$250,000

I thought I would present this quick article, as I am off to bed taking a break from my PhD revisions. Apparently the late Dr. Eugene Scott wanted $250,000 for his ministry. I have heard of this preacher before as the late Dr. Walter Martin criticized him for his use of foul language while preaching. I do not claim to always avoid the use of foul language, as in this frustrating world sometimes I do swear, but I prayerfully ask God for forgiveness and help to avoid wrong actions. I would have to agree with Dr. Martin's criticism of Dr. Scott, as from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, in Colossians 3:8, followers are told to get rid of abusive, or filthy as it says in the footnote, language. James, Chapter 3 states that the tongue can both bless and curse, and points out in verse 10 that cursing should not occur.

I think that this clip is both satirically amusing, as all this ranting and swearing seems to be largely about a plea for $250,000 and educational, since as observers we can see that this language, and more importantly the disrespectful tone he uses with his audience is not generally a good way to influence people with the gospel message. Some of my friends may satirically joke that this is how I would be if I was a preacher! Well, no I would have more restraint that Dr. Scott, but I do admit to calling people morons in the past, although it has often been in a joking fashion.:)

According to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Scott

William Eugene Scott AKA Dr. Gene Scott ™, August 14, 1929 – February 21, 2005, was a United States-based and world-renowned pastor/teacher/televangelist and author of thirteen booklets on various topics ranging from Christianity to the stamps of the Colombian States. During his long career Dr. Scott served as a traveling evangelist for the pentecostal Assemblies of God, served as the president of the Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International for nine years and served for a combined total of 35 years as the pastor for the non-denominational Protestant Wescott Christian Center and Faith Center. For the last fifteen years of his career Dr. Scott held weekly Sunday gospel services at the Los Angeles University Cathedral in Los Angeles, California.

Gene Scott graduated from Chico State in 1952 with a degree in history and stayed on for a master’s in social science. In 1953, Scott enrolled in Leland Stanford Junior's School of Education, where he analyzed Proof of the Resurrection for Professor Alexander “Lex” Miller, an agnostic. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophies of Education in 1957. The subject of his 394-page doctoral dissertation was Neo-Orthodox theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. In 1992 he was the featured cover story for the Stanford Alumni Magazine and his obituary was published in the May/June 2005 issue of the same publication. While Scott held undergraduate degrees in other subjects, he did not have a degree in theology. After receiving his Ph.D., he briefly taught at Evangel College (now Evangel University), then assisted Oral Roberts in establishing Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For many years he was a pastor in the Assemblies of God denomination before establishing his independent Protestant ministry.

Scott's broadcasts, which, despite his passing continue to be broadcast 24/7 via an Internet Stream, shortwave radio, and TV satellites, fall into two distinct categories. The first category is the broadcast of the Sunday service in a loose format, opening and closing with music from a country-rock band known as the Un-Band and followed by an hour long or more teaching lecture from the pastor. The second category is a broadcast of what Scott named the Festival of Faith. The Festival of Faith was a very informal, non-traditional broadcast which featured Scott sitting alone in a chair, often smoking a cigar or a pipe, telling jokes, reading books on both Biblical and arcane topics, interacting with the crew and volunteer phone operators (known as Voices of Faith), berating his staff and/or his congregation when he felt they were not responding with enough faith, and making remarks that were often considered to be quite off-color (for a pastor) by many listeners. He often spiced up his speech with what some would consider profanity, although his remarks, with very rare exceptions, were within FCC guidelines if not always within conventional churchgoers' guidelines of good taste. He also was well known for constantly engaging in the nervous habit of cleaning out his nose with a handkerchief while on camera (both during Sunday services and during the Festival of Faith), and for never using cue cards and fearlessly allowing dead air to make a point. These Festival of Faith broadcasts also featured Scott reading from books on UFOs, Demonology, The Great Pyramid of Giza, Earth mysteries, the lost tribes of Israel and similar viewer-grabbing topics. He quite often called out, "Am I boring you?" to which his staff and the volunteers responded, "No sir!” He frequently exhorted his viewers to "Get on the phone!" to make a monetary pledge and encourage him to keep reading and teaching.