Billy Graham's Work With Presidents Ending

[BSB]

I didn't even know he was still alive.

BSB

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Son: Billy Graham's work with presidents is ending

Billy Graham's work as a pastor to presidents is coming to an end, but he is praying for Barack Obama as the nation's next leader begins his work, Graham's son said Friday on the aging evangelist's 90th birthday.

Franklin Graham said in an interview that his father's mind remains sharp even as his body continues to fail. But the preacher who has counseled every president beginning with Eisenhower is not in line to mentor Obama.

"My father feels like his time and day for that is over," Franklin Graham said. "But he would certainly like to meet (Obama) and pray with him."

Graham's views of the world are still respected in White House circles. Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited Graham at his mountainside home during the campaign, and Obama tried to meet Graham but wasn't able to do so because of the preacher's poor health.

Though never partisan in his preaching, Billy Graham is a registered Democrat. His son expressed concern about Obama's views on abortion and gay marriage - an issue Franklin Graham raised in a meeting with the Illinois senator - saying that he and his father are conservatives who believe the Bible speaks clearly on those issues.

"President-elect Obama heard our position," Franklin Graham said. "And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It's a moral issue that we just can't back down on."

"But he's our president-elect, and those positions that he holds that are contrary to Biblical teaching, I hope that God will change his heart," said Graham, who now heads the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

http://news.mobile.msn.com/en-us/articles.aspx?afid=1&aid=27594570

[Xavier_Onassis]

It has never seemed to me that most presidents have actually WANTED Billy Graham's advice, and were pressured by publicity into meeting with him.

Billy Graham's motto seems to have been "Every one has a right to my opinion", and he was determined to give it, welcomed or not.

Here is George Carlin's fun take on abortion:

http://www.videosift.com/video/George-Carlin-Pro-Life-is-Anti-Woman

George is great at explaining such things, I think.

[Cynthia]

It has never seemed to me that most presidents have actually WANTED Billy Graham's advice, and were pressured by publicity into meeting with him.

Billy Graham's motto seems to have been "Every one has a right to my opinion", and he was determined to give it, welcomed or not.

Here is George Carlin's fun take on abortion:

http://www.videosift.com/video/George-Carlin-Pro-Life-is-Anti-Woman

George is great at explaining such things, I think.

George was a funny man, but to make light of such a subject is not cool.

However, typical of the male liberal comics.

Frankly, I like Cosby's one man show where he describes the birth of his child.

Sadly, his one boy was murdered.

Bill Cosby was a class act.

[Cynthia]

I didn't even know he was still alive.

BSB

===========

Son: Billy Graham's work with presidents is ending

Billy Graham's work as a pastor to presidents is coming to an end, but he is praying for Barack Obama as the nation's next leader begins his work, Graham's son said Friday on the aging evangelist's 90th birthday.

Franklin Graham said in an interview that his father's mind remains sharp even as his body continues to fail. But the preacher who has counseled every president beginning with Eisenhower is not in line to mentor Obama.

"My father feels like his time and day for that is over," Franklin Graham said. "But he would certainly like to meet (Obama) and pray with him."

Graham's views of the world are still respected in White House circles. Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited Graham at his mountainside home during the campaign, and Obama tried to meet Graham but wasn't able to do so because of the preacher's poor health.

Though never partisan in his preaching, Billy Graham is a registered Democrat. His son expressed concern about Obama's views on abortion and gay marriage - an issue Franklin Graham raised in a meeting with the Illinois senator - saying that he and his father are conservatives who believe the Bible speaks clearly on those issues.

"President-elect Obama heard our position," Franklin Graham said. "And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It's a moral issue that we just can't back down on."

"But he's our president-elect, and those positions that he holds that are contrary to Biblical teaching, I hope that God will change his heart," said Graham, who now heads the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

http://news.mobile.msn.com/en-us/articles.aspx?afid=1&aid=27594570

I think he one of the most genuine believers in Jesus the Christ. I admire him. He walked the talk. Good for him. He has lived a rich life.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Graham was quite fond of foisting himself on every president he could. Only Eisenhower had the guts to shoo him away. It not like most of them actually wanted to pray with him: most of them knew that they would face disdain from Graham's fans if they declined him.

[Cynthia]

Graham was quite fond of foisting himself on every president he could. Only Eisenhower had the guts to shoo him away. It not like most of them actually wanted to pray with him: most of them knew that they would face disdain from Graham's fans if they declined him.

