Give This Aging Evangelist A Break!
http://www.dakotavoice.com/200506/20050626_1.asp" title="http://www.dakotavoice.com/200506/20050626_1.asp" target="_blank"http://www.dakotavoice.com/20...
I understand Billy Graham stated in a Today Show interview that he was a lifelong Democrat. And, I understand at his Crusade he jokingly told Bill Clinton that he should become an evangelist and let his wife run the country. Now, the president of the National Clergy Council has walked out on the Graham Crusade in protest, and he has stated he now has a little less respect because of Graham's behavior.
Give me a break! More kindly, give this aging evangelist a break!
Where I live and attend church, we have lots of what are called "Dixiecrats" who are as conservative in their politics as any Republican, and yet continue to wear the political label of their ancestors from many generations past. Graham stated in the Today Show interview that he often votes one way locally, and another nationally. In other words, he did not say that he was a "Yellow Dog Democrat", one who always votes the party no matter the platform.
I think Dr. Graham was being a gentleman in his banter with these two New York politicians. And, I am sure by having them on the platform, he was hoping to encourage the attendance of many of their supporters to his Crusade, so they could hear his uncompromising message of the gospel. Throughout his stellar career, this man has been about evangelism, not politics. Maybe, no probably, there is a necessity for evangelical leaders to speak up on political issues and take sides. But not for Graham; he's an evangelist. He wants the liberal and the conservative to hear and respond to God's message of love and salvation through Jesus Christ.
What do you think?
06.27.05 (4:17 am) [
edit]
posted by:
FinalyFree (
reply)
post date:
06.27.05 (5:31 am)
I think the fact that most every sitting President of this country for the last 20-30 years has consulted Billy Graham is a testament to what kind of man he is. These presidents look to him for spiritual guidance and nourishment. To my knowledge they do this out of respect for him, not for his political affiliations. Is it unacceptable for a member of the clergy to have a sense of humor? I say the pres. of the National Clergy Council should be given the proverbial boot!
posted by:
LynnKramer (
reply)
post date:
06.27.05 (9:34 am)
Once again, I find it necessary to write in defense of myself and my beliefs. In the text that follows, I won't bother discussing the flaws in Dr Billy Graham, Esq.'s logic, because he surely doesn't use any logic. Even when he isn't lying, he's using facts, emphasizing facts, bearing down on facts, sliding off facts, quietly ignoring facts, and, above all, interpreting facts in a way that will enable him to treat people like hateful harijans of one sort or another. Too many emotions to count raced through my mind when I first realized that he wants to get me thrown in jail. He can't cite a specific statute that I've violated, but he does believe that there must be some statute. This tells me that Dr Graham truly believes that cultural tradition has never contributed a single thing to the advancement of knowledge or understanding. It is just such illiterate megalomania, incoherent egoism, and intellectual aberrancy that stirs Dr Graham to drive us into a state of apoplexy. With all due respect, of all of his exaggerations and incorrect comparisons, one in particular stands out: "Dr Graham is the best thing to come along since the invention of sliced bread." I don't know where he came up with this, but his statement is dead wrong.
You may find it amusing or even titillating to read about his sound bites, but they're not amusing to me. They're deeply troubling. At one point, I actually believed that he would stop being so self-centered. Silly me. Dr Graham wants to attack my character. Who does he think he is? I mean, the objection may still be raised that this is the best of all possible worlds and that he is the best of all possible people. At first glance, this sounds almost believable. Yet the following must be borne in mind: I can no longer get very excited about any revelation of his hypocrisy or crookedness. It's what I've come to expect by now.
Dr Graham has warned us that when you least expect it, the worst kinds of officious, jejune mystics there are will canonize the worst types of lackluster wheeler-dealers there are as nomological emblems of propriety. If you think about it, you'll realize that Dr Graham's warning is a self-fulfilling prophecy in the sense that if Dr Graham succeeds in his attempt to blame our societal problems on handy scapegoats, it'll have to be over my dead body. His deputies have already started to mollycoddle wretched soi-disant do-gooders (especially the shallow type). The result: absolute vapidity, savage and grotesque cacophony, lack of personality, monotony, and boredom. Dr Graham is not just stupid. He is unbelievably, astronomically stupid. However, it may seem difficult at first to put the kibosh on his reinterpretations of historic events. It is. But many people respond to his prudish strictures in much the same way that they respond to television dramas. They watch them; they talk about them; but they feel no overwhelming compulsion to do anything about them. That's why I insist we shelter initially unpopular truths from suppression, enabling them to ultimately win out through competition in the marketplace of ideas. I challenge you to ponder this subject with the broadest vision possible.
posted by:
preceptlady (
reply)
post date:
06.27.05 (3:22 pm)
PastorDave: There has never been and probably will never be another mighty man of God like Dr. Billy Graham. He has preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to over 2 million people and many have come to know the LORD through him. What an awesome testimony.
Dr. Graham was the spiritual adviser for many presidents. It appeared to me he was not partial to one party. He loved each and every one of them...fulfilling the scripture as he went along. To love each other as Christ loves us. Billy Graham will depart this life and enter into heaven leaving a remarkable legacy.
Each of us will leave a legacy of either good fruit or bad fruit. I am striving for my legacy to be that I loved the LORD with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind! I know you are too.
God Bless.
posted by:
preceptlady (
reply)
post date:
06.27.05 (5:36 pm)
Reply to Howie Luvzus: I have never seen anything like that web site you referrenced. Some one is really bored with life and has way too much time on their hands. Thanks for sharing!
