This story seems to be just popping up this weekend (probably coincidence that it's the start of the 3-day weekend and might get missed by the regular news cycle.) Any way, the 'breaking' story so far comes via an AP report. Scandal Brewing at Oral Roberts U. By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS
Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local political campaign and lavish spending at donors' expense, including numerous home remodeling projects, use of the university jet for his daughter's senior trip to the Bahamas, and a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.
She is accused of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to friends of her children and sending scores of text messages on university-issued cell phones to people described in the lawsuit as "underage males."
Go read the whole thing - the rest of the story is even more compelling.
When conservatives talk about America being a 'Christian' nation, the kind of behavior alleged in this story at the largest charismatic Christian university in the world explains a lot about the 'faith-based' government we've been blessed with for the past 7 years.
Sara Robinson has written several excellent series over at Orcinus on authoritarianism, and how it ties in with religion. Tunnels & Bridges describes how stories like this can often motivate people trapped in authoritarian belief systems to try to find a way out. Cracks in the Wall describes the psychology of the authoritarian leader types who demand total obedience and loyalty from their followers, while giving none in return.
It looks like what is happening at Oral Roberts University is just the latest in a long line of similar scandals. Don't let anyone try to kind you that this kind of a thing is an exception; the kind of behavior described is an inherent risk in any authoritarian organization.
David Niewert has written some excellent examinations of fascism, also at Orcinus. It has been said that if fascism comes to America, it will come bearing a cross. Listen to the GOP candidates on the campaign trail or discussions of the whole religious factor in politics these days, and be afraid.
Here's a section from the Wikipedia article about the university:
All students are required to sign a pledge stating they will live according to the university's honor code. Prohibited activities include lying, cursing, smoking, drinking, gambling, and what school officials consider illicit sexual acts including homosexual behavior. In early 2004 the student dress code was greatly relaxed for the first time in forty years. Prior to that time, men were required to wear button-down shirts and ties, while women were required to wear skirts (with an exception for winter months added in 2000). The dress code could now be described as business casual. In 2006, the dress code was relaxed even further, allowing students to wear jeans to class. Restrictions for men on hair length and facial hair remain, as well as a rule against men wearing earrings.[2]
That's the set of rules for people who are supposed to be followers. Compare that with the behavior described in the AP story, and then consider this excerpt from Robinson on Leaders.
Leaders form just a small fraction of the group. Social scientists refer to this group as having a high "social dominance orientation (SDO)" -- a set of traits that can be readily identified with psychological testing. "These are people who seize every opportunity to lead, and who enjoy having power over others," says Dean -- and they have absolutely no qualms about objectifying people and breaking rules to advance their own ambitions. High-SDO personalities tend to emerge very early in life (which suggests at least some genetic predisposition): you probably remember a few from your own sandbox days, and almost certainly have known a few who've made your adult life a living hell as well.
The press doesn't like to talk about the "F" word or how it might apply to what's happening in America these days - too many DFH types threw the word around in the 60's for it to be taken as a serious charge. Also, as Glenn Greenwald has reported, the Right is doing everything it can to confuse thinking about what is fascism and where it comes from.
Considering that we are now seeing stories about torture as offical (secret) policy, the adoption of government policies based on faith rather than fact, the rise of Blackwater as a private army, and the ties between the religious right and the political right, well..... If This Goes On...
UPDATE: Sara Robinson has picked up on the story over at Orcinus.