Curious Christian

Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective

Beyond The Culture Wars

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Matt Stone

2006-08-09

Is Billy Graham going post-evangelical?

“Much of my life has been a pilgrimage—constantly learning, changing, growing and maturing. I have come to see in deeper ways some of the implications of my faith and message, not the least of which is in the area of human rights and racial and ethnic understanding.”

Okay, okay, I was deliberately overstating it with that intro, but you’ll find some intruguing quotes from and insights into Billy Graham’s life in this latest Newsweek article entitled ‘Pilgrim’s Progress‘.

I never had much time for Billy Graham as a youth and, to be honest, never watched more than the occasional TV soundbite before flicking him off, but I developed some appreciation for him after reading Richard Foster’s book ‘Streams of Living Water’ and find it interesting how he seems to be mellowing and deepening in his twilight years.

“You can see more from a mountain, and from the perspective of years. Graham believes both the right and the left in America have sometimes gone too far, elevating transitory issues when, in Graham’s view, the core message of the Gospel, and the love of God “for all people” should take priority”

Interesting don’t you think? I certainly find it fascinating that I’m agreeing with a guy who, for me, once represented for me everything that spirituality should not be.

“He was tempted to call President George W. Bush in the run-up to the Iraq war to advise him on the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, but decided against it..”

God, I wish he had. Bubya could do with some Islam 101 and evangelicalism as a whole could benefit from an internal voice of moderation, a voice that can see beyond the culture wars. Hmm, seems he’s quieting down just when he’s getting most interesting.

Tags Billy Graham

10 responses to “Beyond The Culture Wars”

fernando

2006-08-09

Not surprisingly, his daughter gets the best line in of the whole piece,
“…you have to remember that experience and the living of a life can soften your perspective.”
Clearly after a life of activist Christianity, Billy is now, in old age, entering a much more contemplative phase and it shows in his comments, especially on the interfaith question.

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Fernando’s Desk

2006-08-09

Billy Graham In Newsweek

Thanks to Matt at Eclectic Itchings for the link to a compelling piece on Billy Graham in Newsweek.
Much of my life has been a pilgrimage—constantly learning, changing, growing and maturing. I have come to see in deeper ways some of the impl…

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Mark Berry

2006-08-09

Interesting, always had respect for the Man to be honest (though never for the method!) I’m sure I heard that part of his reason for ‘retiring’ was that the good news needed re-contextualising and that new ways of mission/evangelism needed exploring… that it was time for the old methods/generation to allow space for the new… something llike that anyway!

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John Kyneton Victoria

2006-08-09

These essays provide a unique insight into the ONLY way of moving beyond the culture wars which are now being dramatised all over the world and which have brought the entire world to the brink of both cultural & ecologiocal meltdown.Dramatised by collectives each asserting the onliness of their one “true” way or “revelation”.
The essential task being for all of us to step beyond our dimwitted religious provincialism which we have inherited from the frozen idolatries (the most powerful and seductive idolatries being WORDS–especially theological words)of our archaic traditions.
1. http://www.dabase.net/dht7.htm
2. http://www.dabase.net/noface.htm
3. http://www.dabase.net/proofch6.htm#idol
4. http://www.dabase.net/2armP1.htm#ch2
5. http://www.dabase.net/coop+tol.htmn
6. http://www.dabase.net/divemerg.htm

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John Smulo

2006-08-09

Matt, I haven’t read the whole article yet, but saw some quotes in another blog that seemed to suggest that Graham was stepping away from an exclusivistic soteriology. What was your reading?

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Matt Stone

2006-08-10

John
I think the pertinent quote is this:
“He is sure and certain of his faith in Jesus as the way to salvation. When asked whether he believes heaven will be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or secular people, though, Graham says: ‘Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won’t … I don’t want to speculate about all that. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have.’ Such an ecumenical spirit may upset some Christian hard-liners, but in Graham’s view, only God knows who is going to be saved: ‘As an evangelist for more than six decades, Mr. Graham has faithfully proclaimed the Bible’s Gospel message that Jesus is the only way to Heaven,’ says Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross. ‘However, salvation is the work of Almighty God, and only he knows what is in each human heart.’”
Read that as you may.
To me the statements suggest a possible shift towards inclusivism, but it could just as easily be read as a reconsideration of what it truly means to be Christian. In any case, exclusivist or inclusivist, he’s still declaring the uniqueness of Jesus and the expectation of negative afterlife options for some, so I think the universalists will still be disappointed.
This statement was also interesting:
“Asked about his son’s use of the phrase ‘evil and wicked’ in reference to Islam, Graham says: ‘I would not say Islam is wicked and evil … I have a lot of friends who are Islamic. There are many wonderful people among them. I have a great love for them. I have spoken at Islamic meetings, in Nigeria and in different parts of the world.’ The father’s view, then, is different from the son’s. “I’m sure there are many things that he and I are not in total agreement about,” Graham says. ‘I’m an old man, he’s a young man in the prime of life.’”

