Bible College President In Hot Water For Anti-Immigrant Slur

Criswell College President Lamar Cooper angered many for referring to illegal immigrants as "wetbacks" on air before a radio-broadcasted class last Sunday.

Church officials say the remark was "off-hand" and "unfortunate."

The Dallas Morning News reports that Cooper was talking about the Arizona immigration law with a parishioner when he uttered the term.

Criswell board Chairman Michael Deahl told the Morning News that Cooper was "contrite." Church officials emphasized that the president's language was not part of his lesson that day.

The broadcast has been taken off-air indefinitely and the church is apologizing individually to each person who has complained about Cooper's language.

Criswell is a small Christian college in Dallas that serves to develop "God-called men and women in the Word (intellectually and academically) and by the Word (professionally and spiritually) for authentic ministry leadership -- all in obedience to Christ, all for the sake of the gospel, all for the glory of God."

UPDATE: Cooper issued an apology Thursday for his remark, according to Fox 4 News Dallas.

"I deeply regret having made the inappropriate, off-the-cuff statement," Cooper said. "I apologize to any and all who were offended by my comments, and ask for their forgiveness."

WATCH:

Comments

[PennyLane2]

10:54 AM on 05/05/2010

A_hater pretending to teach words of love and wisdom. Students of Criswell College - you can do much better.

[mcmutter]

10:46 AM on 05/05/2010

Its a Bible College. don't expect anything ....

[DavidWyld]

07:01 AM on 05/03/2010

Yep, he got caught red-handed and had to fall on the media sword. Will he survive in his post, likely. But, he could join this dubious gathering in the Countdown Apology Hall of Fame:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtzsOqb5tlg

David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/

[Talossa]

01:01 AM on 05/03/2010

Criswell College?

"Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future...."

[markytex]

03:02 AM on 05/02/2010

religion is not the problem. it's people who clain they are religious who are the problem.

[ObamAtomic]

12:05 AM on 05/02/2010

He apologized because he was caught red handed,that's all.

[erinsf]

11:39 PM on 05/01/2010

this apology means nothing. he said it. he meant it.

[SensibleJoe]

11:13 PM on 05/01/2010

Right-wingers are always "contrite" for their irresponsible, unprincipled speech only after the fact, after public outcry and after the loss of money, reputation and support. If Mr.Cooper is such a Christian, he would think before he speaks and censor himself of anything prejudiced or hateful, firmly believing in what Jesus taught: "And I tell you this, you must give an account on Judgment Day for every careless word you speak" (Matthew 12:36). If the college he heads had any Christian cojones, it would relieve him of his presidency, to aid him in learning repentance, humility and self-control. They might even prescribe this prayer for him: "Set a guard at my mouth, Lord; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart turn to wrong, to making excuses for sinning with the wicked." (Psalm 141:3-4)

[kathleenrr]

10:24 PM on 05/01/2010

What's really sad about this racist comment by this man is that it's so predictable coming from the head of a bible college.

[hippie4ever]

10:19 PM on 05/01/2010

A hateful man leads a Bible College in Texas, and he doesn't like the people who clean his toilets, landscape his grounds, cook and serve his food, vacuum and mop his floors.

What a surprise...

[Mr GEE]

10:58 AM on 05/02/2010

Nop it's not a surprise, it's not necessary 2 practice what you preach 4 this religious wacko.

[tjconkster]

09:27 PM on 05/01/2010

No, he regrets that he got called out on it.

[Uproar]

07:26 PM on 05/01/2010

No one who ever uses a racial slur is sorry. They are simply embarrassed. There's a huge difference.

And what beauty is Christianity! Do whatever the f you want, say whatever the f you want, then just ask for forgiveness, say sorry, and you're let off, scot free.

[Tommygun264]

04:04 AM on 05/02/2010

I do believe that people can mature and change and sincerely regret things they say and do. I don't believe it is the case with the minister - he only apologized AFTER he was taken off the air. However just because I am not persuaded to believe this man, doesn't mean I can't believe other people are incapable of change. As human beings we are all capable of change, maturity and inner growth.

[mollybeejay]

05:43 PM on 05/02/2010

Tommy, I believe we all can change too. however, the fact that this is a purported man of the cloth, and the fact that he is the President of a Bible College, a college where he is in charge of the teachings of Bible, leads me to believe he will never change. I left my church 5 years ago because my pastor, a Black baptist Minister refer to persons of Arab descent as towel heads. I have not been back since. More people need to take a stance when this type of thing happens. As far as I know the pastor never apologized for his remarks.

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

06:05 PM on 05/01/2010

I don't think that he apologized at all. His interjection that the remark was "off the cuff" seems to negate any sincerity in the "I'm sorry" part. It doesn't matter if it was "off the cuff" or written in big, black, bold 22-pt font -- the fact that the term it is part of his vernacular at all seems to indicate that the apology should have read "I'm sorry I am a giant d-bag, racist, hypocritical "Christian"

[timewaster2dcore]

05:21 PM on 05/01/2010

JudiBug said:

Holy Cow ! A few anger issues?? Isn't that more your problem than anyone else's?

------------------------------------------------------

Anger? Did you detect anger in my comment or are you just allergic to truth? How do you explain the "church" at the top of the Slave Dungeon in Ghana? How about the continual efforts by religious leaders to limit women's choices?

[Richard Amiel McGough]

04:57 PM on 05/01/2010

The behavior of Lamar Cooper is not surprising. He is President of Criswell College, the alma mater of Ergun Caner who is the current President of Southwestern Baptist Seminary, associated with Falwell's Liberty U. Caner has used terms like "towel head" and "sand n**ger" in his "testimony" about converting from Islam. ...Said testimony has now been exposed as an outrageous fraud. Caner grew up in Ohio from about age 3, but invented a false history as a member of the "Islamic Youth Jihad" growing up in Turkey who came to America in 1978 "to do that which was done on September 11." He rocketed to fame after 9/11 and wrote a fear-mongering book of ignorant anti-Islamic stereotypes called "Unveiling Islam." Search Google blogs for "Ergun Caner" and you will get the full story.