Posted on 06/26/2005 10:07:04 AM PDT by Josh in PA
Clinton Honors Graham at Final Revival
NEW YORK - As his final American revival meeting continued Saturday, a fragile Billy Graham was met onstage by former President Clinton, who honored the evangelist, calling him "a man I love."
Clinton spoke briefly before Graham's sermon and recalled how the man known as America's pastor had refused to preach before a segregated audience in Arkansas decades ago when that state was in a bitter fight over school desegregation.
"I was just a little boy and I'll never forget it," said Clinton, who was joined by his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "I've loved him ever since. God bless you, friend."
Graham called the Clintons "wonderful friends" and "a great couple," quipping that the former president should become an evangelist and allow "his wife to run the country."
Graham, 86, then launched into a short sermon that was interrupted by applause five times. Organizers estimated 80,000 people had come to the crusade at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens — about 20,000 more than the opening night Friday. The rally ends Sunday.
The evangelist is suffering from fluid on the brain, prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. He uses the walker due to a pelvic fracture and is largely confined to his home in Montreat, N.C. He had said previously that the rally "will be the last in America, I'm sure."
Despite his many ailments, he spoke strongly for about 15 minutes, in an address meant to appeal to young people. He peppered his speech with pop-culture references from Madonna to Bono to MTV. He wove a parable about bad decision-making from the plot of "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," in which Anakin Skywalker becomes the villain Darth Vader.
"The decisions you make tonight will effect your whole future and your eternal future," he said, before inviting people forward to accept Christ.
Graham's son and successor, the Rev. Franklin Graham, sat nearby, ready to finish the speech in case his father could not. But Franklin Graham was needed only to help his father move onstage.
Seats began filling hours before the event began, as temperatures reached into the 90s. Speakers repeatedly encouraged people in the audience to drink water to avoid fainting. Graham waited to go on in an air-conditioned tent, with aides nearby in case of a medical emergency, and the stage was shaded by a massive canopy.
Graham's pulpit has a movable seat hidden from view, so he can sit if he feels unsteady. He used the seat Saturday only after he finished his sermon.
Graham is considering a request to hold a rally in November in London, but Franklin Graham said his father no longer adjusts well to time zone changes and does not like to be away from his wife, Ruth, who is also in ill health.
Graham has preached to more than 210 million people in 185 countries. He has been sought out by U.S. presidents and leaders worldwide and, more than any other religious figure, has come to represent the American evangelical movement.
Marie St. Louis, 34, who came to the event hours early Saturday with friends and family from her New York church, called the rally "bittersweet" because it was Graham's last in the United States.
"It's sad because he's such a legend," St. Louis said. "When you think of Billy Graham, you think of a lot of things a Christian should be."
In effect , as one of 100 Senators who are a part of our govt., she does run our country. I did not get out of his comments an endorsement to be Pres.
To prevent duplicates, please do not alter the heading. Thanks.
I agree. He would have said the same thing about
Laura if the BushES had been on the platform with him.
I prefer it was the Clintons. With their moraltrack
record, they need all the sympathy pull they can get.
Hillary and Bill know that they will have to appeal to the "religious right" for Hillary to win in 2008.
That was what this fiasco with Graham was all about. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the Clintons. You just have to be smart enough not to let yourself get sucked into their trap.
dittos.
Billy Graham IS suffering from Alzheimer disease. He takes the Clintons at face value, and we all have seen how charming they can be if you take them at face value.
I really hate that his son, handlers, etc. have allowed the Clintons to use Graham and his final crusade to push Hillary's Pres. run forward. Doubtless, it will sell to some people.
vaudine
There is a difference between private reconcilliation and public endorsement...Billy has been around enough to know the difference.
Because of what these two, Bill and Hillary, support...Graham should have never offered such a public endorsement. He knows better.
He may be more forgiving because of his advanced age...but these two can still cause trouble and for the future he should be quietly forgiving but publicly taking them to task for what they represent...regardless of how "nice" they are.
Many white collar criminals and schisters are the nicest people you ever met. Billy is old enough to know this too.
Quip. ....as in wisecrack, joke, jest.
........ just like the church burnings that he said he remembered as a kid. (not)
;-)
They both have something on common -
none are ashamed of taking other peoples money for their own use..
"his wife to run the country."
Run it into a communist h*ll!
see post # 29 .........
;-)
The problem with making such a jest...is it will be spun until it no longer is a just a jest and becomes an endorsement, because that's exactly what the liberal media wants.
They do it all the time, negatively, in regard to conservative speakers.
The press are masters at avoiding context and manipulating context when it works to their advantage and serves their interests.
I doubt it.. Graham is an admitted Socialist(Democrat) and fighter of the "Social Injustice" caused by free enterprise.
He would vote for Hillary.
Both of these old coots can just bite me.
That was my first thought as well.
During the Clinton years and after it came out Clinton was getting regular Lewinsky's in the oval office - Billy Graham also said it wasn't Billy's fault as a virily, attractive, yound man that all those nasty, vile, sister's of Eve and Jezebal's threw themselves at him.
Okay, Billy Graham didn't call them Jezebal's or sisters of Eve - but he did blame Cinton's female problems on the victims for throwing themselves at him. Billy G.'s message pretty much seems to boil down to 'if you're rich, powerful and attractive' you can pretty much do what you want and still enter the Kingdom.' It is a shame that he sucked all those people in with such a message. We can ALL be saved, but not if we blame our sins and failings on someone else.
SORRY virily = virile; yound = young - I apologize for the misspellings.
The "religious right" will never be sucked into the Clinton's trap. Some "Religious" people might.
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