April 29, 2007
In Memorium: Dr. Lee Roberson
The Chattanoogan has the full story. For those who don't know him, Dr. Roberson was a giant among fundamentalism. He founded Tennessee Temple University, and was a guiding force to many preachers in fundamental circles.
He started off Southern Baptist, but ran afoul of denominational politics leading up to the conservative resurgence. His church refused to participate in the Cooperative Program because of liberal professors and influence in the state Baptist colleges, and they were expelled from their local association. Roberson was one of the first fundamentalists to leave the SBC because of theological liberalism.
I had the opportunity to hear him speak when I was in high school, and still count it a privilege. His influence in conservative Christian circles will be missed, as will his leadership and pastor's heart.
Posted by: Warren Kelly at
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Dr. Lee Roberson was my pastor from the time I was born until I was about 10 years old. My dad worked with Mr. J.M. Parker when he started the bus ministry at Highland Park. Then we started going to various chapels depending on where we were living around the city.
Our family was very poor. My parents were uneducated but they loved the Lord and were in church every service. They went to revival meetings or other services at other churches when they heard of one near enough to get there.
When I was ready to graduate from high school, I wanted so much to go to college but I had no idea how to get there. My Bible teacher, Mrs. Roy Hazlet, contacted Dr. Roberson and he gave me a scholarship to Temple.
Later, I found out that Dr. Roberson knew my mom & dad and recognized me as their daughter. He baptized me as a little girl of 8. He cared for all people no matter who they were, rich or poor.
Posted by: Donnie Doyle (Warren) at May 03, 2007 03:32 PM (/E/RC)
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Dr. Lee Roberson was my pastor for the year that I attended Tennessee Temple University. In that brief time under his influence Dr. Roberson taught me a great deal about life and leaving home for the first time. Among the most memorable reflections that I've had today while attending the memorial service this afternoon was the hour and a half that I spent driving with him to my home church of Shiloh Hills in Kennesaw Georgia. We left early on that Sunday morning and of course we were not a minute late. Dr. Roberson could drive FAST! But I stayed in awe being with him that morning. He helped me get home for several day because of my mothers illness. I will always remember him for his care and concern for others.
Oh How Sweet Heaven has been these last few days, I look forward to seeing two very special people when I get to Heaven, Jesus Christ my Saviour and Dr. Lee Roberson.
May God continue to Bless the Ministries of Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple University.
Posted by: Ray Stewart at May 03, 2007 07:31 PM (LPoIu)
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Like others who have posted, Dr. Roberson was my first pastor, and the greatest human man I have ever known. I came to know and accept Christ under his ministry. I want to thank the Lord for giving us Dr. Lee Roberson and allowing him to be my pastor.
Posted by: Mike Mahathy at May 03, 2007 11:36 PM (+kEfZ)
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May 14, 2007
It was a great sense of sorrow when I learned of the passing of Dr. Lee Roberson. I was able to attend Temple College for one year, but was unable to continue due to serious illness. But my memories of Dr. Roberson will last a lifetime. I was a Piano Student of Mrs. J. R. Faulkner and played in the Training Union Forum and Services at Highland Park for special Music. My most favorite memory is playing for Dr. Charles Weigle to sing on Easter Sunday Morning in Dr. Roberson's Friendship Class. Dr. Weigle sang his song " A Miracle of Love " stating this was his life story in song. Two of Dr. Roberson's most memorable sermons for me were " The Flat Failure of Mr. Big " ( based on the life of Peter ) and " I Shook Hands with a Dead Woman ". I pray God's sustaining hand of comfort and strength will be with the Roberson Family.
Posted by: Laurance Manous at May 14, 2007 07:37 PM (kWlVN)
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Will always remember Dr. Roberson as a caring man of God. As we were leaving Highland Park Sunday afternoon, he stopped to greet us. Reaching into his pocket, he stooped down to eyelevel of our three boys, handing each a new shinny bi-centinual coin. I can't recall his words, but I recall the event perfectly. He utter some words, tossled their hair, and was off greeting others.
