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Lester Roloff and Separation of Church and State
Roloff would go on to significance and is listed in the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Lester did not want his home licensed by the state citing the separation of church and state as his defense. His version of separation was different than the courts. He blamed the down fall of America on the media and national news broadcasts which he preached were Communist organizations.1 He saw the downfall of America coming from taking the Bible out of schools. This placed him in opposition with many Baptist leaders who saw otherwise. Just a few years ago the Santa Fe, Texas football prayer was ruled unconstitutional. The state Baptist newspaper backed the ruling in an editorial. Rick Scarborough, a leading Baptist activist in the state would have sided with Lester. Rick stated the young lady student who prayed, (she was a daughter of a Baptist minister), was crucified like Jesus for her stand.2 Lester found an ally in Texas governor William Clements. Roloff bragged he helped get Clements elected by his radio endorsements. Before Roloff's untimely death from his airplane crash, he noted the state's desire to license his girls home was a Communist plot.3 The courts sought to stop the minister. He even went to jail for a few days. He went to his grave boasting he defeated the Supreme Court. He once rounded up all his followers for a famous standoff in San Antonio he called the new Battle at the Alamo. He eventually relented and moved his home to Missouri to escape state licensing. After Lester's death his followers found a new ally in Governor George W. Bush. Bush pushed through legislature that allowed these homes to exist without a state license. The homes reopened with similar complaints. State agencies again interceded and forced the places to get a license or shut down.4 The newer version did not have as many beatings. But it did place girls in solitary confinement and force them to listen to Lister's sermons for days on end. Some said this was worse than a beating. Of interest was the fact that state courts were sentencing girls to these homes and First Amendment issues were at stake since the home existed primarily to convert girls to Christianity. Lester was vocal about politics. He once demanded Baylor, where he graduated from, refuse to give an honorary degree to President Truman because of Truman's foul mouth.5 Baptist churches tend to pay Social Security on employees, abide by building codes, and seek to keep local government ordinances. The ones I know of seek state licenses to start daycares. Roloff parted company with his Southern Baptist denomination and became an Independent Baptist. He tended to enjoy Baptist support from around the nation as millions of dollars were sent to his homes for troubled youth. It is interesting the Bush Presidency and its use of tax money to support religious causes came from this attempt in Texas to grant special privileges to religious organizations.
Endnotes:
Lester Roloff and Separation of Church and State | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Lester Roloff and Separation of Church and State | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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