Billy Graham, U.S. Christian evangelist and counselor to presidents dies at home at age 99 - spokesman
Wow, good run at 99. I really thought he had died already some years ago!
I can never be as good an evangelist as he was -- my talents, such as they are, run far too technically into working on picky details ;) -- and while we disagreed on a few of those picky details, I admire his persistence and heart in reaching out to all people. And he became more ecumenical as the years and decades went on, and even (though this embarrassed some of his supporters) started shading into the Larger Hope of God's assured salvation of all sinners from our sins, out of our doing injustice and into doing love and justice ever after someday. I don't recall that he ever quite got that far, but naturally I appreciate that. :)
As with all people (myself included) he had his faults, and of course people can and did go on to twist and corrupt his work to evil goals and to evil results. And that's nothing but tragic; but I hope and trust that his work led to more good results, in people treating each other more justly and lovingly, loving our neighbors as ourselves, than to the bad.
Saw that on the news on the way out the door to walk Bayonette to school
He was a rare mega-pastor that wasn't synonymous his scandals (Bakker / Falwell)
And while later in life, he had a few loopy things to say, I think on balance he made the world a much better place
(Unfortunately, he's also responsible for raising Franklin, who has had a LOT of loopy things to say)
Did he also raise Marty?
Quote from: mirth on February 21, 2018, 09:13:46 AM
Did he also raise Marty?
cute that you think he's been "raised"
"Preacher kids", amirite? ::)
I saw him preach in the Olympic stadium in Moscow when I was a kid, sometime around 1994-95 I think. Surreal to think about. The iconic American evangelical preacher giving a sermon to thousands of Russians in what just a few short years before had been the capital of the USSR.
A great story about the impact that he had on one person's life is the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It's a biography of Olympic track athlete Loius Zamperini. Haven't seen the movie, but I can't imagine it doing the book justice. Graham was important in helping Zamperini deal with his PTSD and alcoholism, and in helping him to forgive his captors eventually.
^^ While not on quite the same level, that reminds me of the Baptist American preacher Elhannan Winchester, who lived through America's Revolutionary War, moving to Britain after the war to spend the waning years of his life helping reconcile the two nations through his very popular evangelical efforts in London and elsewhere in southern England. (I've got two of his books of collected lectures sitting on a printer almost within arm's reach as I'm typing this. At the bottom of one of my many stacks of books to get back to and finish reading someday. L:-) :-[ )
Billy Graham was a fundamentalist evangelist. His HQ is very close to Asheville, NC - so I've heard the "local news" about Billy for his entire life.
He preached the gospel and did good works. He was untouched by any scandal that I ever heard of which is unusual for any large organization built by man. He did meet with and pray with almost every President while he was active.
Even those who were not fundamentalists (and that is everyone in my family and my wife's family) respected the guy. I hardly ever heard a negative thing about him or his organization for my entire life.
Aside from his fame, he is like hundreds of thousands of good people who preach the gospel and work with the poor in spirit, health, and possessions.
^^^
Pretty much.
Like I said, he left the world a better place as a result of his presence in it.
Totally agree with the above. He was Christianity without the conflict, partisanship, and self-absorption. Rest In Peace Good and Faithful Servant.
He was a television evangelist. Rest in peace, Billy.
Quote from: Sir Slash on February 21, 2018, 10:57:33 AM
Totally agree with the above. He was Christianity without the conflict, partisanship, and self-absorption. Rest In Peace Good and Faithful Servant.
He was a bit more prickly back in his earlier decades, but he mellowed out more during my lifetime. O0