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Hold Up!

Album: Gold Audio 12: At Home and Abroad

Episode: 169

Lesson/Theme: Mankind's basic nature; God's protection.

Bible Verse: Ecclesiastes 7:20; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23

Characters: Connie, Eugene, Whit

Writer: Paul McCusker

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: October 26, 1991

Last Air Date: August 20, 2008

Description:
Connie and Eugene are closing up the shop one evening when they begin talking about the nature of man. Connie takes the Christian perspective that man is basically evil. Eugene takes the New Age theory that man is basically good. A stranger sitting in the corner booth overhears their conversation and agrees with Eugene, that mankind is basically good, it's simply man's circumstances that cause him to do evil. The stranger, Hank Murray, uses himself as an example. He has no money and no job. He is basically a good person, but the only way he can pay for his banana split and make a little cash on the side is by holding up Whit's End! He does this, pulling out a gun to make his point! Connie manages to set off the silent alarm, dispatching the police. The police don't want to have any unnecessary shooting, though, so they wait for Whit to arrive to see if he can show them a different way into the building. Whit, who has been delivering a lecture at Campbell County Community College, knows of a tunnel leading into Whit's End from the forest. Not only that, but he has a plan that will use the displays and attractions inside Whit's End to scare Hank Murray into surrendering. Through this, Whit proves that the emporium is really what you make of it. If you make it something good, it will be good. But if you make it something scary . . .

Questions:
Why did Whit and Connie think that humans are basically evil? Why did Eugene and Professor Ronan believe that people are basically good? What do you think? Why was Hank Murray so frightened by the displays in the Bible Room? Did Connie and Eugene do the right thing when Hank Murray held them up? What would you have done?