qqq, (10/22/2007 2:22:50 PM)

This is the Roberts family up-ing the ante. This is their statement that the family are not going to lose control. Oral is undoubtedly correct that his legacy now will stand or fall with Richard.

.

The only hope to retain control of ORU, and probably OREA, is to regain control of this story. The ONLY way to regain control of the story is to settle with the professors, and stonewall any information flow on the other, much more serious, allegations.

Another Alum, (10/22/2007 2:24:09 PM)

Soooo...mediation. Doesn't that mean settlement. Doesn't that mean 'hush money'. If that doesn't scream guilt, I don't know what does.

oru79, Msp (10/22/2007 2:22:11 PM)

It is time for Richard & Lindsay Roberts to move on to their next assignment. Too much damage has been done.

The BOR with the WOF Televangelists lacks credibility and needs to change.

former student, (10/22/2007 2:25:57 PM)

Oral is fighting for his last remaining legacy to stay afloat. One must remember that it was OR who put Richard in charge; groomed him; trained him. And, Richard has lived and acted according to his training. Also "success without a successor is failure" was OR's standing mantra for decades. If RR goes belly up, OR will see himself as a failure. Clearly, his return to Tulsa was not to save ORU. It was to "do whatever is necessary" to save Richard. And, in making that ill-fated effort, Oral might well lose it all.

I encourage all who love ORU and all who have been harmed to hold their ground; be truthful and brave. I encourage students and former students to DEMAND a clean up and total change of leadership. This is not about tearing down an old man's dreams...this is about saving the wonderful university that we love. So, fight hard for the truth to be seen, heard and acted upon.

p, (10/22/2007 2:26:20 PM)

Congress does the same thing. They are not going to come down on the side of transperency for these televangelist. Politicians get great publicity by knowing these guys. You can bet they help those politicians that they agree with or are friends with. Take from the poor and give to the rich. Televangelist are like liberals.

Gail, Tulsa, OK (10/22/2007 2:27:20 PM)

Mark it down! ORU is going to shut this down and seal up the whole mess to make sure truth is not revealed.

Reverend mike swan, seattle wash (10/22/2007 2:27:43 PM)

All of those on this page are at quick to judge. JUDGE NOT FOR YOU ALL WILL BE JUDGED. YOU POINT ONE FINGER YOU HAVE 4 COMING BACK AT YOU.TAKE IT ALL TO THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

alumni, tulsa (10/22/2007 2:29:40 PM)

Is there an independant ORU alumni website?

Sam, (10/22/2007 2:30:40 PM)

I was in chapel. I feel Oral has been sheltered from the truth. It was an interesting chapel, ALL of the allegations are false? not so much...

He's 89. He should go back to Cali. Spare him from what is happening.

bikegoiooie, Glenpool, Ok (10/22/2007 2:30:48 PM)

I pray that Richard does return to his job as President. Mediation can mean a lot of things. I does mean settlement, but it does not mean hush money. And no it does not scream guilt. Alot of judges recommend mediation sometimes instead of going to court. It is a way of stopping the wars and a long war that can be fixed.

Aly, Dallas (10/22/2007 2:21:55 PM)

I think it's a shame that Oral came out and said all allegations are false. What happened to the independent audit to determine what's really going on? Oral's been a thousand mile away but he knows what going on? Please. I think he is just afraid of someone outside of the family, Billy Joe, being at the helm. ORU alumni want Richard, and especially Lindsey, out!!!

Sam, (10/22/2007 2:34:09 PM)

If Richard comes back I am transfering.

He wont be back.

MB, Tulsa (10/22/2007 2:38:11 PM)

Has anyone heard from Robert Potts (Roberts) local atty??

Florida Alum, Florida (10/22/2007 2:39:56 PM)

You should all take a lesson on what the lawsuit is about and then think/debate these other allegations. The allegations being thrown out there (save the “Richard forced me to make my students participate in the Tulsa election”) have virtually nothing to do with the lawsuit. Oklahoma is an at will employment state, meaning the Bookers could be fired for just about ANY reason. Mrs. Booker did not have her contract renewed and Mr. Booker quit – not sure how that is wrongful termination. Dr. Swails, a tenured professor, was terminated – there may be a claim there, but it is pretty weak.

Take some time to separate the legally actionable claims from the “juicy” allegations that even the accusers are not certain are true.

You would be smart to hold back your judgement until the investigation is complete. Telling us your opinion now just shows how ignorant you are.

mb, tulsa (10/22/2007 2:40:03 PM)

I mean Roberta...(Richards Sister)

MD, Brentwood in England (10/22/2007 2:41:19 PM)

SO God tells Richard to do one thing and then Oral decides to do the complete opposite!

