I believe I was about 12 years old when Dad took the family to the Los Angeles Coliseum to hear Billy Graham speak. Billy Graham was amazing. I still remember feeling the spirit. His voice mesmerizing me down the steps filled with over 100,000 people to publicly pledge my faith. Billy Graham always asked people to come on down and take God into their hearts. It was a transformative experience for me.
I had to learn to expand my thinking when it came to the beliefs of others. I don't recall having prejudices against any religious faith or group as you might expect. As I grew and learned about the struggles of others, I knew God had a plan for everyone no matter their beliefs. Who was I to say my faith was better or, in fact, the only true way?
The Rev. Billy Graham's son, Franklin, made an appearance on "Morning Joe" today. I watched with unease as he carefully disparaged President Obama by questioning Obama's beliefs, saying he was born to a Muslim father and, in the Muslim faith, that makes him a Muslim. It felt unclean, as if he'd been hired to do somebody's dirty work under the guise of religious leadership. Luckily, Willy Geist and Mike Barnicle were there to question his motives.
I do not believe the Rev. Billy Graham would have done this. I kept up with him over many years and truly felt he was sincere. His son is another story. He seems a didactic, smug elitist tutoring uninformed sinners, casting judgment, showing disapproval.
The extreme aspect of all this religious posturing by Rick Santorum and other candidates is creating a divide which will, in all likelihood, further enhance the President's chances for re-election. But, you be the judge.
Better you than Franklin Graham.
13 comments:
He always struck me as one of the good ones, too. Very sincere.
Does he remind you of Jim Baker or one of those dudes?
btw, I neglected to thank you for visiting and commenting. Thanks!
I grew up on Billy Graham, watching him on TV with my preacher-dad, and once or twice going to a rally. I admired Franklin at one point in my life, long ago. I hadn't heard anything about him for a long time. This makes me sad, to think that he would take this sort of public stand, politicizing Christianity. I agree with you; I don't think his dad would have done it. Like my own father, he went out of his way to avoid talking about anything but the Bible. When that alone is open to so much interpretation, why muddy it even further by mixing it with politics, government, etc. I am so grateful my deeply evangelical parents did not believe in a theocracy.
I was "saved" by Billy Graham four times. I couldn't see him without going down there, too. :-)
He was compelling, wasn't he?
Franklin came off as a religious elitist. I was so turned off.
The hair tells us all we need to know. If that guy ain't laying with hookers, I'm a flying monkey.
Clearly, I'm missing something here. Why does someone need to be saved four times? Doesn't it take the first time? Seriously. Color me clueless here.
Definitely.
I can't speak for Jan.
As a child exposed to him during an impressionable time in my life, I could see walking to where he was to be "saved" (proclaim one's faith in God and Christ) more than once. He was that hypnotic. But I never saw him as a shyster the way I believe other televangelists were and are. I believed in his faith.
I find the contempt and disrespect behind Rev. Graham's words the most troubling.
Yes. He is smug. He is an elitist. He sounds entitled. None of us are entitled. But so many think they are.
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