 You have evidence that Bill Graham    "was quite fond of foisting himself on every president HE COULD"?

[Xavier_Onassis]

"was quite fond of foisting himself on every president HE COULD"Huh?

Eisenhower refused to see him.

Every president since Eisenhower invited him in. Graham invited himself.  He had a column in most daily newspapers called "My Answer".
Graham was a PR man for Jesus. H could have been a regular preacher, but instead, he decided to create a mass movement, with always a regular moment in which the sheep were invited to come down to the altar and be born again.

The deal was, that the presidents since Eisenhower were made to feel that if they declined to pray with Graham, they were rejecting Christianity. Graham always offered to come to the White House, and sent his aides to return at regularly scheduled, well-publicized intervals.

Graham had a right to do what he did, but I have a right to consider it unethical.

[Cynthia]

"The deal was, that the presidents since Eisenhower were made to feel that if they declined to pray with Graham, they were rejecting Christianity."

Where is there documented proof of this statement >>>they were ALL made to feel <<<<<<

No group or individual can MAKE another individual feel anything that they don't want to feel. ...I question your statement in terms of being authentic and factual.
Perhaps this is your personal polished version called a judgement.

 Maybe can you google for me  factual documented evidence on every president's feelings about Graham since Eisenhowere? Can you  back up your statement?

Not to mention the point you make that he was unethical .....and for so many DECADES??
 This just might be your opinion. If they were so outraged, someone would have stopped his visits at one point in time, don't you think?


Graham had a right to do what he did, but I have a right to consider it unethical.
I think you are exercising your right to be negative about Christianity.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Graham had a right to do what he did, but I have a right to consider it unethical.
I think you are exercising your right to be negative about Christianity.

----------------------------------------------
There are many commendable things about Christianity. I think that there are many hospitals and schools that would not exist without Christians having founded them.

What is negative about Christianity --or Islam, or any religion -- is when people foist it on others. THis is worse when guilt is used, becaue there is no good defense against guilt. Sometimes is is just a "let us all bow our heads in prayer" I can live with that. What I really resented was being forced to spend so many summers in %^$# Vacation Bible School. Christians like to compel people through guilt to do things or to to compel their children to do things. "Go to Vacation Bible School: you're breaking your mother's heart---after all she has done for you."

So then the poor kid goes, and the teacher asks questions and you have to guess at the answers, because they only want that one true answer. No, your doggie and kitty can't go to Heaven, No, there were no dinosaurs on the Ark, No, women do not need to wear veils even if Paul said so.


I don't think the presidents in question were forced to feel anything. But they were forced to admit Graham to prayer breakfasts, because otherwise Graham would have publicized that our president has no time for God, let us all pray for him until he sees the light. This is worse than inviting His Holyness to the White House, and that is why most of them did it.

[Amianthus]

George is great at explaining such things, I think.

Except in this monologue he got quite a bit wrong.

[Knutey]

George is great at explaining such things, I think.

Except in this monologue he got quite a bit wrong.

Comedy never gets anything quite 100% correct which is why it is comedy. But humorless anals could never grasp anything like that

[Xavier_Onassis]

Except in this monologue he got quite a bit wrong.


Like what, for example?

The part where he says that if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a slam-dunk?

The part where he says that "pro-life is anti-woman"?

Seems to me like he was spot-on.

[Amianthus]

Like what, for example?

Stuff like "they care about them when they're in the womb, but don't care about them after they're born" and "conservatives like to kill doctors".

Things like that.

[Knutey]

Like what, for example?

Stuff like "they care about them when they're in the womb, but don't care about them after they're born" and "conservatives like to kill doctors".

Things like that.

That first part is really too mild. Evangelical Pro-lifers ( which is who he is referring to , not conservatives) would much rather kill people as adults in death row which they support when they are fully conscious rather than as unfeeling embryos . Also pro-lifers do prefer killing doctors that perform abortions than embryos .

http://www.armyofgod.com/danholmanHOLOCAUSTRESOLUTIONPROJECT.html

[Xavier_Onassis]

I don't think most conservatives like to kill doctors. Some have said that they want to imprison doctors who perform abortions,and there have been attacks on doctors and other abortion workers.

I don't think that all pro-lifers don't care about unwanted babies after they are born, either. But some don't. Many more abortions would be prevented by a better organized adoption support group.