Posted on 10/07/2007 8:01:14 PM PDT by JSDude1
Actually, in 1997, once he got old and, I think, started to lose his mind, Billy Graham stated to Robert Schuller that it is possible that people of other religions (who don’t believe in Christ) may go to heaven. His “people” went into damage control mode and started sending responses stating that “Reverend Graham has always preached Christ as the only way to heaven...etc...etc...etc... It’s so sad to know that a man who was so respected for his bold preaching of the truth was allowed to destroy his credibility the way that he did that day.
Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axxlXy6bLH0
Here is the relevant portion of what he said that day:
“SCHULLER: Tell me, what do you think is the future of Christianity?
GRAHAM: Well, Christianity and being a true believer — you know, I think there’s the Body of Christ. This comes from all the Christian groups around the world, outside the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ, or knows Christ, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ ... I think James answered that, the Apostle James in the first council in Jerusalem, when he said that God’s purpose for this age is to call out a people for His name. And that’s what God is doing today, He’s calling people out of the world for His name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ, because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think they are saved, and that they’re going to be with us in heaven.”
“SCHULLER: What, what I hear you saying, that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life, even if they’ve been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you’re saying?
GRAHAM: Yes, it is, because I believe that. I’ve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they’ve believed in their hearts that there was a God, and they’ve tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.”
“SCHULLER: [R.S. trips over his tongue for a moment, his face beaming, then says] I’m so thrilled to hear you say this. There’s a wideness in God’s mercy.
GRAHAM: There is. There definitely is.”
You’re in denial, and trying to cover with irrelevant anecdotes.
Graham has made similar statements numerous times over a period of at least 25 years. And don’t give me this “if it isn’t on the internet it didn’t happen” crap; the internet is the most questionable and least valid source of information that exists. It’s a propagandists paradise.
Jesus is not a fraud, nor is he a liar.
Therefore He is God as he said He is. And his identification as God becomes central to the Gospel.
I am a Christian and do not believe Jesus is God. He is the Son of God, the earthy presence of God’s Word, conceived of the Holy Spirit and pure in His Divinity. He is of the Father and is His Father in the sense that so sayest the Word, so sayest His Son.
I cannot agree that one who denies the deity of Christ is a Christian.
The man you reply to contradicts himself in his own statement: “I...do not believe Jesus is God....He is...pure in his divinity.”
The type of thinking he is iterating seems to be a spin off statement of one of the cults.
The Scripture unequivocally maintains the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for standing up for the absolute integrity of the Son of God.
And thank you for your service and sacrifice for our country.
You are welcome.
Just doing what is right by the Word of God, and what is right for my country; no less than what you and so many others do.
It was definitely Billy Graham; I’ve never listened to John Hagee.
Yes, I noticed that, but I don't think this thread is a lesson in logic. Besides, most of the people I know who base their lives on logic are atheists. Pascal, who was a brilliant mathematician, said that the intuitive mind (esprit de finesse) was superior to the rational mind (esprit de geometry). I tend to agree with him.
When at the end of time we all come before the throne of God to receive an irrevocable judgement, I doubt that decision will be based on hair-splitting questions of doctrinal statements.
The poster approaches God throught Jesus Christ. That is good enough for me to call him a Christian.
Oh, please!
Unfortunately, the Muslims chose to follow a prophet who was a child-molesting lunatic.
That doesn’t change the fact that the president (who is also supposed to be a diplomat), spoke the truth.
No, He did not (and as I stated, it’s one thing to respect Muslims): it’s a differnt story to proclaim a false statement such as “all religions pray to the same God”.
It makes his thology suspect..!
The Muslims and Jews do not pray to the same god Christians do.
The God of Christians is Triune and has a Son that died for your sins.
Deb, it really depends the audience one is addressing.
If one is addressing Christian believers who may have been raised in a Christian culture, who might be tempted to view other people from different cultures as their adversaries, simply because of their foreign culture, then it might be appropriate to bring to their attention that Abraham is one of the principal characters in each belief system and the God of Abraham is one and the same.
If addressing an Islamic audience, which was this case, then omitting the significance of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus merely plays into a worldly mechanism of seeking favor and avoiding contention by means independent of faith through Christ. Nowhere in Scripture does Christ advocate denying Him, but there are very strong consequences for those who even believe in Him who are lukewarm in their belief.
The Scripture I typed is from the revelation of God the Holy Spirit to Paul and germaine to the situation if one is pondering if such a public position is appropriate for these circumstances.
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