At our weekly bus workers meetings, he was all business, but we never disputed his concern for that ministry - it was evident his concern and urgency for reaching lost souls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Posted by: Charles at May 30, 2007 10:21 AM (FsbnY)
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I was saved and surrendered the call to preach at age 16. I attended TTU in 1969-1970, but was forced to transfer for financial reasons. Dr. Roberson is the ONLY man to ever autograh my Bible, and that will never change. Today, I am living in a backslidden condition and will probably die that way since all my "fundamentalists" friends have dissacoiated with me for fear or contamination by association. Regardless, Dr. Lee Roberson is the most compassioinate, forgiving, and loving preacher I have ever known. I know today he would not condone my sin, but would weep over my sins, and love me unconditionally. Much grace left this world when he died. If there is prayer in the afterlife, please, Dr. Roberson, pray for me. I feel so abandonded. I love you so much.
Posted by: Ed at May 01, 2008 08:34 PM (Yy3y8)
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April 10, 2007
Don Imus
There's something we're missing in the whole Don Imus controversy. My wife and I have both noticed that while everyone is mad (and rightly so, let me be clear) about the "nappy-headed" remark, nobody seems to be very upset that he called these young women "hos." Haven't heard anything from any women's organization. Haven't read anything about the sexism in the comment. All I've heard are the charges of racism, and the outrage from the black community. Don't get me wrong -- they should be upset about it. They should be up in arms about it. But we're missing part of the picture here.
Part of the reason is that the term 'ho' and the term 'pimpin' have become part of our vernacular. When I was teaching, I heard it all the time. There's a lack of respect for people that seems to be running through society right now, and it's going to create problems in the long run. It's a lack of respect for people.
Used to be that people deserved your respect until they proved that they didn't -- innocent until proven guilty, in a way. Now, if you don't know someone, they're not worth spit. And when you DO meet someone, it's perfectly acceptable to call them ho, or a host of other derogatory and insulting names.
I'm not going to talk about Imus' suspension, or whether it's long enough or too long. What I WANT to do is direct the discussion toward the bigger insult -- the fact that he called a group of college students 'hos'. I don't care what side of the aisle you're on -- that kind of disrespect is a big problem, and it's a shame that we're not talking about it.
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Hmmm... i think the "ho" comment is part of the entire racist comment that people are upset about.
he wouldn't have called white women "hos."
Posted by: dave at April 10, 2007 08:50 AM (/5AnU)
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I've not followed the story very much at all. But I think you're right, Pheonix. The focus has been on the "nappy headed" and almost nothing has been said about the fact he called them "hos."
In the not too distant past, you could find yourself arrested for implying that a woman was not chaste. Now, attacking a woman's chastity doesn't even raise an eyebrow, nobody cares.
Posted by: Ryan DeBarr at April 12, 2007 07:19 PM (gCXHX)
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Imus would have called white women hos, I think. In fact, he actually did, since the Rutgers team isn't all black. And I've heard the term ho thrown around for white women of ill repute quite often -- including the ever so popular compound insult, crack ho. It's a symptom of a much larger problem -- a total lack of respect for others.
Posted by: Warren at April 13, 2007 08:33 PM (N0NcI)
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Don Imus
I’ve never been a big fan of Don Imus or for that matter, Howard Stern. I’ve never gotten into the ‘Shock-Jock’ phenomenon, preferring to listen to music when I switch-on the radio.
But… Apparently this Mr. Imus called a fine group of Rutgers female basketball players… “…nappy headed ho’s…” He was calling this predominately black group of athletes by that descriptive, which is not racially acceptable, especially if you’re a ‘whitie,’ which Mr. Imus clearly is, and since a video of the players was running in the show’s background and everyone could clearly see that this was a predominately black group, there was NO mistaking to whom these words were directed.
As a ‘sidebar,’ thank you Judge Ito and “Court Tv,” there are a lot of ethnicities that have “nappy” hair; it is not a phenomenon reserved exclusively for blacks, for “nappy” references anyone with “downy or shaggy hair.”
However, there is another problemÂ… actually several problems:
There’s a double standard: If you tune to any radio station or watch any television show geared to the black audience, you will hear those above-referenced words… along with, “Bitch,” “Bitches,” “Ho’s” ad infinitum or perhaps… ad nauseaum. These are black people calling other black people these disgusting words, the same words which were used to force Don Imus from his Shock Jock Seat.
