[mountaineer]

How can a godly man even shake hands with a dirtbag like Clinton?

I am not happy with the Clintons getting a forum like Mr. Graham's crusade, but can't help but respond to your question: what would Jesus do? Did He avoid contact with the vilest of sinners?

[lady lawyer]

He wouldn't have given them what amounted to a public endorsement. He said, "Go and sin no more."

[editor-surveyor]

what would Jesus do? Did He avoid contact with the vilest of sinners?

What would Jesus really do? He would never have 'struck hands' with anyone; he denounced that practice during his ministry. It is an ancient zoroastrian (Tammuz worship) tradition. While Jesus did mingle with sinners, he never embraced their sin as Graham did here.

[7thson]

Yes, He did! The vilest of the sinners were the Pharisees and the other religious leaders of his time. There are many instances in Scripture where Jesus rebuked these people - most of the time publicbly. Jesus did not give mealy mouth answers to questions intended to trick him up. And Jesus today would talk to someone like a Bill Clinton but would not be swayed by his "charm." The chief charmer of all time tried to trip Jesus up but failed. Bill Clinton is the same as the young, rich man who wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus told him to get rid of everything and follow Him but the young man walked away crestfallen. What would Jesus tell Clinton today? I do not know but I feel pretty stongly that he would not endorse him or his wife for political office.

As a side note, we will hear about this until the cows come home but the press never reports on the rebuke Clinton got from Pope John Paul.

[nmh]

I was just thinking the same ... if there was a sinner in need of saving it would be the Demoncrats. Christ hung out with the sinners. The clintons have power and authority. Wouldn't it be nice while they still have this if they did the right thing? It's worth a try.

[Texas Songwriter]

No, but Jesus told them the truth.

[Edit35]

... (YOU ASKED)what would Jesus do? Did He avoid contact with the vilest of sinners?

No. Jesus sought out sinners.

But he certainly did not embrace the adulterous woman at the well(she was about to be stoned) by calling her a "great wife".

No. Jesus loved and showed her respect, and admonished her to 'go and sin no more.'

While it certainly not be appropriate for Billy Graham to publically tell Clinton and Rodham to stop sinning, it would not have been out of bounds to mention that Bill and Hillary, despite the enormous power and money they obtained, are sinners like the rest of us ... and in need of Christ's salvation.

To proclaim to the world that Bill and Hillary are a "great couple" and she should be "running the country" is a slap in the face to all humble Bible-believing Christians who are faithful to each other and live by the rules.

How can Graham not see that Clinton and Rodham have built their political lives on disparaging and ridiculing the lives of church-going Christians.

In fact, I am already having a hard time respecting Billy Graham Ministries as much as I did prior to this past weekend.

[MortMan]

You've got the wrong model. How did Christ treat the Pharisees - the corrupt and ungodly rulers?

[conservative blonde]

Christ didn't avoid the vilest of sinners, but he didn't endorse them for president either. What did He do, He said "go and sin no more." I wish Hilarity would take the "go" seriously and depart.