Billy Graham’s full page ad: “Vote for those who protect life”
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From CNN, October 18:
The most famous and revered pastor in America, Billy Graham, is calling on voters to cast a ballot for their faith in full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other newspapers.
Graham’s picture appears prominently in the ads, next to copy that reads, “As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize this election could be my last.”
It continues, “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.”
The ad hit the prominent papers Wednesday and Thursday, and could hit a dozen more newspapers, a week after the famed evangelist met with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at Graham’s Montreat, North Carolina, home and less than a month after his son Franklin Graham issued a full-throated endorsement of Romney in a USA Today opinion piece….
Shortly after the meeting with the Grahams and Romney, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association scrubbed prior references to Mormonism as a cult from its website because, the association said, “we do not wish to participate in a theological debate about something that has become politicized during this campaign.”…
After the 30-minute sit-down in Montreat… Romney campaign spokesman Rick Gorka told reporters that Billy Graham led a prayer for the Romneys, saying “I’ll do all I can to help you. And you can quote me on that.”
The evangelist, who has been called America’s pastor and has prayed with every American president since Harry Truman, said in a statement following the meeting that “it was a privilege to pray with Gov. Romney, for his family and our country.”
Graham met with President Barack Obama in 2010 and with Sen. John McCain when he was the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in 2008….
“The 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,” the group said in a statement….
The campaign also includes bulletin inserts and posters of the ad for churches to download and distribute.
[HT: reader Jim]
Billy Graham was a huge Bill Clinton supporter back in the day. I hope he has repented of all of that..
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Dr Graham is not responsible for Bill Clintons bad behavior. The Pope was not responsible for Jack Kennedys bad behavior!!!!!! Preachers can preach, admonish and pray and if people do not listen, it is not their fault!!! Their calling is to save souls not approve bad behavior Andrew
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I can enthusiasticly endorse that non-endorsement of a particular party or candidate.
Mr. Graham delineated the big 3 issues of our day.
The ‘sheep’ who are pro-GOD [of Abraham, Issac, Joseph and Jacob] will vote accordingly.
The ‘goats’ will do what their murdering, theiving and lying father does.
“If God were your father,” said Jesus, “you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn’t come on my own. He sent me. Why can’t you understand one word I say? Here’s why: You can’t handle it. You’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening—because you’re not on God’s side.”
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Billy Graham certainly has his first amendment rights to run any ad he wants.
What I find most interesting for the long term is that American Christians, including Graham, have sort of stepped back and included Mormon’s in their fold when traditionally, Mormonism has been viewed as a cult. In fact, Graham had on his website that they were a cult, and now doesn’t. So does Graham accept Mormons fully into the world of Christians? Are the theological differences simply washed away?
I know there is another thread right now blasting Catholics who have gone too soft on liberal Catholics – I wonder if during this election, we’ve (I’m talking Christians) have lost the message of what Christianity really is, and are willing to water down the message if it makes our political views more comfortable.
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Ex-GOP,
What word would you use to describe an organization that supports and celebrates as a right the deliberate terminating of a pregnancy? Is the Democratic Party not a cult?
Ex-GOP do you have a real interest in the theological differences between Mormonism and Christianity or are you simply trying to cause trouble?
Ex-GOP there is no such thing as liberal Catholics, only Catholics who have liberal views. No one is bashing Catholics or any person, just the liberal ideas that it is ok to show tacit approval of a death peddling President. Mr. Obama has certainly watered down his understanding of the faith and Jesus’s teachings.
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Tyler:
– Neither party is a Religious group - so no
– No
– Mr Obama focuses on different teachings of Jesus, just as you focus on different teachings of Jesus. Furthermore, we’ll all have differences in regards to the teachings of Jesus and what should and shouldn’t be in the spectrum of law, and how the best way to tackle these issues are. For instance, I believe that lying is a sin. I also believe lying is often protected by free speech, and I don’t believe that there should be heavy handed legislation to throw in prison anybody that ever lies. I personally believe abortion is a sin. The current path of dealing with abortion for EITHER party is not a path I agree with in dealing with that sin.