Furthermore, there is the problem of ‘Freedom of Speech.’ Yep, we just blew-off the First Amendment, which supposedly allows anyone in the United States to say anything (aside from yelling “Fire” in a theatre) without fear of censorship or retaliation from a Federal agency.
AhÂ… but there is the usual band of Tv-mongerers, those who wait for a way to make a fast buck through othersÂ’ misfortunes.
Why… the honorable Reverend Al Sharpton, that paragon of righteousness, the man who championed a Ms. Brawley, a challenged young woman who claimed she was mistreated or, I believe the accusation was, “raped” by another… at least until it was proven she hallucinated – I believe that’s a kindly way to categorize the reduction in accusation, has immediately come to the fore, happily ensconcing himself in front of cheap hotel podiums, a plethora of microphones planted in front of his honorable mouth.
Where were the honorable Jesse Jackson or the equally honorable and formidable Gloria Allred, one might ask? WellÂ… apparently they were snoozingÂ… or involved in other hugely important cases involving ample coverage from television cameras.
When you have ‘slow news cycles,’ editors are at a big disadvantage, for they have to fill giant “Breaking News” voids with newsworthy events…. And what could be more newsworthy than a silly Shock Jock suffering a brain fart during a live show?
Of course, the Coach of the Rutgers basketball team was quick to condemn the above “brain fart,” calling it a deliberate smack against all womenkind. During this news conference, she reminded us of all the trials and tribulations of her childhood, and then extrapolated those experiences onto the backs of these valedictorians and honor students, these….
Wait. Hold on for a second – Are all these basketball stars, these scholarshipped students “honor students” and “valedictorians?” If so, this must be quite a team!
When I went to college, most of the scholarshipped athletes were shoehorned under the radar of the AdmissionÂ’s process, owing to the usual lack of scholarship that goes hand-in-hand with outstanding athletic prowess.
Look – Being committed to athletic excellence requires that one put aside the books and practice… practice… practice; it’s not easy to be outstanding in both academics and athletics… because not even Job would have enough time to excel at both.
Since Rutgers and all colleges need athletics to attract alumni money, etc., athletics is a BIG BUSINESS – Ask any television network what they pay the universities for the privilege of broadcasting their games? Those universities NEED those dollars, so believe me, they court outstanding athletes in the hope of having a winning team and, therefore, overflowing university coffer’s. You can bet this event will probably cause more than a few Alumni to pull out his/her checkbooks…
But thatÂ’s not the issue: The issue isÂ… WaitÂ… What exactly IS the issue?
How does the honorable Reverend Al Sharpton, or for that matter, any of these honorable self-appointed Guardians of public mores make a living?
Well… Ya see… some people watch ‘em on Tv, some corporations watch ‘em on Tv and then tax deductible checks are dispatched, some based on their issuers like/dislike of what these honorable Guardians are doing or causing in society. Further, checks are being written for good and bad reasons …. Because sometimes, people write checks just to stir the pot… Can you believe some people would actually do that?
Evidently, there is a direct correlation between how many times these honorable gentlepeople appear on Tv and how many checks they receive at their honorable corporate offices – After all, we all have to make a living, even those among those of us who assess themselves honorable. It’s amazing how many of these honorable people hide behind religious cloth, bandying about the credentials of “Reverend”…
By the way – Anyone heard about that camp for children dying of cancer that Don Imus funds with his own money? Yeah – Duh – apparently that SAP Imus uses his own money from his radio/television show to offer terminally ill children an experience they will never forget. Wow – What a moron! You know what… this idiot allows children of ANY color this opportunity. My God – Can you believe anyone would be this stupid?
I mean, ‘How’ could anyone who funds something as wonderful as the above camp call those Rutgers basketball players, “…nappy haired ho’s”… and truly believe it?
GeeÂ… I donÂ’t know? Do you?
Now that Don Imus has no job or income to continue his SAPPY attempt to enrich the lives of these terminally ill children… might the good Christian Reverend (“Let He Who Is Without Sin, Throw The First Stone”), Al Sharpton fund this camp out of the goodness of his honorable heart…?
