"I used to believe that pagans in far-off countries were lost--were going to hell. I no longer believe that. I believe that there are other ways of recognizing the existence of God--through nature, for instance." (Billy Graham, McCall Magazine Jan. 1987).

"I respect other paths to God," (Billy Graham, Parade Magazine, Oct 20th 1996)

Jesus Says:

Billy Says:
"How you believe doesn't affect the doctrine. Either at a certain moment in evolution God breathed into one particular ape-man who was Adam, or God could have taken a handful of dust and blowed and created a man just like that" (Billy Graham, 'United Church Observer' 'Sunday Magazine' June 1966).

God Says:

Genesis 1:26-27...Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 2:7... The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

HOMOSEXUALITY

Billy Says:
“I find it is emotional, with strong arguments on both sides of the issue. I intend to stay out of national and local politics while here. God loves all people whatever their ethnic or political background or their social orientation. ... I never speak against other groups" (Billy Graham regarding his position on homosexuals, 22 September 1992 The Statesman Journal)

“sodomites are born sodomites, it is in their genes” (Billy Graham, December 1994 on the Larry King Live).

God's Word Says:

QUOTES ON THE POPE 

Billy Says:
“John Paul II is almost an evangelist because he calls to people to turn to Christ, to turn to Christianity" (The Star, June 26, 1979, reprinted in the Australian Beacon, August 1979, p. 1).

"The pope came as a statesman and a pastor, but I believe he also sees himself coming as an evangelist... The pope sought to speak to the spiritual hunger of our age in the same way Christians throughout the centuries have spoken to the spiritual yearnings of every age--by pointing people to Christ." (Billy Graham, in an interview with The Saturday Evening Post Jan-Feb. 1980)

"We had a spiritual time" (Graham visiting with the Pope in 1981, Christianity Today, Feb. 6, 1981, p. 88).

“John Paul II is the moral leader of the world" (Billy Graham, Religious News Service, Sept. 27, 1979).

"The Pope is a bridge builder…Pope John Paul II has emerged as the greatest religious leader of the modern world, and one of the greatest moral and spiritual leaders of the century" (Billy Graham Saturday Evening Post, Jan.-Feb. 1980).

A Word from Bishop Paul Separk ,Jr. 

The kind words that Dr. Billy Graham has for the Pope are quite suspicious. He makes the Pope sound like a regular ol' southern "pastor" or "evangelist." In future articles in this APOLOGETICS forum, I'll discuss the beliefs and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, but for the topic at hand, it will be enough to say that the Roman Catholic Church says the Pope is practically Jesus Christ on earth holding the keys of heaven and hell and deciding who gets out of the mythical place called purgatory. The Pope also boasts the power to hear confessions and forgive sins. In addition, the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church support praying to Mary (in the false Roman Catholic Doctrine, Mary is co-equal with Jesus and a mediator as the "Mother of God") and dead saints, Celebacy of the priesthood  ( a "priest" is a mediator. There is only ONE priest JESUS CHRIST), repetitious prayer (the rosary) and many other unbiblical teachings. 

CONVERTING CATHOLICS AND JEWS

Billy & Company Says:
"Anyone who makes a decision at our meetings is seen later and referred to a local clergyman, Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish." (Billy Graham, Sept. 21, 1957, in an interview with the San Francisco News).

"Names of Catholics who had made decisions for Christ were provided at that meeting by Rick Marshall of the Graham organization." (Sept. 2, 1983, The Florida Catholic)

"If Catholic step forward there will be no attempt to convert them and their names will be given to the Catholic church nearest their homes" (David Cline of Bringhouse United Church Vancouver Sun, Oct. 5, 1984).

A NOTE FROM BISHOP PAUL SEPARK, JR.

It is unreal that a so called "evangelistic" crusade would not encourage a person to a belief in fundamental Christianity but, if they were of a token Catholic or Jewish background, would send them to a Catholic church or Jewish synagogue. Jesus is universal and it is impossible for anyone to be saved through any other system except Jesus Christ.

MORE ON THE POPE AND CATHOLIC CHURCH

Billy Says:

"The gospel that built this school [Roman Catholicism] and the gospel that brings me here tonight is still the way of salvation." "The gospel that built this school and the gospel that brings me here tonight is still the way of salvation." (Billy Graham, The Gastonian Gazette of November 22, 1967 addressing Belmont Abbey’s Roman Catholic college)

1966: "I find myself closer to Catholics than the radical Protestants. I think the Roman Catholic Church today is going through a second Reformation" (Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia, May 24, 1966).

"We have received wondrous support from the Catholic Church" (Billy Graham, Christianity Today, Dec. 30, 1977 sermon in Manila, Philippines).

"I found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of orthodox Catholics we only differ on some matters of later church tradition. I find that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of orthodox Roman Catholics" (McCall's, Jan. 1978).

"There was a pause in the conversation, suddenly the Pope's arm shot out and he grabbed the lapels of my coat, he pulled me forward within inches of his own face. He fixed his eye on me and said, `Listen, Graham, we are brothers.'" We are brothers! Graham said that was a great happening in his life, when the Pope took him by the lapels, pulled him into his cheek and said, "We are brothers." (Billy Graham, The Today newspaper, June 8, 1989)

"This past week I preached in the great Catholic Cathedral a funeral sermon for a close friend of mine who was a Catholic, and they had several Bishops and Archbishops to participate, and as I sat there going through the funeral Mass that was a very beautiful thing, and certainly straight and clear in the gospel. There was a wonderful little priest that would tell me when to stand and when to kneel and what to do." (Billy Graham, kneeling before the Mass wafer in Milwaukee October 21, 1973)

A NOTE FROM BISHOP PAUL SEPARK, JR.

