Robert Tilton: Difference between revisions

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'''Robert Tilton''' is an [[United States|American]] [[televangelist]] who achieved notoriety in the [[1980s]] and [[1990s]] through his paid [[television program]] ''Success-N-Life''. At its peak, it aired in all 235 American TV markets.

In ''Success-N-Life'', Tilton regularly taught that poverty was a result of [[sin]].[http://letusreason.org/Popteac21.htm] One of Tilton's most frequent sermon topics was the Biblical story of [[Elijah]] and the widow of [[Zarephath]] ([[BookBooks of Kings|FirstI Kings]] 17:8-16). In the story, Elijah comes to a widow who is almost out of food and asks her to prepare him a meal. She replies that she has only enough food for one last meal for herself and her son. Elijah asks her to prepare him a meal first and then promises that God will not let her food be exhausted. In faith she does so, and her food supply indeed does not run out. Tilton regularly used this story in the context of asking viewers to send money to his ministry, which he called "making a vow," in return for the promise of God's continued blessing.

A [[1991]] [[ABC News]] investigation found that his ministry threw away [[prayer]] requests unread, keeping only any money or valuables sent by viewers. The investigation indicated that ''Success-N-Life'' was taking in more than $80 million (U.S.) a year. Viewership and donations declined, prompting Tilton to stop paying for television airtime for ''Success-N-Life'' in [[1993]]. Tilton sued ABC for libel because of its investigation and report, but the case was dismissed. The decline of ''Success-N-Life'' also led to the end of his first marriage to wife Marte, a frequent guest on the show, as well as a short-lived second marriage.