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The ad is great, but why mince words? Obama is a staunch pro-abort, pro-boys “marrying” boys, and an Alinskyite/socialist/redistributionist revolutionary. Furthermore in his votes against the Born Alive legislation in Illinois while serving as a state Senator he revealed himself as a very cold and heartless individual who was willing to let babies suffer and die unattended and untreated by medical professionals in a brutal calculus to try to save abortion rights. Surely Billly Graham knows all of this and fears for the future of our country if this fraud is re-elected to wreak havoc on our constitution for another four years.
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The Democrats worship Obama and abortion with the same fervor as a religious fanatic. It isn’t farfetched to call them a cult.
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Like Tyler, I am bemused by Ex-GOP’s concern over Romney’s Mormonism. Lest we forget, Obama comes from the United Church of Christ, which is essentially a slightly Christian-tinged version of Unitarianism. Whatever else can be said about the Mormon church, at least it doesn’t regularly cast doubt on doctrines like the physical resurrection of Christ, or His virgin birth. To paraphrase J. Gresham Machen, Mormonism may represent a perversion of the Christian religion, but naturalistic liberalism is not Christianity at all.
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Prolifist – Let me make sure this is clear – I’m not concerned over Romney’s mormonism. I don’t believe that one’s religion should be a litmus test for Presidency.
I’m concerned with a Christian organization teaching people about Christ to one day say mormonism is a cult, and the next day to not say that – and for that decision to be made because of what appears to be political pressure. I’m afraid the message we’re all sending here is that Mormons = Christians. Personally, I don’t agree with that.
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Mormonism is still a gnostic cult. Whatever.
Mormon culture is a culture of life. They understand that natural marriage and living children are good. Mormons know that unnatural sexuality and contraception are bad. And they know that abortion is murder.
So, even though Christians and Mormons are in conflict over our understanding of the nature of God, we are allies in the cultural and political battle to save innocent lives.
I am a devout, orthodox Catholic.
I must choose between a devout, pro-life Mormon and a professed Evangelical secularist with a particular affection for the abortion industry.
Like some many desperate women who face abortion, this choice is no choice. I am forced to vote for life.
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Whatever my issues with Mormonism, they are not political. The comment re: Mormonism from Graham’s website was clear that the reason they removed the mentions was to avoid politicizing an issue of theology. It has nothing to do with whether they view Mormonism as a cult on any given day of the week, and everything to do with them looking at the political climate of the moment. That was neither unclear or unusual. Now, you might feel that one should not moderate the volume of any given doctrinal message based on political concerns, and that would be a reasonable critique and one that would spark a much more thoughtful discussion. “OMG, does Graham think Mormonism is a cult or not?!? How can we know?!?” on the other hand, is either disingenuous or poor reading comprehension.
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Del,
But, if “they know abortion is murder”, WHY do you think Romney is for “exceptions”?
Being for “…except in cases of rape or incest” is NOT Pro-Life.
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Pamela, many people, even the most staunchly pro-life, had a time in their lives when they had a rape exception. I know personally that my support for such an exception was primarily based upon a persons right to self-determination. Ever hear of the phrase “give me liberty or give me death”? It is not irrational for a person who values liberty over death to transpose those sentiments upon a women who loses her right to self determination to rape. I am not saying I personally support a rape exception at this point in my life or looking to debate it with you; I am just explaining where many people’s sentiments in support of an exception have come from. And those sentiments are obviously held to be very strong; even to point of facing death rather than giving up that right to self-determination.
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Ex-RINO,
cults are not necessarily defined by religiousity. And the kool-aid drinking Obama minions are cult like and dangerous.
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I thought that old geezer died a long time ago.
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Carabella, yeah, I thought McGovern was dead, too.
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“Mr Obama focuses on different teachings of Jesus, just as you focus on different teachings of Jesus. ”
Christianity is not a Chinese menu where you pick one from Column A and two from Column B, etc. It’s all or nothing, and I’d rather have the all it offers than the nothing offered by no religion.
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“Carabella, yeah, I thought McGovern was dead, too.”
Ok, that was a little cruel. We don’t need to sink to their level.
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Luana -
Politicians don’t treat it as all or nothing – and quite frankly, you don’t either. Should we just go through part of the sermon on the mount?
Anybody who is even angry at his brother or sister is subject to judgment – anybody who calls somebody a fool - anybody who even looks another woman (or man) has committed adultery. And heck, our whole country is filled with oaths – should we get rid of those?
