and the man says: “listen brothers listen sisters I bring you the word of god, for I have spoken with him; place your hands on the TV set or the radio, and pray with me” — (this is the laying on of hands); “now send me your money, all that you can afford, and all that you cannot” — (this is the tithe). listen to me, mister preacher man: I don’t need you to tell me the word of god — I have a bible too; and if I didn’t, it would be five dollars or fifty cents or free. at a church or religious society; but if a man tells me that it is outdated, that he has more recent information, that he has just come from talking with god, himself, personally, then that man is either a god blessed saint or a god damned liar; and if that man is wearing a five hundred dollar suit in front of a fifty thousand dollar TV camera and he is asking me to send him my money so that he can feed the poor or serve god, then you know which one of the two possibilities I believe. I can think for myself, just as anyone else can; they don’t have to listen to me to tell them how to think or what to think, and they sure don’t have to listen to you. I know and they know: I can think for myself, just as anyone else can; they don’t have to listen to me to tell them how to think or what to think, and they sure don’t have to listen to you. I know and they know: the first rule is be good to other people. that’s hard enough. it’s worth spending a life learning how to do. and if we manage that, we can start on the second lesson. but until we get the first one right, there’s no way we can do the rest. and there’s no use boasting about how close you are to god, when you are light years away from the man in rags standing next to you. tell a poor man or a hungry child about how god loves him, or how you do, (which is the same thing in your mind it seems), when he can see the rich folks zooming by, not stopping in their cars and planes, and he can see your suit glitter in the lights, and he can see his family suffer in the cold, and do you think he believes you? get him food and clothing and shelter for his family, and teach him how to keep getting it on his own, not depending on pity, and you will not need to tell him; he will believe you. … … … ... tell a poor man or a hungry child about how god loves him, or how you do, (which is the same thing in your mind it seems), when he can see the rich folks zooming by, not stopping in their cars and planes, and he can see your suit glitter in the lights, and he can see his family suffer in the cold, and do you think he believes you? get him food and clothing and shelter for his family, and teach him how to keep getting it on his own, not depending on pity, and you will not need to tell him; he will believe you. … but there is a child — dear god, there are thousands — going hungry to school because mama sent the money from the welfare check to the preacher instead of buying food — and the child is too hungry to think, and if he can’t think he can’t learn, and if he can’t learn, he will go hungry all his life. … … … but there is a child — dear god, there are thousands — going hungry to school because mama sent the money from the welfare check to the preacher instead of buying food — and the child is too hungry to think, and if he can’t think he can’t learn, and if he can’t learn, he will go hungry all his life. … and the man in rags is walking down a street tonight, in the cold, with everything he owns in a paper bag. walking past the warm TV studio, in the cold. walking past the warm houses, in the cold. and he is going to die tonight, in the cold. because everyone is watching the preacher on TV, and getting closer to god. so they don’t need to go out in the cold. and bring a smelly beggar inside, out of the cold. and feed him or give him a place to sleep, out of the cold, or care enough to treat him like a human being, or save his life. after all, their souls have already been saved, by the preacher. … … ... walking past the warm houses, in the cold. and he is going to die tonight, in the cold. because everyone is watching the preacher on TV, and getting closer to god. so they don’t need to go out in the cold. and bring a smelly beggar inside, out of the cold. and feed him or give him a place to sleep, out of the cold, or care enough to treat him like a human being, or save his life. after all, their souls have already been saved, by the preacher. … So you can ask anyone else on this street, who in America today is the holiest man, and he may tell you: Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Herbert Armstrong, or maybe you; but if you ask me, who in America today has done the most evil in the name of good, I will tell you..... … … … … … ... after all, their souls have already been saved, by the preacher. … So you can ask anyone else on this street, who in America today is the holiest man, and he may tell you: Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Herbert Armstrong, or maybe you; but if you ask me, who in America today has done the most evil in the name of good, I will tell you..... … … … … … ...