Billy Graham

{{bronze}}[[File:Barack Obama and Billy Graham.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Barack Obama]] with Graham in 2010]]
{{christianity|1}}
{{cquote|They swarm around me and are friendly to me, because they know that I am friendly to Israel and so forth. But they don't know how I really feel about what they're doing to this country, and I have no power and no way to handle them.|||Billy Graham on the Nixon White House tapes<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/03/us/billy-graham-apologizes-to-jews-for-his-remarks-on-nixon-tapes.html Billy Graham Apologizes to Jews For His Remarks on Nixon Tapes.] [[New York Times]], 3 March 2002.</ref>}}
{{cquote|"What is the greatest surprise you have found about life?” a university student asked me several years ago. “The brevity of it,” I replied without hesitation. … Time moves so quickly, and no matter who we are or what we have done, the time will come when our lives will be over. As Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). |||Billy Graham<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Just-As-Am-Autobiography-Graham/dp/0061171069 Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham by Billy Graham and Cliff Barrows]</ref>}}
'''William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr.''' {{lived|1918|2018}} was an [[evangelist]] of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] persuasion. He first became famous in 1949 with an 8-week [[revival meeting|tent revival]] which caught the attention of the William Randolph Hearst newspaper chain. He later attempted to stake out a niche as a moderate, apolitical, respectable evangelist, spiritual counselor to many [[U.S.]] [[POTUS|presidents]], and a [[media]] go-to person to contrast with the usually scandalous and heavily politicized world of [[televangelism]]. He scored a major coup by hiring ex-pinup girl Bettie Page on his staff full-time.

During the second [[Red Scare]] of the 1940s-1950s, Graham was an ardent anti-[[communist]] and a supporter of [[Joseph McCarthy]].<ref>[https://therealnews.com/how-billy-graham-evangelized-for-american-empire How Billy Graham Evangelized for American Empire] (February 21, 2018) ''The Real News Network''.</ref><ref>[https://www.oah.org/process/mcalister-billy-grahams-legacy/ Billy Graham’s Legacy] by Melani McAlister (March 21, 2018) ''Process'' (Organization of American Historians).</ref> He was also a key player in the [[Christian nationalist]] movement.<ref>[https://www.ms.now/opinion/how-billy-graham-weaponized-white-evangelical-christian-power-america-n1267874 How Billy Graham weaponized white evangelical Christian power in America. Historically speaking, Graham’s most enduring legacy may be his aligning of evangelical Christianity with political influence and fear.] by Anthea Butler (May. 18, 2021, 7:30 PM EDT) ''MS Now''.</ref>

Despite having been raised in [[North Carolina]], a [[The South|Southern state]] with a history of ugly [[racism]], Graham opposed [[segregation]] and was an ally of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]<ref>Reeves, Jay (February 25, 2018). [https://apnews.com/article/20d646efe23c469fbbc83cd04ec2fc17 Billy Graham had pride and regret on civil rights issues]. Associated Press. Retrieved March 13, 2021.</ref> In the 1950s, Graham ordered ropes separating black and white audience members at events to be removed.

However, his apolitical reputation may be overrated as he was personally very close friends with [[Richard Nixon]], and the Nixon tapes declassified in 2002 include a meeting between the two during which Graham and Nixon discussed a [[International Jewish conspiracy|Jewish "stranglehold" on the media]], and Graham gloated that the [[Jews]] had no idea how he "really felt" about them. Back in April, 1989, a Graham memo to Nixon was made public. It took the form of a secret letter from Graham, dated April 15, 1969, drafted after Graham met in Bangkok with missionaries from Vietnam. This so called "man of God" said that if the peace talks in Paris were to fail, Nixon should step up the war and bomb the Vietnamese. Such an act, Graham wrote excitedly, “could overnight destroy the economy of North Vietnam.”<ref>Jeffrey St. Clair and Alexander Cockburn,
 [http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/11/01/when-billy-graham-urged-nixon-to-kill-a-million-people/ When Billy Graham Urged Nixon to Kill a Million People.] counterpunch.org, November 1, 2013.</ref> He also showed raging [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] sentiments during the 1960 Presidential Campaign. His [[crusade]]s have been well-attended and often turned into local media circus events wherever he appeared. Billy Graham received the [[Templeton Prize]] in 1982.<ref>[http://www.templetonprize.org/previouswinner.html Previous Prize Winners]</ref>