How many laws and wars are complete contradictions of when Jesus strikes down “eye for an eye”, and then follows up with loving one’s enemies?
Don’t fool yourself Luana – we all pick and choose how we interpret verses, and what verses we think should actually become law.
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Ex-RINO. You always try to bring up war to deflect from your support of a pro-aborts. Pointing to other peoples failings to rationalize your own sins. Is that going to be your defense on judgement day?
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Ex-RINO, your comments above remind me of Obama when he was mocking the Bible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhwduyiqeCU
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EG: So you’re another wack who thinks the government’s job is to turn it’s other cheek?
Yet you’re glad of whatever protections the police afford you, I’m sure.
War, bad. Police kicking ass if you’re threatened, fine.
Consistency’s never a strong point among religious liberals.
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Ex-RINO says: June 10, 2012 at 11:08 pm “For the record, I have three kids, my wife and I would never ever have considered an abortion, and I’m against it as I equate it to murder.”
Ex-RINO says: June 11, 2012 at 7:56 am “…at the end of the day, I’m more likely than not to vote DemocrRAT…”
Ex-RINO says September 6, 2012 at 8:41pm “I’ve actually started to seriously think about not voting this election.”
Ex-RINO says September 9, 2012 at 8:27pm “I’ve far from decided what I’m going to do this election… I can’t vote for Romney. But beyond that, I’m still deciding.”
EX-RINO says October 21, 2012 at 1:56 pm ” I’m afraid the message we’re all sending here is that Mormons = Christians. Personally, I don’t agree with that.”
EX-RINO,
The issue is not Romney’s theology, but the obamateurs idiotology.
b o claims he is a ‘committed christian’.
b o has promoted infanticide.
b o has endorsed same sex marriage.
when YOU can square those two positions with Jesus and His FATHER and HOLY SPIRIT, then get back to us about who is and who is NOT a christian.
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Rasqual -
I don’t believe that – but some do – some take a very anti-war stance on the Bible. Just as some take a very anti abortion, anti gay marriage, pro economic policies that help the poor, pro creation care. For years, people defended slavery based on the Bible – people defended marriage laws where blacks and whites couldn’t marry. I’m simply stating that when people imply that we should legislate the Bible, and it all comes in one package, that this is a very tough thing to do.
There will always be debate regarding what should and shouldn’t apply to the public square.
Simple minde people will say this approach is mocking God – I think it’s furthest from the truth – it’s struggling with His word, trying to figure out the applications in society today.
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Trying to figure out how you can make applying the barbaric practice of killing unborn children fit with God’s Word/Will. It’s called doing the Devil’s work.
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Hi Janet 10:35am
No Billy Graham was not responsible for Clinton’s behavior, but he did not have to make excuses for it either. My respect for Billy Graham was and remains, lost.
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EG: “There will always be debate regarding what should and shouldn’t apply to the public square.”
Neither Romney nor Graham imply that what’s being “applied” in the matter of abortion is a Christian article of faith. Your crap about whether folks are compromising their view of cults is obfuscatory.
There’s a difference between cobelligerents and allies.
Cobelligerent relationships may be misunderstood as uncritical alliances by those who do not share the sense of peril that bring otherwise disparate groups together in a common effort to oppose a common enemy.
Which explains why you’re not seeing the difference.
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Ex-RINO is pro-himself, and faux-life. Every time he (figuratively) opens his yap, it becomes more apparent. Saving the lives of children is really not high at all on his priority list. Not at all.
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If you visit the Drudge Report right now, Matt has four photos of the obamateur providing an visual example the b o definition of ‘lean forward’.
http://www.drudgereport.com/
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Ex-RINO says: June 10, 2012 at 11:08 pm “For the record, I have three kids, my wife and I would never ever have considered an abortion, and I’m against it as I equate it to murder.”
Ex-RINO says: June 11, 2012 at 7:56 am “…at the end of the day, I’m more likely than not to vote DemocrRAT…”
Ex-RINO says September 6, 2012 at 8:41pm “I’ve actually started to seriously think about not voting this election.”
Ex-RINO says September 9, 2012 at 8:27pm “I’ve far from decided what I’m going to do this election… I can’t vote for Romney. But beyond that, I’m still deciding.”
