THE RETRIEVER APRIL 7, 1987 PAGE 5 V. Scott Bailey Televangelists are responsible for their own downfall There is no greater fall than the fall of a fulfillment of a prophecy Jesus himself made. and the appeals become more blatant." than Heavenly things. This is the television missionary work, and strengthening local priest or preacher. Common men only have a In the gospel of Mark, Jesus is talking about A key work in the quote is "Faustian." The trap. churches. preachers-of-the-air never seem to be content short distance to descend but a preacher falls the signs of the end times when he says, "First What is confusing to me is that there is a I'm old-fashioned in that I believe that you with what they have. They see the money from Heaven. That's a long drop. the Gospel must be published among all simple and obvious answer to all of this, but I can do more for Christianity by performing In recent weeks we have witnessed a nations." Well, how do you get the Gospel coming in from television viewers and they have never heard it discussed. Why don't want to expand; they always want more. the good works that the Bible speaks of than number of meteoric descents. Take your pick: everywhere? The answer quickly comes back: religious programs allow commercials on by buying a thousand satellites. I do not Jim Bakker's sexual scandal, Tammy Bak- television. Television and satellites transmit Television seems to do this to all of them. their shows? Right now, there are no commer- One factor which quickens the pulse of question that televangelism has done some ker's drug abuse, Oral Roberts' highly ques- mountains of information every second. Why cials; consequently, they must pay all the good, but it has also done a great deal of tionable methods of soliciting donations, or not make Christianity part of that their ambition is the ease with which money costs, or rather they must ask the viewer to flows in the early days of a television ministry, harm. Chief among its victims are the tele- Jimmy Swaggart's hostile takeover attempts information?. pay all the costs. Why? Is there something vangelists themselves who become hopelessly when the operating costs are comparatively and his malicious accusations of Jim Bakker. You can see why the televangelists are so morally offensive about commercials? The entangled in the television trap. Jimmy Swag- low and the number of viewers is high. But as Taken altogether, these things suggest to me zealous. They see themselves as part of the substance of the program would remain un- gart himself admits, "The Gospel of Jesus the expansion begins, the money for air time that there is something more than personal fulfilment of a prophecy. The profits in terms changed and their message would not be Christ has never sunk to such a level as it is becomes scarcer. And there's a funny thing moral weaknesses or professional pettiness in of souls would be enormous. The catch is that diluted with pleas for money. today." It is the preachers themselves who about television air time: it doesn't stay evidence here. The more important observa- the nature of television demands that you I'm sure that companies would want to have brought it down to that level. tion is that televangelism seems quite efficient spend less time thinking about souls, and bought. You have to keep buying it again and advertise on their shows. These televangelists in its ability to corrupt those who work within more time thinking of profits in terms of again. have huge audiences: Jimmy Swaggart is How can the Gospel be vindicated? May- its structure. dollars. Of the $129 million which was contributed watched by two million households, the PTL be accept commercials or maybe get off the air Evangelists heartily embraced television as Reverend William Fore, Executive Direc- to Christian Broadcasting Network in 1985, Club has over a million viewers and the 700 entirely to pursue a more traditional approach the medium by which the Gospel could be tor of Communication for the Nation Council $82 million went to buy air time. Think about Club reaches 468,000 households daily. to God's work. In addition to that, we need taken to the most people possible. In theory of Churches, sums up the situation well: "The it, $82 million. That's a heavy bill, and similar Think of the good that could be done with our televison-wise preachers to start acting the idea is pretty good. Instead of sending a preachers begin their careers wanting to bills hang over all the other TV preachers. If the contributions if they didn't go to air time. more like Christians. million missionaries to a million homes, you establish true ministries but fall victim to their you had to worry about that all the time, All of PTL's $129 million a year, Swaggart's send one preacher to each home by way of own succes and a kind of Faustian bargain: to you'd be as obsessed with money as the $ 142 million a year, Oral Robers' $58 million I'm reminded of a statement by Shaw: television. It's fast and efficient. expand they need ever more viewers, ever televangelists seem to be. Television forces a year, and CBN's $129 million a year could "Christianity would probably be a good thing To the televangelists, television is more more air time and ever more money to buy it. preachers to spend more of their time and go to what has traditionally been considered if anyone ever tried it." Our televangelists than just a nice thing to have; it's the In time the money becomes an end in itself effort thinking about worldly things rather the work or God: helping the poor, funding should try it. Rev. Hope Harle-Mould Voluntary summer internship service can be a rich and rewarding experience