Despite [[Religious Right]] leaders' love of him, Billy Graham committed the ultimate [[evil]]: he was a registered [[Democrat]].<ref>Elving, Ron (February 24, 2018). [https://www.npr.org/2018/02/24/587809173/billy-graham-walked-a-line-and-regretted-crossing-over-it-when-it-came-to-politi Billy Graham Walked A Line, And Regretted Crossing Over It, When It Came To Politics]. National Public Radio. Retrieved March 13, 2021.</ref> His son [[Franklin Graham]], however, does not believe [[Obama]] is a [[Christian]].<ref>[http://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-franklin-graham-question-president-obamas-faith-explain-why-mormons-arent-christian-on-morning-joe/ Watch Franklin Graham Question President Obama's Faith, Explain Why Mormons Aren’t Christian On Morning Joe]</ref>

In recent years, Graham came into controversy due to supporting [[North Carolina]]'s Amendment 1 banning [[same sex marriage]] and [[civil union]]s,<ref>Ed Kilgore, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120515093313/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_05/billy_graham_and_amendment_one037230.php Billy Graham and Amendment One.] washingtonmonthly.com, May 9, 2012.</ref> supporting the [[Chick-fil-A]] appreciation day, and scrubbing any references his website had to [[Mormonism]] being a [[cult]] before campaigning for [[Mitt Romney]], some concluded that Franklin Graham was making all his decisions.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/10/23/franklin-grahams-fire-sale-at-montreat/ Franklin Graham's fire sale at Montreat], [[Slacktivist]]</ref><ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-knight/billy-graham-is-not-an-anti-gay-bigot_b_1716448.html Billy Graham is not an anti-gay bigot], Steve Knight, ''[[Huffington Post]]''</ref> And when asked whether Billy Graham would speak publicly to confirm statements in his name, Franklin Graham replied, "That ain’t gonna happen. I can promise you that."<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/08/06/billy-graham-did-not-go-to-chick-fil-a-and-he-didnt-tell-you-to-go-there-either/ Billy Graham didn't go to Chick-Fil-A and he didn't tell you to go there either], Slacktivist</ref> However, Graham was repeatedly outspoken about his opposition to gay rights and marriage equality as early as 1974 when a woman wrote to Graham in an advice column about her feelings for another woman, in which Graham responded, “We traffic in homosexuality at the peril of our spiritual welfare.” In a 1995 sermon, Graham said, “Is AIDS a judgement of God? I could not say for sure, but I think so.” Though he later expressed regret for the statement, it still inspired countless others to have similar views. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s website also contains articles such as “The War on ‘Male’ and ‘Female,’” which call transgender activism a “Trojan horse” in destroying “traditional families.” The website also responds to the question, “Are homosexuals born that way?” with the suggested reading of a “practical guide to overcoming homosexuality.” So it should come to no surprise that he would also support [[North Carolina]]'s Amendment 1 banning [[same sex marriage]] and [[civil union]]s.<ref>Ed Kilgore, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120515093313/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_05/billy_graham_and_amendment_one037230.php Billy Graham and Amendment One.] washingtonmonthly.com, May 9, 2012.</ref><ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/billy-graham-leaves-painful-legacy-lgbtq-people-n850031</ref>

Billy Graham spoke in favor of Christian Universalism, which caused widespread outrage.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drt5VPfnnms Billy Graham Universalist] on [[YouTube]]</ref>

In 1964 Graham spoke in favor of [[theistic evolution]]. He believed that God may have used the evolutionary process leading up to the creation of man. He also believed there’s no conflict at all between science and the Scriptures, and that the Bible should not be seen as science book but as a book about redemption.<ref>http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2010/09/22/can-evolution-be-christian-an-introduction/#9mcbgvPdEmogsmBj.99</ref>

Some Christians didn't like him because of his more liberal approach toward Christianity. This has led to some humorous efforts to ruin his reputation.

Although Graham never joined the [[Moral Majority]] or any right wing religious group, he was still directly responsible for the formation of such groups. Graham was perhaps the most vital figure foundation-builder for the evangelical coalition that came together in the late 1970s as the [[Christian Right]]. According to Heather White, a visiting assistant professor of religion at the University of Puget Sound, "He helped unite factionalized fundamentalists, hippie Jesus people and conservative-leaning white Mainline Protestants into an evangelical coalition." White also stated Graham also helped connect this coalition to "the political process in general and to the Republican party in particularly, especially through his support for Nixon in the 1960s." Although Graham expressed regret for getting involved in politics, admitting that he "sometimes crossed the line" in that capacity, many believe the damage has already been done.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/billy-graham-leaves-painful-legacy-lgbtq-people-n850031</ref>

