Presidential Proclamation on the Death of Billy Graham:
"As a mark of respect for the memory of Reverend Billy Graham, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that on the day of his interment, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on such day." President Donald J. Trump
Rev. Billy Graham first came to Greensboro to preach in 1951, nearly 67 years ago. He filled 15,000 seats at a time when the population of Greensboro was only 70,000. If this wiki list is complete, it appears that was the only time Rev. Graham held a crusade in Greensboro. The above photo was taken at the post office on Battleground Avenue, yesterday, in the plaza where Earth Fare is located. May his family find comfort during this difficult time.
My father was part of BG's first crusade in Los Angeles in 1948 (or may '47). My mother taught at the Billy Graham School of Writing and he wrote the forward to several of her books. I sold newspapers at one of his crusades in the Rose Bowl and made enough money to buy my first watch.
He was very personable and charming. He was also a rigid fundamentalist who preached a warped version of the Gospel and played on the emotions to get people to "come forward" and be "saved." Why the U.S. Government feels it necessary to lower the flag in his memory is beyond me. What did he ever do for this country? There are thousands of people working behind the scenes who deserve such a mark of respect long before Graham. More importantly, such signs of respect blur the very necessary line that separates church and state.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :) I don't dislike him, I just think the accolades are way out of proportion to his actual achievements. The U.S. Government should not care how many people he "saved" around the world or how many folks came to his crusades. Unfortunately, there's more: HIs son, Franklin, is a bigoted, harsh, fundamentalist preacher who believes his version of Christianity ought be the "official" religion of the U.S. Franklin is a black mark on Graham's record.
Posted by: Lowell | Sunday, March 04, 2018 at 10:23 AM
There'll never be another one like him.
His son seems to have tarnished his father's reputation by being political.
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, March 04, 2018 at 01:50 PM
Hi Jan. I'm sorry that my comment was so short. I could go on and on but decided you'd probably prefer I not do that. As a retired clergy and biblical student and one who believe we must follow where the evidence leads when we're studying either clergy or their holy books, I'd recommend you look at Earl Doherty's work. You can find it on line or buy his book, "Jesus Neither God Nor Man - The Case For A Mythical Jesus." The first version is easier to read but the second, later version has much more substance. I think the first version was called "The Jesus Puzzle." If you're interested and can refute Doherty's conclusions, let me know. OK? :)
Posted by: Lowell | Sunday, March 04, 2018 at 03:24 PM