Rev. Billy Graham

Rev. Billy Graham has said some things and taken some positions in the especially last several that made me wonder what was going through his mind. He is quite old, and really, not sure how his mind is working.

All I know is that he was preaching the Gospel since I was born, and basically have always respected him. I believe God has used him in a mighty way.

We are all flawed creatures. The first thing is, we have no right to question another's salvation. Next, there have been lots of people on this board criticize him for this or that. My guess is they will not accomplish 1% of what Billy Graham did.

The man has his faults, but if I had to throw my lot with either him or Jerry Falwell for honesty, my vote goes to Rev. Graham.

 

Only God knows Mr Graham's Heart but I believe that Fallwell was a flawed human while GRaham was a false teacher.
I once read in his newspaper that God makes mistakes.
That took away what little respect I had for him.

 

I sort of agree with that and sort of disagree with it.
We have a duty to judge righteously.
If someone is preaching a different gospel, it is not wrong to question and doubt the salvation of those believing.
That being said, we can never know who is and who is not saved. That is only for God to know.
I will say that it is sometiems a lot easier to know who is not that who is.

 

==Graham has spent his whole ministry preaching that Jesus is the only way to heaven. I know that in recent years he has made statements that are confusing. However keep in mind that he is old and in very poor health. I am not sure how his medical situation has affected his thinking or his ability to think things through. For that reason only I am not that hard on him. As for his position on homosexuality, I think he is correct. Some Christians target homosexuals as if they are the only group of sinners on the face of the earth. However they are sinners just like everyone else and they need salvation in order to escape their sinful lifestyles just like everyone else. I admire Graham's avoiding political and social activism. Such activism has gained no ground. Years after the start of the Moral Majority, Focus on the Family, and other such groups things are no better. Why not? Because activism is not the answer. The only answer is the Gospel. And it is that Gospel that Graham has preached, the world over, for many years.

==I think Billy Graham would be the first person to correct you of such thoughts.

==Graham is popular because of the context in which his ministry started (etc). Many of his positions are in perfect agreement with Falwell's (etc).

I do think age and poor health has softened some of his positions though.

 

Thoughtful and well said.

 

BG a false teacher? Wow...

 

We're often in agreement. I just read a biography of Billy Graham by John Pollock, and I can say, that I have a great amount of respect for Dr. Graham, even though we would disagree theologically.

 

Billy Graham and His Friends by Cathy Burns is a good read as well.

 

BG

Billy was Semipelagian even in his youth. In otherwords he didn't think Sin made men that bad, only kinda sick. He articulated this is many sermons where he gently said we just needs God's help to believe in God. This is a slippery slope understanding of God's Sovereignty and has weightier implications for all other doctrines...... Left man a little room to boast about choosing God.

This is why Man is improperly focused on in so many churches today, is because we take credit for choosing God, and then look around at all the other "so called" believers and think "we're" really not that bad.

Anyway do some googling on Semipelagian. Billy meant well but.....

 

I'm not crazy about what BG teaches, either, but I do think we should leave the poor guy alone. At least keep with BB tradition and wait until he's dead before you start tearing him apart.

 

The "slippery slope" is a logical fallacy.

 

I would suggest all of you who like to rake him over the coals, ask how much have you been used by the Lord compared to him.

 

I enjoyed his preaching from the late 40's to the early 50"s, from there on I turned him off. I believe it was around 1956 or 57 that he started having liberals and RCC people heavy into his meetings. He would even their churches for new converts to go to.

 

Source? Until then, I will take this as slander.