Transcript of Rev. Billy Grahamʼs conversation with Rev. Schuller on “The Hour of Power” TV program:
Schuller: “Tell me, what is the future of Christianity?”
Billy Graham: “Well, Christianity and being a true believer, you know, I think thereʼs the body of Christ which comes from all the Christian groups around the world, or outside the Christian groups. I think that everybody that loves Christ or knows Christ, whether theyʼre conscious of it or not, theyʼre members of the body of Christ. And I donʼt think that weʼre going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole world to Christ at any time. What God is doing today is calling people out of the world for His name. Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the body of Christ because theyʼve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts they need something that they donʼt have and they turn to the only light they have and I think theyʼre saved and theyʼre going to be with us in heaven.” [So Graham has apparently adopted the “anonymous Christian” view defended by liberal Catholic theologians like Hans Kung. I also suspect that Grahamʼs view may have been influenced by seeing good friends die without becoming born again Evangelical Christians, including lifelong friend and fellow-evangelist-turned-agnostic, Charles Templeton, succumb to Alzheimerʼs.—E.T.B.]
Schuller: “What I hear you saying is that itʼs possible for Jesus Christ to come into a human heart and soul and life even if theyʼve been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what youʼre saying?”
Graham: “Yes it is because I believe that. Iʼve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, have never heard of Jesus but theyʼve believed in their hearts that there is a God and they tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.”
Schuller: “This is fantastic. Iʼm so thrilled to hear you say that. Thereʼs a wideness in Godʼs mercy.”
Graham: There is. There definitely is.”
[SOURCE: The Hour of Power television program #1426, “Say “Yes” To Possibility Thinking,” aired May 32, 1997]
“When asked whether he believes heaven will be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or secular people... Graham says:
‘Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won't... I don't want to speculate about all that. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have.’”
[SOURCE: Jon Meacham, Pilgrimʼs Progress: In the Twilight, Billy Graham Shares What Heʼs Learned in Reflecting on Politics and Scripture, Old Age and Death, Mysteries and Moderation, Newsweek, Oct. 15, 2007]
Check out these videos concerning Billy Graham on YouTube:
This one provides the above “Hour of Power” video.
John MacArthur talking about Billy Grahamʼs stance.
Other Ways In Which Grahamʼs Views Have Mellowed Over The Years
Rev. Graham was caught on the “Nixon tapes” complaining to the president about “the Jews” and their “stranglehold” on the media, and blaming them for “all the pornography.” Even after the president replied that he agreed but “you canʼt say that” in public, Graham pressed the point: Yes, right, but if you get elected to a second term, then we could do something about the problem. Graham added that while many Jews were friendly to him, “they donʼt know how I really feel about what they are doing to this country.” [After the Nixon tapes came to light Graham said he had no memory of ever having said such a thing, but none the less he apologized profusely multiple times after hearing them for himself.]
[SOURCE: David Vest, The Rebel Angel, ‘They Donʼt Know How I Really Feel’ Billy Graham, Tangled Up in Tape, March 5, 2002, Counterpunch]
In 1965, Billy Graham dismissed demonstrations for peace in Vietnam, saying, “It seems the only way to gain attention today is to organize a march and protest something.”
[SOURCE: Jon Meacham, Pilgrimʼs Progress: In the Twilight, Billy Graham Shares What Heʼs Learned in Reflecting on Politics and Scripture, Old Age and Death, Mysteries and Moderation, Newsweek]
Rev. Graham was caught on the Nixon tapes giving a wholehearted thumbs up to the controversial plan by some of president Nixonʼs military advisors to “bomb the damns” in North Vietnam which would have drowned many and starved a million or more North Vietnamese by draining the water used for their rice paddies. (The plan was never carried out.)
[SOURCE: Alexander Cockburn, The Lordʼs Avenger: When Billy Graham Wanted to Kill One Million People, March 12, 2002, Counterpunch]
Poor Billy Graham. The Christofascists are going to say that either he's senile or that he's a heretic. He may have been wise to the PEW report: 70% of today's evangelical Christians believe that a person might be "saved" while they're in another religion! HORRORS! He's taking the self-righteousness out of Christianity! For the last 1700 years or so, Christianity has had the upper hand in insisting that they are the TRUE religion and that others are "pagans", "heathens" or "infidels"
ReplyDeleteNow think of this: throughout history there have been upward of 500 million people who have lost their lives because of this dogmatism. Isn't it time arrogant Christianity fess up and ask for forgiveness?
You can read my own blog today that covers the subject: http://thedevilanddanvojir.blog.spot.com
Oh, Lord - what a blog!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf he's strict, you ridicule him.
ReplyDeleteIf he mellows, you ridicule them.
Come on Ed, you despise them no matter what they do.
And to the posters here who blame religion for costing lives...do you blame science for providing weapons that can cost ALL life FOREVER?
Atheist scientists, Dawkins assures us most scientists are atheists, provided those weapons.
They can't pretend its not their responsibility...if you put guns in the hands of waring gangs you are complicit.
By the way, if Graham was badmouthing Jews in private, the atheists are pretty open about it.
ReplyDeleteDawkins decries the NOTORIOUS Jewish Lobby.
Harris blames the Jews for their own "victimhood."
Hitchens laments that they were not wiped out at the battle remembered by Hannukkah...he says. "We could have been spared the whole thing."
Now how's that for genocide.
Andrew, I'm happy Graham has mellowed with age. Neither am I a new atheist, I'm an old agnostic, and I suspect you're not giving the context of the quotations from Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens. I agree humanity faces dangers as never before, not just from the bomb, but from following the first commandment of God, "be fruitful and multiply." I'd say we've exceeded God's expectations when it comes to obediently following that command.
ReplyDelete