# I was wrong (Jim Bakker)



## RamistThomist (Apr 14, 2018)

This was high quality writing. I know it seems counter-intuitive, juxtaposing convicted televangelists with good literature, but it’s true. He tells his story of when Praise the Lord (PTL) began to fall. Regardless of his theology--which he admits was “wrong”--the roots of his fall have little to do with money. Indeed, it’s hard to know exactly what the federal counts were (his criminal acts pale in comparison to the Clinton Foundation).

The story of his fall involves a woman, Jessica Hahn. Bakker and Tammy Faye were having problems and Bakker, foolishly following the advice of a friend, met Hahn in her hotel room. He kept it secret for seven years, and when it exploded, that’s when PTL’s shady dealings came to light.

Tammye Faye forgave him, to her credit. But as the Charlotte Observer threatened to expose Bakker--stuff happened. The narrative is hard to follow at that point. By fornicating with Hahn, Bakker didn’t actually break any laws, so it’s hard to see just how the fraud and the adultery connect.

But PTL’s accounting came to light, which led to a 45 year conviction. Bakker then tells an amazing story of life in prison and how God had to heal all the baggage. Bakker notes that before prison he never read the bible all the way through. Towards the end of prison he was reading it 16 hours a day.

Should Reformed people read this book? Why not? While our temptations aren’t the same as those from the Assemblies of God. Still, it warns of “getting too big for yourself” (his Heritage USA project became an uncontrollable monster towards the end) and the dangers of the Scarlet Woman.

It also tells of Tammy Faye’s divorcing him. That might seem justified given his earlier adultery, but she was already sleeping with his best friend (who then divorced his wife to marry her). Furthermore, it is grim snapshot of American religious life in the 1980s.

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 2


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## Pergamum (Apr 14, 2018)

I bought the book based upon your recommendation.


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## RamistThomist (Apr 14, 2018)

One of his cellmates was failed presidential candidate Lyndon Larouche. That part was funny. Evidently, Larouche was paranoid that the govt was out to get him.


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## Edward (Apr 14, 2018)

BayouHuguenot said:


> Evidently, Larouche was paranoid that the govt was out to get him.



Well, they were. And they did.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## Jack K (Apr 14, 2018)

As a mainstream journalist in North Carolina at the time, and one of the few people in our newsroom who understood the Christian lingo Bakker was using, I covered much of the scandal. I was never convinced Bakker was guilty of many of the crimes for which he went to prison. Prosecutors painted him as a scheming, malicious man, but I saw him as a careless and spiritually mistaken man. NOTE: Evangelical Christians were successfully challenged and kept off the jury.

I read_ I Was Wrong_ as soon as it was released, and I liked it overall. Bakker confirmed several of my suspicions, and I appreciated his willingness to take a hard look at what he had done, and at what he believed, and repent where necessary. But I felt his Pentecostal background still informed his thinking, and it left significant gaps in his repentance. I suppose that's no big surprise; we all have those.

Today Bakker is back on TV, though with less visibility. He has stopped preaching prosperity and instead talks of how the world is turning on Christians, creating difficult times ahead. He sells products to help believers survive the coming apocalypse. Jim Bakker has always been a salesman, and a good one. I think he should have stuck to that, and sold life insurance or something, rather than becoming a sort of preacher, which ought to be a different thing entirely.

Reactions: Like 2


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## RamistThomist (Apr 14, 2018)

Jack K said:


> I covered much of the scandal. I was never convinced Bakker was guilty of many of the crimes for which he went to prison.



Interesting. I remember reading I kept thinking, "So what exactly did you do to go to jail?" 

He sells survivalists stuff today. Which is fine. Some of the people he has on his program are kind of interesting.


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## RamistThomist (Apr 14, 2018)

Edward said:


> Well, they were. And they did.



Bakker reports that Larouche overheard another prisoner say he helped install part of the prison sound system. That sent Larouche over the edge. He checked his pillow every night for microphones.


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