Why I Walked Out on Billy Graham

Magic City Morning Star ^ | 6/30/05 | Rev. Rob Schenck

[news blogger]

I have been a great admirer of Billy Graham for more than 30 years.

For 25 of those years, Dr. Graham was my role model in many ways as my ministry in preaching and evangelism developed.

He set the gold standard for integrity, led the way in using technology to communicate the Gospel and stayed 'on message' resisting trendy distractions by preaching only the simple Gospel for more than 60 years.

You can imagine how delighted I was to have the opportunity to travel to New York to sit in on what will likely be his last American crusade.

It was with a sense of almost boyish excitement that I passed through the main entrace of Flushing Meadows for the Graham crusade. I was thrilled to be there.

I settled into my seat close to the platform. I enjoyed the muscial program, and I looked up from my reading material, waiting for the moment I had come for, the preaching of the 'Old Time Gospel.'

Out of the shadows came a familiar figure, but it wasn't Billy Graham, it was Bill Clinton! I was stunned. What were Bill and Hillary Clinton doing on the platform of a Billy Graham crusade?

I'm not leaving Dr. Graham off the hook. He is after all, one of the top religious leaders in the world and a global statesman.

I will give him a little slack for being 86 years old, suffering from Parkinson's disease, prostate cancer, fluid build up in the brain and fragility after a devestating pelvic fracture.

I wouldn't say he was at his strongest to resist the strong arm tatics of the Clintons.

What I will say is that Dr. Graham and his organization allowed the Clintons to take that holy moment and spoil it, as President Bill Clinton had done to the office at 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue.

[silverleaf]

Amen.

[MeanWestTexan]

We are ordered to be everything to everyman.

Those who worship the Clintons are in some of those in most need of the Gospel.

[Unam Sanctam]

In case you're wondering about Hillary's intentions on that platform, she went on to the whoops and whistles of another adoring crowd the very next day as she marched in the annual Gay Pride Parade. It was a very different kind of crowd, though. To see what I mean, check out this link, but don't let your kids see it: www.barbwired.com/nadiaweb/nawl/archives/000389.html

This tells you everything you need to know about why this whole Hillary is a moderate and sympathetic to Evangelicals is completely phony and just cheap politics.

[hang 'em]

Let us never forget.
The 'toons are pure evil.

[Blzbba]

"It was shameless exploitation of a sacred platform by the most powerful, cunning and recklessly ambitious political duo in American history."


Since there's literally NO WAY IN HELL that this was a spontaneous, unplanned 'exploitation', I have to fault the Graham team 100% for allowing this usurpation of Graham's last NYC stop.

Scum & Scummer were ALLOWED to do what they did by the Graham clan.

[bmwcyle]

Billy was used by Bill and Hill. It a shame when a man is used who gave so much.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting -- glad to see someone go up and walked out -- the Clintons will do anything for publicity and the people around Billy Graham should be ashamed for allowing them to ruin this crusade. That said, Graham did not have to lavish praise on the duo!

[Conservatrix]

If Graham is a 33rd degree Mason as has been reported, this would explain his sermons and behavior...

Google it and see.

[TexasTaysor]

I've always had mixed feelings about Billy Graham, but when I found out yesterday that he's been a devoted democrap all his life, I realized why I'd had those feelings. I feel he's been a devoted Christian first and lived that life, but I was so disappointed to find that out and can not for the life of me understand why/how he could be a democrap.

[Dudoight]

Wow...I am totally flummoxed! How did Graham succumb to this? Did you see the photos of the Gay affair? OMGA.

[Pio]

Reason # 84958095 why Roman Catholics ought to avoid Mr. Graham.

[rockrr]

I can imagine his profound disappointment.

While I wouldn't blame Dr. Graham for wanting to save a sinner, in the klintoons case it simply can't work - you have to have a soul in order to save it.

[isthisnickcool]

Bill and Hillary Clinton have directly made millions off their "public service" recently. Bill Clinton controls and benefits off the many millions his "library" takes in and Hillary Clinton does the same with her HillPac group. The Grahams have much more money at their fingertips than the Clinton's. Their "crusade" is a very well oiled high tech money making machine.

Does anyone really think that any of these people would do what they do for free?

[JarheadFromFlorida]

Democrats on stage with an evangelical Christian? Democrats hate evangelical Christians. Where was the outrage from the rest of the liberal Democrats? Oh, thats right. It was the Clntons, the leaders of their party so they could not speak out.

[GBA]

I've got to admit, my first reaction would have been to walk out. I think the Clinton crime family are an evil bunch who corrupt everyone and everything they touch. But you're take is probably right. Jesus went to those who needed Him most, even though He was criticized for it.

[news blogger]

How both of them were on that podium is beyond me.

[kenth]

"I told President Clinton that when he left office, he should be an evangelist because he has all the right gifts for it, and he should leave his wife to run the country."

[native texan]

The last time I heard Graham, he said some things that were totally different than I had ever heard him say before. It was a couple or more years ago, but really raised a red flag to me. I remember thinking "Wow, that sure doesn't sound like the old Billy."

[billbears]

Careful. Don't let your Christian beliefs get in the way of good ol' fashion partisanship. Apparently it's tantamount to blasphemy to do so....

FWIW, I agree with you. Clinton is just a politician like Bush. Maybe different moral decisions at different points in their lives but still politicians all the same.