According to his son [[Franklin Graham|Franklin]], Graham apparently voted for Trump in the [[2016 U.S. presidential election|2016 election]].<ref>Jackson, David (December 20, 2019). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/12/20/trump-attacks-billy-grahams-christianity-today-after-editorial/2708059001/ Trump calls Christianity Today 'far left magazine' after editorial called for his removal from office]. USA Today. Retrieved March 13, 2021.</ref>

==Billy Graham rule==
{{cquote|It's rather like a thief sanctimoniously announcing that he brings a parole officer every time he goes to the bank to make sure he doesn't rob it. Good for you, dude, for knowing your own limitations — but it doesn't make you better than the rest of us, who manage to regularly not steal things even when we're completely alone.|||Monica Hesse<ref name=hesse>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-billy-graham-rule-doesnt-honor-your-wife-it-demeans-her--and-all-women/2019/07/11/c1ac14e6-a380-11e9-bd56-eac6bb02d01d_story.html The 'Billy Graham rule' doesn't honor your wife. It demeans her — and all women.] by Monica Hesse (July 11, 2019) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>}}
Graham is also known for this eponymous principle of conduct, according to which a man — especially a Protestant leader — should not spend time alone in the company of a woman who is not his wife. Graham and some of his associates formulated the rule in 1948 as part of the "Modesto Manifesto," a set of principles that also included a commitment to financial integrity and rules about making false claims in publicity and keeping good relations with other churches.<ref>{{wpa|Billy Graham rule}}</ref><ref name=indygrahamrule>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/billy-graham-rule-what-is-mike-pence-presidents-men-women-room-alone-dead-a8221416.html What is the Billy Graham rule?], The Independent (UK), 21 Feb 2018</ref> The rule about not spending time alone with a woman aimed at avoiding the frequent allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against evangelical preachers even back in the 1940s; such men were often away from their homes on tours preaching and performing missionary work, and wanted to avoid temptation<ref name=indygrahamrule/> or even the suspicion of potential scandal.

More recently the rule was associated with [[Mike Pence]], who was [[Vice President of the United States|US vice president]] from 2017 to 2021.<ref name=indygrahamrule/> His stance divided opinion, with some people seeing it as [[misogynistic]] and as perpetuating inequality against women, who may be professionally disadvantaged and unable to work for Pence; it also perpetuates the idea that every relationship between men and women is about [[sex]].<ref name=hesse/> Cue potential fancy diplomatic footwork if Pence in his capacity as a prominent U.S. person should need to negotiate with German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], Burmese '' éminence grise'' [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], or New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

On the other hand, other people see the "Billy Graham rule" as an important way of defending Pence's marriage.<ref name=green>
[https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/pence-wife-billy-graham-rule/521298/ How Mike Pence's Marriage Became Fodder for the Culture Wars], Emma Green, The Atlantic, March 2017. "For a lot of conservative religious people, though, this set-up probably sounds normal, or even wise."
</ref> So that's all right then.

The rule came up in July 2019 (leading to the comments from Monica Hesse quoted above) when Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster of Mississippi invoked it to deny reporter Larrison Campbell a chance to ride along with him during a campaign tour unless she brought a male colleague along.<ref>https://www.christianpost.com/news/republican-candidate-criticized-for-invoking-billy-graham-rule-on-campaign-trail-in-mississippi.html</ref> Campbell pointed out that he seemingly wasn't concerned being photographed alone with a ''man'', even though [[homosexuality]] is a real thing. Campbell has also pointed out that in addition to other factors about why it's insulting to assume people would think they must have had sex if they were alone, she's a [[lesbian]].

In addition to being associated with American [[evangelical]] Protestants, the rule is similar to the practices of many Orthodox [[Jews]] (who have a similar rule known as ''yichud'') and of some [[Muslims]].<ref>
[https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/pence-wife-billy-graham-rule/521298/ How Mike Pence's Marriage Became Fodder for the Culture Wars], Emma Green, The Atlantic, March 2017. "Many Orthodox Jews follow the laws of ''yichud'', which prohibit unmarried men and women from being alone in a closed room together. Some Muslim men and women also refuse to be together alone if they're not married."</ref>

==Further reading==
*''The Prince of War: Billy Graham's Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire'' 1st edition (Brave Ulysses Books, 2007) Cecil Bothwell [[Special:Booksources/‎978-0615162720|ISBN ‎978-0615162720]]

==See also==
*[[Christianity Today]] 
*[[Franklin Graham]]

==External links==
*[http://billygraham.org/ Billy Graham Evangelical Association website]

==Notes==
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==References==
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