/ believe the one thing that gives life its deepest but once in your life — as a lab of learning and the nation had gotten so deeply in my bones internship in your field of study. Don't worry. internship, keep a journal, have a supervisor, significance is the ability to care. ministry to others? that to the surprise of my family, my semin- There's lots out there. Ms. Barbara Golden, of and when the semester resumed to attend Pablo Casals. In my first summer in graduate school I was ary, and myself, I stayed on for another UMBC's Career Development Office who three follow-up class sessions with all students captivated by Cesar Chavez's United Farm semester of service before finally returning to provided much helpful information for this reporting on their experiences. At the final How would you respond if someone of- Workers movement in California. I had graduate studies in mid-year. article, reports there are far more employers class, when I reported for work with the fered you $500-$3000 toward next year's talked with older students who had been full In addition to getting paid, a second seeking interns than there are students to fill prisoner support-discussion group and my college costs in order to free you to do an time volunteers. I believed in La Causa and approach that can free you for volunteer these positions. Ms. Golden can help you in research and writing of a work packet on entire summer of volunteer service for others, longed to be part of a social change struggle. service is earning course credit. Accumulating thinking about and locating volunteer, intern, Executive Clemency, I met another summer but realistically you knew couldn't afford to Now there were UFW offices in every major these credits might help you graduate a se- and work opportunities. intern during the pizza dinner-break who was the woman I would marry two summers later. do? Would you say yes? US city organizing the boycotts of table mester early (as I did), or they could provide After locating an internship, go to the Not only that. The 20-to-life prisoner I was This is not a hypothetical question. Across grapes, head lettuce and Gallo wines, but I an action-reflection method of learning, or department office of your major and find out my desk in the last few months have come wanted first-hand experience with people and they might give you job contacts and expe- assigned to work with for clemency, became what you need to do to get their stamp of then and remains today my best friend. When many opportunities for travel, training, and conflicts far from my Wisconsin roots or my rience in your chosen field — giving you a approval. They will enroll you in an indepen- he was released and he found someone to service. One of these offered a $500 prize to East Coast seminary. I had to meet Chavez and jump on other employment seekers later. On dent study course in the department — usual- assist you in taking a volunteer or low-paying experience California. the other hand, a volunteer or paid internship share his life, I had the joy of being asked to do ly for three credits. You can take one or more their wedding. job that you have chosen in a public service When the recruiter came to my school I told for credit could clarify whether you're in tjie independent study internships during your So the intangible benefits sometimes dwarf career field. Another was a $3000 award to him there was nothing I would rather do, but wrong career track, or that the specialization course of study. How many credits and how enable you to attend a nationwide training the Financial Aid office required I earn at you planned on in your major is just not for the pay or the credit. One must always be many courses you can take is mostly up to careful. You might find a new occupational event for the development of leadership skills least $600 from summer employment in addi- you.. them. in college students. (Alas, the deadlines have tion to my financial aid, escalating loan, and Internships, like voluntary service, can be calling, a new community to move to, or passed on these two, but they represent the family assistance. I knew, of course, they were paid or unpaid and can be altruistic or Internships are real labs of learning. Intern- people who'll be friends for life. many options that remain available.) searching for volunteers (80 hours, $5/week, idealistic in purpose. However, they are dis- ships also offer a way to get academic credit A third approach that can free you for Many social services agencies which seek plus room & board). I didn't see any way to do tinguished by being an experience within your for giving your service to others in places that voluntary service is via Work-Study. If you summer volunteers offer small stipends. Some it, but his was the job I wanted. So I had gone chosen vocation or within actual places of may break open new vistas for you. are eligible for Work-Study employment have financial assistance to cover long- to meet him. employment you are considering. My last summer before graduation from through your financial aid package, you can distance travel and other costs. Others can tap His response made me light up. He said that Internships are usually a full time summer seminary, I had the eye-opening experience of be hired by an employer who "will only have to grant money on your behalf if they know you he wanted to make it possible for me to go, or part-time academic year proposition. Per- working as an assistant to the chaplain in the pay 40 percent of your wage (federal funds are determined to work for them. that he had access to funds through the haps you would be willing to trade a summer's prisons of southeastern New York State. I had making up the remainder). This makes you The point is that if you want to give of separated but related National Farm Worker income for the opportunity of interning at the never before been inside a county jail. Just the very employable and attractive, especially to yourself to others this summer, a way can be Ministry, of which he was director,"that $600 most prestigious organization in your field, experience of approaching the maximum many non-profit organizations. If you know found. Don't let the need for summer earnings was no problem, and that they needed people with its nationally acclaimed leaders, in a security facility's 30-foot walls, passing of a community organization in which you'd blind you to the possibilities. to organize in L.A. where-the-action-is location. Probably you'd through the multiple locked-gates, and get- like to gain experience or through which you'd The real question is you. What would you The thing you have to watch out for in these not find a paid position there for a student, ting the ultraviolet stamp on your hand to like to work for social change, you could go to really like to do with your summer if you volunteer experiences is that you may never but if you went to them and said you're my enable you to get out was a disturbingly them and use Work-Study to pry open the didn't have to earn maximum bucks doing a come back. By the end of that summer the number one choice for a volunteer internship, profound baptism into another world. doors to a fulfilling job. job your heart is not in? How could you invest intensity of the lifestyle and the shared com- what can they say? This was part of a three-credit course which For more details or dialogue on these ideas, yourself this summer of'87 — which will come mitment with volunteer friends from across To receive credit, you must first find an required all participants to find a qualifying please give me a call at 747-2729.

The Office of Judicial Affairs is now accepting applications for the Judicial Board Any undergraduate is eligible to apply for sevice on the Board if he/she:

• is a full-time student at UMDC; Telephone Marketing • is h good academic standing; $10-20 per hour • earned at least 30 semester hours at UMDC; NO Selling • has been a full-time student one semester at UAABC in the preceding twelve months; Day or evening shifts • does not hold an SGA office, either elected or every week appointed. • Fortune 500 Company seeks enthusiastic individuals to make Appications may be obtained in the appointments every week. Office of Student Affairs, AAP 228 or the • Convenient Security Boulevard U.C. Information Desk location. • Will train. Call Mark The Deadline for Submitting Applications is 298-0072 Wednesday April 15, 1967 10am-9pm