FIRST READ:
Billy Graham buys election ads after Romney meeting
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/10/billy-graham-buys-election-ads-after.html
Has Billy Graham Suddenly Turned Political?
Graham's biographer, spokesman,
and a historian discuss the evangelist's recent ads and statements.
William Martin, A. Larry Ross, and Michael Hamilton
[ posted 10/19/2012
12:18PM ]
he Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) launched a major ad campaign last week encouraging Americans to
"vote for biblical values" this November.
The ads convey one
of two messages from evangelist Billy Graham:
The legacy we leave behind for our children, grandchildren
and this great nation is crucial. As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize
this election could be my last. I believe it is vitally important that we cast
our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and
support the nation of Israel.
I urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life and support the
biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Vote for biblical
values this November 6, and pray with me that America will remain one nation
under God.
Or:
On November 6, the day before my 94th birthday, our nation
will hold one of the most critical elections in my lifetime. We are at a
crossroads and there are profound moral issues at stake. I strongly urge you to
vote for candidates who support the biblical definition of marriage between a
man and woman, protect the sanctity of life, and defend our religious freedoms.
The Bible speaks clearly on these crucial issues. Please join me in praying for
America,
that we will turn our hearts back toward God.
The ad campaign is the latest in a series of public statements
this year that have prompted questions on whether they truly reflect Billy Graham's concerns or
whether they were initiated by his son Franklin Graham, who has been more
outspoken than his father on political matters in recent years.
Earlier in the week, the BGEA removed an article listing Mormonism as a "cult" from its website.
The move came after Graham welcomed Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney at his home and reportedly promised, "I'll do all I can to help you." (An official statement followed.)
In July, Graham pledged to participate in former Arkansas governor Mike
Huckabee's "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" when restaurant chain
president Dan Cathy's comments on marriage drew a media firestorm. And in May,
Graham urged North Carolina
residents (in full-page newspaper ads) to vote for a state constitutional amendment on marriage.
In a press statement, the BGEA said the new ads
"intentionally do not mention any candidate, political party, or contest,
urging instead for readers to cast votes for candidates, at all levels, based
on their support for biblical values. [Billy Graham] recently expressed a
desire to publicly call America
back to God and to prayer, and to draw attention to moral issues that are
clearly addressed in the Bible and have increasingly become part of a national
political dialog."
But Graham himself has earlier expressed wishes that he'd been
more politically neutral and nonpartisan throughout his ministry.
When asked by CT in 2011 if he would "go back and do
anything differently," Graham, whose relationship with President Richard
Nixon drew considerable controversy, replied:
I also would have steered clear of politics. I'm grateful for the
opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power
have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no
one to talk to. But looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I
wouldn't do that now.
Similarly, in a 2008 CT interview, Graham said,"I'm not making any [political] endorsements, and I'm staying
out of partisan politics. I'm grateful for our system of government, and I
strongly urge people to vote—but I don't endorse any candidate."
Rev. Graham,
Over the past several days, newspapers across the country have been running a full-page ad with your picture and a letter from you imploring Americans to "vote for biblical values" this November by supporting candidates who will promote, among other things, "the biblical definition of marriage as between a man and a woman." This ad, paid for by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, a 501(c)(3), was apparently launched shortly after your meeting with Gov. Romney.
It truly pains me to call you out on your decision to be party to this ad. I grew up in a household that revered you as a deeply sincere man of God. We watched your crusades on television. My mother once sang in your choir. My home church in Anchorage, Alaska helped bring your crusade to town. In an evangelistic movement often plagued by hubris, greed, and lust, I have always seen you as exceptional, not only because you have been vigilant against such temptations in your own faith walk and professional life, but also because you have shown humility in questioning some of your own past decisions, including your public support of certain men in political power who probably didn't deserve it.
I believe something similar is happening now. You are allowing your voice, your face, indeed your "brand," to be leveraged for a political cause that is beneath you. I do not doubt that you support the positions that the ad promotes. What I do doubt, as a biblical scholar and as a Christian, is that you believe that such positions, especially with regard to homosexuality and gay marriage, are so clearly "biblical."
