1964 require the co
payments of the patient
and Medicare ; at present it
is free for the first 60 days,
premiums which are pre
sently 912.50 will rise tq
914.90 January 1964. Since
43.5 percent of elderly
black women and 32.3 el
derly black men live far
below the poverty line,
these Medicare cuts will
prove disastrous for them.
Tne President talks
about public housing build
/tip. public housing is sup
posed to have an annual
production of two and a
half million units, he has
cut the construction to less
than a million units. The
conference members were
urged to put pressure on
Senators to prevsot pass
age of the Hatfield amend
ment which requires each
individual to bring a
housing discrimination
case and then he has to
prove “intent."
Title I school funds
which were for special pro
grams to aid low achiev
ers which have proved
highly effective have been
cut. The audience was told
to beware of 'tuition tax
credit and vouchers since
this would divert from
public education which
aerves the majority blacks,
middle and low income
students to private schools
that serve the rich.
Civil Rights Commission
explained the President’s
complete assault on civil
rights gains. Mr. Reagan is
attempting to shape the
Commission in his own con
servative image by
changing appointment cus
tom of only making ap
pointments when vacan
cies occur to replacing
members with persons who
will carry out the Admin
istration's views of weak
ening the Commission. At
tendees were urged to con
fatt Senators Metxenbaum
and Biden, members of the
Senate Judiciary, to con
tinue to hold up all Rea
gan Civil jRights Com
mission appointments#
j this NAACP agenda
ng, after the expert
stations, always
into a constructive
Brgnch members
W«Wy atrealmd that they
that they wens leaving with
increased determination to
*block the R^kgan assaults
(oa black Justice and pro
mom Earns Morrow SchoL_ J
EJlMDetn S. Mom, 5114
Glenbrier Drive, Charlotte,
haa been awarded the
Mary Morrow Scholarship
by the North Carolina
Association of Classroom
Teachers.
Moss, a Junior human
develoment and learning
major at the University of
North Carolina at Char
lotte, was one of eight
students selected for the
WOO scholarship from
across the state. This is the
third straight year that a
UNCC student enrolled In
the College of Human
Development and Learning
has been selected for the
scholarship.