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Abuses in Televised Religion In the late 1980's, several scandals emerged wit

This paper will examine some of the problems that occur when the opportunities of televised religion are abused.

The practice of televangelism has a long and interesting history. Even before there was evangelism on television, there was evangelism on the radio. With the rise in popularity of television in the early 1950's, some radio evangelists began turning their attention to the new medium. Television was an exciting concept for those evangelists because it provided an opportunity for them to spread their message to the masses in a way that was never possible before. The first television evangelist to make a name for himself was the Catholic Bishop Fulton Sheen. Sheen's program was scheduled on prime time, and it was a great success during the years that it was run. Soon after Sheen started his television program in the early 1950's, other aspiring televangelists followed. Rex Humbard was the next television preacher to become known in America. In 1953, Humbard began acquiring national fame by "broadcasting his local church service in Akron, Ohio." Oral Roberts, Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell were three other televangelists who became popular during the 1950's.

During the 1960's and 1970's, the televangelism industry became increasingly popular among American viewers. Some of the television preachers tried new gimmicks in order to win the viewers over. For example, Robert Schuller of California began his television ministry by preaching in an abandoned drive-in theater. For Schuller, this tactic was extremely beneficial. This can be seen by the fact that Schuller's television show is now broadcast from a $15-million glass "sanctuary" known as the "Crystal Cathedral." During the late 1970's, the televangelism industry began attaining to new heights. At that time, Pat Robertson established the first full-time television network for broadcasting religious programming. Robertson's network was named the Christ...

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Abuses in Televised Religion In the late 1980's, several scandals emerged wit. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 05:02, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1705460.html