I am particularly disheartened that, even while your letter proclaims that there is a clear biblical viewpoint on the subject, it does not offer a single biblical reference or quotation. You and I know the handful of potentially relevant passages (Leviticus 18:19-22; 20:10-16; Galatians 5:19-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Romans 1:26-2:1), even if most people who see your ad don't. And after decades of debate on this issue in the church and the academy, you know as well as I that what these texts do or don't say on this issue is a matter of translation, interpretation and context. And you know that responsible, faithful people who study them carefully can and will come to different conclusions. If your son and the other leaders of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association don't know likewise, then they need to go back to seminary. But I suspect that they do. They know that as soon as you crack open a Bible, things gets messy and complicated, leading to anything but a clear biblical view on homosexuality, let alone a biblical definition of marriage. Sadly, this is not about trying to be faithful to the text; this is about converting religious capital to political capital. Which is why it is so heartbreaking to see your name and face front and center. I guess I still expect you to rise above that cynical sort of political fray.
So I ask, can we go deeper? Where exactly are these "biblical values" clearly given in biblical texts? The New Testament book of Acts describes how those who heard Paul and Silas preaching in the synagogue "welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). No doubt as a preacher you hope your own audiences do the same. Please put the Scriptures that the ad lays claim to on the table so that people can read and study them for themselves. Please don't treat the Bible as closed book. Let's have a real, substantive discussion about what the Bible says or does not say with regard to these current issues. And as we do, let's keep in mind Jesus' admonition against tithing mint, dill, and cumin while neglecting "the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" (Matthew 23:23).
Sincerely,
Open Letter to Rev. Billy Graham
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-beal/open-letter-to-billy-graham_b_2002127.html
Posted: 10/22/2012 2:18 pm
Timothy Beal
GET
UPDATES FROM Timothy Beal
Over the past several days, newspapers across the country have been running a full-page ad with your picture and a letter from you imploring Americans to "vote for biblical values" this November by supporting candidates who will promote, among other things, "the biblical definition of marriage as between a man and a woman." This ad, paid for by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, a 501(c)(3), was apparently launched shortly after your meeting with Gov. Romney.
It truly pains me to call you out on your decision to be party to this ad. I grew up in a household that revered you as a deeply sincere man of God. We watched your crusades on television. My mother once sang in your choir. My home church in Anchorage, Alaska helped bring your crusade to town. In an evangelistic movement often plagued by hubris, greed, and lust, I have always seen you as exceptional, not only because you have been vigilant against such temptations in your own faith walk and professional life, but also because you have shown humility in questioning some of your own past decisions, including your public support of certain men in political power who probably didn't deserve it.
I believe something similar is happening now. You are allowing your voice, your face, indeed your "brand," to be leveraged for a political cause that is beneath you. I do not doubt that you support the positions that the ad promotes. What I do doubt, as a biblical scholar and as a Christian, is that you believe that such positions, especially with regard to homosexuality and gay marriage, are so clearly "biblical."
I am particularly disheartened that, even while your letter proclaims that there is a clear biblical viewpoint on the subject, it does not offer a single biblical reference or quotation. You and I know the handful of potentially relevant passages (Leviticus 18:19-22; 20:10-16; Galatians 5:19-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Romans 1:26-2:1), even if most people who see your ad don't. And after decades of debate on this issue in the church and the academy, you know as well as I that what these texts do or don't say on this issue is a matter of translation, interpretation and context. And you know that responsible, faithful people who study them carefully can and will come to different conclusions. If your son and the other leaders of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association don't know likewise, then they need to go back to seminary. But I suspect that they do. They know that as soon as you crack open a Bible, things gets messy and complicated, leading to anything but a clear biblical view on homosexuality, let alone a biblical definition of marriage. Sadly, this is not about trying to be faithful to the text; this is about converting religious capital to political capital. Which is why it is so heartbreaking to see your name and face front and center. I guess I still expect you to rise above that cynical sort of political fray.
So I ask, can we go deeper? Where exactly are these "biblical values" clearly given in biblical texts? The New Testament book of Acts describes how those who heard Paul and Silas preaching in the synagogue "welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). No doubt as a preacher you hope your own audiences do the same. Please put the Scriptures that the ad lays claim to on the table so that people can read and study them for themselves. Please don't treat the Bible as closed book. Let's have a real, substantive discussion about what the Bible says or does not say with regard to these current issues. And as we do, let's keep in mind Jesus' admonition against tithing mint, dill, and cumin while neglecting "the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" (Matthew 23:23).
Sincerely,
