ORU - The Prayer Tower (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

USA / Oklahoma / Jenks / Tulsa, Oklahoma
 interesting place, lookout tower
The Prayer Tower is a late Googie design-influenced tower located on the campus of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 200 ft (60.9 m) glass and steel structure opened in 1967. An enclosed observation deck gives a 360° view of the surrounding area and enables a self-guided visual tour of the ORU campus. A visitor center on the ground floor has a gift shop along with showings of a 20-minute multimedia presentation on the history of the university and a 36-minute, faith-oriented presentation about the life of Oral Roberts. The landscaped Ralph L. Reece Memorial Gardens surround the tower base.

"If I can't raise $8 million dollars, God will call me home." Instead, ORU became the butt of jokes on Saturday Night Live, with Charlton Heston as God stepping into Oral's office, saying, "I want... the money." The top of the tower has an "eternal" flame.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_Tower
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   36°3'2"N   95°57'9"W

Comments

  • Babylon had nothing on this one
  • The preachers get richer, the flock gets poorer. Want to buy my polyester prayer handkerchief? Spend your money on the poor, a$$wipes...
  • If ORU goes out of business, can we pull down the Prayer Tower in a fashion similar to that of the Saddam statue in Baghdad in 2003? That would be super wonderfulness!
  • Another classic example of kitsch. Reminds one of the trashy monuments built in eastern Europe prior to the fall of the communist governments. Those at least made no attempt to mask their intentions. This one is taking advantage of the weakness of people, much like a drug dealer.
  • As a frequent and generous donor to this Institution, I would like a refund. Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned the corruption and moral filth that permeates the University today. I am disgusted and truly sorry I ever believed in these People.
  • This is the place where Oral Roberts was held hostage by God. God was asking for millions to be donated or Oral Roberts would be "called home." What a bunch of bull. I can't believe that the stupid members of the public fell for it and actually gave him that money. Remember Oral Roberts is the same man that claimed to have seen a 400 foot tall Jesus in Tulsa! What was he smoking?
  • I thought it was a 900' tall Jesus
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This article was last modified 11 years ago