Ex-RINO says October 22, 2012 at 7:46 am
“Simple minded people will say this approach is mocking God – I think it’s furthest from the truth – it’s struggling with His word, trying to figure out the applications in society today.”
Ex-RINO,
Ex. 20:13 “You shall not commit murder.”
When you have finished ‘struggling’ with that short sentence, which in the original language is, “No murder.”, then please explain to us how Jesus nullifed or modified that unambiguous prohibition.
What is there about ‘no’ that you won’t or can’t understand?
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“Protect life” in the antiabortion world means “protect the fetus”. There is no real concerted effort to protect born innocent life in countries such as Iraq if George Bush is attacking Iraq like in 2003.
Pamela, at least you are consistent. If abortion is murder, then it is still murder if pregnancy occurs because of rape or incest.
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Should Romney win, history will view the confessing church’s compromises with liberalism & Mormonism as the most significant result of the 2012 election.
Christians were convinced that normalizing Mormonism was in their best financial interest, and so the confessing church abandoned doctrine for filthy lucre.
Christians were convinced that a man who instituted homosexual marriage and tax funded abortion could be considered a conservative alternative to a man who had achieved neither of these leftist goals.
God help us, whichever child killing, progressive pagan wins!
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“There is no real concerted effort to protect born innocent life in countries such as Iraq if George Bush is attacking Iraq like in 2003.”
So the US military does not distinguish between miltary and civilians, then? Or is that only when an evil Republican is president, and when there’s a Democrat president our troops aren’t murderers? I wonder how someone can bear to remain an American citizen when they believe that our military is no better than the Nazis.
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Good grief, Doug. Learn the difference between cobelligerence and alliance.
Of all the hand-wringing, chicken-little, sky-is-falling, black and white thinking, alarmist, panicked . . . ARGH. Need more adjectives…
And Helen: You must be in favor of drunk driving, since you’re not volunteering as a designated driver every weekend at your nearby tavern. Right?
And if anyone cares to accuse ME of being nonchalant about Mormonism, I’ll take you to the cleaners on that score. Believe me. ;-)
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Hi ken,
I love the pic of him bowing to the Japanese royal couple. An American businessman who resides in Japan and is often consulted on Japanese protocol said the smiles of the emperor and empress are polite Japanese for “what a moron”.
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Billy….who IS the pro-life candidate?
The one who we know is not…..Obama?
Or the one who tells your itching ears what you want to hear to get elected….but has the blood of more than 100,000 dead babies when Governor of Massachusetts ?
Billy…..get out of politics and back to pulpit….while you still have some life left. I remember my father voting for Nixon in part because of you endorsement. I voted in a mock election in Citizenship Class in the 2nd grade partly to you as well. We now know you thought Jews controlled the country and told Nixon this as well over the phone.
Now you want me to believe you have the wisdom to once again CORRECTLY pick the right candidate? Your track record is not so hot. Ask the dead soldiers in Viet Nam even though Nixon ran on a platform to end the war in Viet Nam and bring the troops home. Remember….”I AM NOT A CROOK ! “ Or all the babies murdered just so Romney could keep a promise to “PROTECT A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE”?
Sorry Billy…..your endorsement means nothing.
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xalisae –
Hogwash.
For some odd reason, you’d be more comfortable if my family had chosen to have abortions and then had an about face, but now vote straight ticket Republican. Maybe if I was an abortion doc who now loved Romney, then you’d like me more.
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Ken – lets put our big boy thinking cap on for a minute and read what I wrote. This conversation has gone beyond the scope of one issue and encompassed the full Bible – in which I said, politicians and individuals alike pick and choose the issues that they want to advocate for.
Don’t pretend that I’m stupid by presenting a picture that I’m not advocating for. If you can’t keep up with the debate, stay out of it.
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http://youtu.be/BYRpIf2F9NA Billy Graham is a true man of God and the words that come out of his mouth would be the words of jesus cause jesus lives in his heart.I LOVE YOU BILLY GRAHAM AND YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR OUR COUNTRY.GOD IS PROLIFE AND PEOPLE NEED TO TURN TO GOD AND THE BIBLE AND LISTEN TO BILLY GRAHAM,A MAN OF GOD.GOD IS THE CREATOR OF ALL LIFE AND A HUMAN HAND SHOULD NEVER END A LIFE.GOD IS PROLIFE…..
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