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sally

2006-08-10

Interesting final quote there Matt; is he softening and calling the black and white stance of his son into question? If so I applaud him… grey areas abound… such is life

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philjohnson

2006-08-10

Dear John
You seem to be very keen on dropping by various blogs and leaving many assertive statements concerning the teachings of your guru. You then conclude your remarks with hyper-links to articles that expound the teachings of your guru who has been known by many names: Adi Da Samraj, Da Heart Ananda, Da Kalki, Da Free John, Bubba Free John etc.
Are you genuinely interested in discussing the topics raised on this blog? Let me explain why I have posed this question.
Perhaps you do not intend to do this but the strong impression you create (and the reputation you are quickly gaining among various bloggers) is that you are simply leaving links on blogs as a way of inviting readers to become sannyasins of your guru. In other words there is no dialogue taking place on the blog.
Another impression is that your comments (as left here and on other blogs) are at best tangential to what is originally posted, and that you are merely asserting in a monologue your guru’s pathway.
For example, the 6 links you have provided above do not seem to bear any direct relevance to the orignal topic here concerning Billy Graham’s views and his changed opinions.
Instead the material you refer to are all concerned with your guru’s precepts on consciousness, and ultimately about how he alone is the enlightened being.
As one reflects on those precepts it becomes crystal clear that no matter how hard any adept strives no-one can ever attain to the same state of consciousness as your guru claims to be.
The substance of his teaching is paradoxical: followers are invited to pursue his teachings about attaining this enlightenment and paradoxically the only one who has attained it (or can hold it) is your teacher. The goal is unattainable because the nature of the teaching makes it impossible for anyone other than Adi Da Samraj to be enlightened. If someone else could become enlightened here and now then Adi Da Samraj’s unique authority as a guru would necessarily be challenged because someone else would be able to legitimately claim to be his spiritual equal.
As his teachings and following has not achieved the high level of recognition among people around the earth that Adi Da Samraj seems to expect, the fault it seems on reflection is that the sannyasins are to blame.
I appreciate that you have the highest esteem and love for your guru. Your sincerity as a follower is not in doubt. You are keen on his pathway and have embraced it as your own. You must be very excited and keen for others to experience the same kind of things that you have. That’s lovely.
However, it is difficult to see what the above articles you refer us to have to do with Matt’s specific post on Billy Graham. they are off-topic. It is very kind of Matt that he has refrained from deleting your comments on this topic (and on a few other of his recent blog posts) where you repeat this pattern of leaving links to the website concerning your guru and his teachings.
You are welcome to pursue the path of the Siddhas, as per your teacher’s way. You also have your own webspace to seek proselytes to your guru. However the question can raised as to how appropriate is it for you to pursue this same goal in the manner in which you seem to be approaching it on other blogs?
What you need to be aware of is that several other bloggers have been deleting your comments from their blogs. The reason for this is not so much about denying you an opportunity to comment or to censor you but that there does not seem to be any relevant interaction with the original posts. The topics on the blogs differ quite extensively from the links you provide, and so you do leave the negative impression that your actions and comments begin to verge on “religious spam”. You may not intend this but it is the impression that you are generating.
While some interesting dialogue could occur between yourself and Matt and other Christians, at the moment it seems like your purpose is not about generating dialogue. I could be mistaken in my impressions and do not wish to give offence by my candour above. Perhaps you could clarify here what you are trying to achieve through the comments you have left here.
Cheers.

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Matt Stone

2006-08-11

All, I have created a space for discussion of Da Free John here
Please go there if you’d like to leave any related comments.

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John Smulo

2006-08-11

Matt, thanks for the further quotes. It seems that Billy’s comments about other religions are much more tactful than his son Franklin’s. I think his comments are open for interpretation beyond that.

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