Either Richard made up his story about God telling him to deny the allegations OR Oral is out of touch with God's will.

Got to be one or the other. Both the Roberts cannot be right!

former student, (10/22/2007 2:45:23 PM)

a rally in support of the professors, thats crap... i'd stand to protest them

What, (10/22/2007 2:18:32 PM)

There seems to be some conflicting information. One site indicates that they merely want Richard to resign.

Carl Robbins, San Jose (10/22/2007 2:48:38 PM)

ORAL – THE SECOND COMING

“ THE CHARGES ARE FALSE.”

How does he know? Did he invesigate – or take Richard the Truthful’s word for it?

“THE DEVIL IS NOT GOING TO STEAL ORU”

So this is all the big, bad devil. It’s not cross misuse of money, ultra-lavish life-styles, personal pecadilloes. It’s the big, bad devil

MEDIATION: Buy’em off. Shut’em up. How did you let it get this far?

( For all those with evidence of wrong-doing, documents, and evidence leads, take them to the TW. If provided to the plaintiffs’ attorney, they could be sealed in a non-disclosure agreement.)

ORAL, ORU, ORM AND ‘ORAL’S KIDS” – all one and the same.

The “indentification” is complete in American minds..

ORU is the personal extension, plaything and cash cow of a TV evangelist and his loose-cannon son.

. America already knew that, but this makes the pretence of being a separate instution of higher learning a joke.

All who hitch their wagons, their futures, their fates to those of this father-son team may live to regret it. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.

Oral – the god and namesake of ORU -- was held hostage to God on TV, when God reportedly said, “cough up 8 million or he’s dead.”

SHARE THE ROBERTS’ FATE – AND THEIR REPUTATIONS

The students and grads are now held hostage to an unstable, free-wheeling family of TV evangelists – and will share their fate, and their reputations.

When you go into the real world, you’ll see the value it puts on any degree with the Oral Roberts name on it.

In the past, it might have been accepted. After this. Are you kidding?

--- An opinion from outside the “evangelical bubble.”

MD, Brentwood in England (10/22/2007 2:51:44 PM)

#28 Mike Swan. If you are a minister then you know that you have taken this Scripture out of context. A pretty dangerous thing for you to do!!!

We are instructed to use righteousness judgment. We are expected to to stand up for Jesus and not to deny Him.

What we are not allowed to do is to judge who is or will be saved.

People here are looking at a ministry who are accused of many things. Yes of course there are non-Christians here who are mocking Christianity. When allegations such as these are made against ministers this will always happen.

But the Christians here are mainly concerned with the survival of ORU.

I suggest that you spend a bit more time studying the Word of God!

David Shepard, Broken Arrow (10/22/2007 2:51:49 PM)

I hope it does go into mediation. Sure, you can't appeal if you settle it that way but it is so much faster. This whole thing is such a mess anyway so there's not much point in prolonging it.

As far as whether Oral knows about what is going on or not it is hard to tell. At this point it is best to either prove or disprove the allegations and be done with it.

Unlike quite a few people who have commented on this story, I am not going to pretend I know what is going on when I don't.

sharon, Williamsport, Pennsylvania (10/22/2007 2:15:48 PM)

This is disgusting. Now they want mediation. That says it all.

Hello, (10/22/2007 2:56:04 PM)

41, Many of us are concerned about the quality of our degrees now.

Former ORU Employee, Tulsa (10/22/2007 2:57:02 PM)

TO: former student (#25)

*

Good luck with that. As I mentioned on another thread, he university is locked up in debt as a result of OR signing it away for collateral back in the 80s for the Citiplex (City of Faith). This is all being held together by OREA (Oral Roberts Evangelical Association) who by the way has been making interest payments on the Citiplex (balance of $54M). If OREA dissolves so will the university as we know it and if the university folds then RR will split with the cash. So with that in mind, you think you will ever get the Roberts out of the university???

*

NOT A CHANCE!

ORU Alumnus, Tulsa (10/22/2007 2:57:19 PM)

OR, we love you, but you are not independent enough to evaluate these allegations. ORU deserves to thrive and grow, but with RR and LR in "power," it will never happen. The school I love is operated as a personal kingdom, where selfishness reigns, rather than a place of integrity, honesty, and righteousness. I PRAY a leadership change happens here. The time is now. No more of this JUNK!! Now, I can't speak for all of them, but I KNOW most of those allegations to be true. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remove the leadership permanently and SAVE our university...