DonÂ’t hold your breath -- The tentÂ’ll be rolled up and the honorable Right Reverend Al Sharpton will have left town and crawled into his woodworkÂ… awaiting the next gathering of Tv camerasÂ… those one-eyed monsters whose job has become one of attracting Rainmakers, Dreamweavers, Sorcerers clothed in the collars of a religious icon but without any belief in the underlying philosophy of ChristianityÂ’s Forgiveness..
Copyrightã: April 12, 2007; ‘ted lang,’ imagine, inc.
Posted by: teddy at April 14, 2007 01:18 PM (vNVGX)
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OMG! You'd think Imus was the only person in the world who insulted someone. I rarely listened to the guy. He did apologize for his remarks and that is so much more than what many others who are in the public eye have done. There is no reason at all for Imus to apologize to Sharpton. Imus didn't call Sharpton a HO or nappy-headed. Sharpton did not accept Imus' apology. Wow! What a surprise. Doens't Sharpton claim to be a pastor? Imus ultimately apologized to the group of young women he should have apologized to, case closed. Sharpton wasn't happy, he didn't have enough media attention over it so he got Imus fired. Well, that pretty much says what type of pastor he is.
I am so glad Imus is suing CBS radio. Finally, someone has a backbone. I hope Imus sues Sharpton too, for violating his freedom of speech rights and getting him fired over it. If Sharpton was interested in people not saying "HO" or "Nappy-headed" he would have done something about the people who are called rappers. He would have done something about comedy central. There are plenty of people to get fired over saying those words besides Don Imus. I've heard it said about nice upstanding young ladies on TV...black, white, hispanic, and asian. It's a disgusting remark, but the Rutgers team is not the forst ones to be called that.
You go Imus. Hope everyone else gets a contract as good as his and grows a backbone too.
Posted by: Peggy Warhurst at May 02, 2007 09:58 PM (37/r7)
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sorry about my typos above people.
Posted by: Peggy Warhurst at May 02, 2007 10:01 PM (37/r7)
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April 09, 2007
A Little TV Criticism
I've been watching more network TV lately than I ever used to. Of course, I only get FOX and ABC right now (don't ask), so my choices are rather limited. And that's how I discovered
House.
For those who don't know, House is a new show on FOX, and it has nothing to do with home improvement. From the official FOX description:
DR. GREGORY HOUSE (Hugh Laurie) is devoid of anything resembling bedside manner and wouldnÂ’t even talk to his patients if he could get away with it. Dealing with his own constant physical pain, he uses a cane that seems to punctuate his acerbic, brutally honest demeanor. While his behavior can border on antisocial, House is a brilliant diagnostician whose unconventional thinking and flawless instincts afford him widespread respect.
House is heartily non-theistic. It seems that he takes special joy in throwing a patient's faith up in their faith. But that's just his nature -- as the site says, he genuinely dislikes people in general, and sick people in particular. From a theistic perspective, though, it really seems like House takes special pride in insulting people of faith.
This is particularly clear in House's treatment of patients who are pro-life. Which brings me to the latest episode, "Fetal Position." Long story short, patient comes in, critically ill. Turns out that her unborn child has turned on her, and is slowly killing her. House is insistent on terminating the pregnancy.
House's boss is also pro-life, and goes to extremes to avoid aborting the baby. House agrees to perform surgery on the fetus. THIS is where the show got really good. During the surgery, the fetus reaches out and holds onto House's finger. Time for the closeup, Mr. DeMille. Unfortunately, FOX hasn't put a picture up on the site, and probably won't.
The part of the story I totally enjoyed is the crisis that one event has caused in House. The closing scene shows us House sitting on his couch, staring at his finger, contemplating what exactly happened in the OR. A decidedly pro-life moment.
House has one great strength -- it's ability to take a character who questions even the idea of belief itself, and making him confront the possibility that his assumptions are wrong. Throughout the season, House has confronted patients who have been examples of faith, and he doesn't emerge unscathed, philosophically speaking. He is still far from a theist, much less any form of Christian, but he's asking questions that he never thought he'd ask. At a time when so much of TV mocks and attacks people of faith, it's refreshing to watch a prime-time program that takes us seriously. I never thought I'd enjoy network TV this much ever again.
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