The Nation - News from Dec. 12, 1988

PTL founder Jim Bakker, in his first public remarks since being indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, railed against the news media but urged followers of his New Covenant Church in Charlotte, N.C., to forgive his accusers. “If the news media wasn’t the biggest money-maker today, would they still pay people $1 million to lie and tell stories?” he said during a 20-minute message to about 400 followers. Bakker also talked about his reaction to being fingerprinted and having a mug shot taken at the federal courthouse in Charlotte. “I looked up at all those wanted posters and I thought, ‘No one is smiling--so I smiled,’ ” Bakker said. “If I’m going to be on the walls of post offices, I’m going to smile.” Bakker and three of his former associates have been accused of diverting more than $4 million of their followers’ money to support their own “lavish and extravagant” life styles.