There isn't much I can add other than it is quite apparent that Billy Graham has quite a bit in common with the Roman Catholic Church. I guess it is pretty fair to say that Graham is a closet Catholic and certainly a major Catholic apologist pushing for the unity of the Protestantism and Catholicism.

***For the sake of time, I am going to let the rest of the quotes from Dr. Billy Graham speak for themselves. Needless to say, any novice Bible student to counter any of the erroneous statements that Graham has put forth below.***

INFANT BAPTISM

Billy Says:
"I have some difficulty in accepting the indiscriminate baptism of infants without a careful regard as to whether the parents have any intention of fulfilling the promise they make. But I do believe that something happens at the baptism of an infant,
particularly if the parents are Christians and teach their children Christian Truths from childhood. We cannot fully understand the miracles of God, but I believe that a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, made Christian, through infant baptism. If you want to call that baptismal regeneration, that’s all right with me" (Graham, interview with Wilfred Bockelman, associate editor of the Lutheran Standard, American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Standard, October 10, 1961).

God's Word Says:

Acts 12:13...Simon himself believed and was baptized.

HELL

Billy Says:

"I know that God has a fire which burns but does not consume; one example is the fire of the burning bush which Moses saw. I know also, however, that in many places throughout the Bible, the term 'fire' is used figuratively to connote great punishment or suffering. The Bible speaks of fire set by the tongue" (Billy Graham being questioned regarding a literal fire of hell, News and Record, Greensboro, North Carolina, March 15, 1999).

ON RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

Billy Says:
"Dear Philip: Your gracious and generous invitation to speak twice in Vancouver was deeply appreciated. ... I have tried to juggle my schedule but it is just too heavy at this late date for me to make the drastic changes that would be necessary for me to be in Vancouver. This will be only the second general assembly of the WCC that I have had to miss. I will certainly miss seeing you and many other old friends and fellowshipping with those from all over the world..." (telegram sent in 1983 by Graham to Philip Potter, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Foundation, Vol. IV, Issue IV, Los Osos,Calif.: Fundamental Evangelistic Association, 1983).

'I have nothing but the warmest of relations with the World Council of Churches'. (Billy Graham, 1974, Lausanne Congress).

A QUOTE FROM THE "GOOD OL' DAYS"

Billy Says:
“The three greatest menaces faced by orthodox Christianity are Communism, Roman Catholicism and Mohamedanism (Islam)'. (Graham, 1948 from Plains Baptist Challenger, July 1977)

COMMUNISM & THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Billy Says:
“I think communism's appeal to youth is its structure and promise of a future utopia. Mao Tse-Tung's eight precepts are basically the same as the Ten Commandments. In fact if we can't have the Ten Commandments read in the schools I'll settle for Mao's precepts'” (Billy Graham, May 28th 1978 in the Japanese newspaper 'Mainichi Daily News' from Plains Baptist Challenger, July 1977).

THE VIRGIN BIRTH
Q. Do you think a literal belief in the Virgin birth--not just as a symbol of the incarnation or of Christ's divinity--as an historic event is necessary for personal salvation?

A. While I most certainly believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, I do not find anywhere in the New Testament that this particular belief is necessary for personal salvation ("Billy Graham Answers 26 Provocative Questions," United Church of Observer, July 1, 1966).

BIBLICAL INFALLIBILITY

Billy Says:
“I believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative word of God but I don’t use the word ‘inerrant’ because it’s become a brittle divisive word.” (Billy Graham, Newsweek magazine, April 26, 1982, in a debate on the issue of biblical infallibility.)

Jesus Says:

"World travel and getting to know clergy of all denominations has helped mold me into an ecumenical being. We’re separated by theology and, in some instances, culture and race, but all that means nothing to me any more" (Billy Graham, U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 19, 1988).

"Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26).

Billy Graham is probably one of the world's most popular and admired men - along with his friend Pope John Paul II, but the true prophets of old were never popular.

This is a word for word transcript from a 1997 TV broadcast of Hour of Power. In the interview, Graham told Schuller: In this interview, which I have on video tape as well, the following is said:

Graham: "I think that everybody that loves or knows Christ, whether they are conscious of it or not, they are members of the body of Christ. . . . [God] is calling people out of the world for his name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they have been called by God. They may not know the name of Jesus but they know in their hearts that they need something they do not have, and they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are saved and they are going to be with us in heaven.

Schuller: "What, what I hear you saying, that it's possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life, even if they have been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you are saying?"

Graham: "Yes, it is."

Schuller: "I'm so thrilled to hear you say this: 'There's a wideness in God's mercy'," and

Graham: "There is. There definitely is"

--"BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHICH COME TO YOU IN SHEEP CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE RAVENING WOLVES." Mt. 7:15 --"BEHOLD, I AM SENDING YOU FORTH AS LAMBS AMONG WOLVES." Lk. 10:3 Graham Has Changed His Beliefs in the Last 25 Years