21st Century Pardoner: Jim Bakkar
In the late 1980s, popular televangelist, Jim Bakkar, was arrested and imprisoned for alleged rape and fraud. Bakker, with his wife Tammy Faye, in addition to preaching on television, owned a Christian-themed amusement park called Heritage USA. The scandal emerged when the Bakkers began selling 3-day stays in a luxury hotel for the rest of one's life for only $1000. Many thousand people fell for it, but the Bakkers had only begun construction on a 500 room hotel. Well, it came to light that Jim Bakker was utilizing the money to pay off a past employee who had accused him of rape. He also pocketed more than $3,000,000 in "bonuses."
Jim Bakker bears many similarities to the Pardoner. Most overtly, both exploit religion for their own desires and greed, using people's generous donations to line their own pocketbooks. They also both vocally preach a message contrary to what they practice. Jim Bakker may not sell purportedly holy relics, but now that he is out of prison he is selling apocalypse survivalist kits with wares such as "End of the World Gravy" and "Kevin's Krazy Lasagna," which I would count as pretty much the same thing.
Jim Bakker bears many similarities to the Pardoner. Most overtly, both exploit religion for their own desires and greed, using people's generous donations to line their own pocketbooks. They also both vocally preach a message contrary to what they practice. Jim Bakker may not sell purportedly holy relics, but now that he is out of prison he is selling apocalypse survivalist kits with wares such as "End of the World Gravy" and "Kevin's Krazy Lasagna," which I would count as pretty much the same thing.
Photo source: http://www.crackedhistory.com/march-19-1987-surprise-tv-preacher-fraud/
Canal, Nick de la. “York County vs Evangelicals: The Battle Over 'Heritage USA.' Ruins.” Wfae.org 11 July 2014. Web. 7
December 2014.
Golgowski, Nina. "TV evangelist, accused rapist Jim Bakker sells survivalist kits including 'End of the World Biscuits'." New
York Daily News. New York City, 14 September 2014. Web. 7 December 2014.