Ref: http://www.chick.com/reading/books/260/0260excerpt.asp#return283
|
Excerpt
from Who Gets The Decision Cards? As far back as 1955 Dr. James E. Bennet and Rev. Jack Wyrtzen met with Billy Graham. Graham told them "that if some minister, who was a modernist, sent 50 of his people to Graham's meetings, and they were saved, he (Billy) would not tell them |
 |
not to return to that modernistic church, because it would be unfair to
the pastor!" 283
The
Bible says that we are to "have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them"
(Ephesians 5:11). We are not to invite them on our platforms and praise
them as "deeply committed believers" when they don't even believe
(much less obey) the Bible.
A letter from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (written by W H.
Martindale) dated February 29, 1968 stated: "Mr. Graham,
under no conditions, suggests affiliating with those who are, in their doctrines,
contrary to the Scriptures."284 Yet 11 years prior
to this letter, Graham had had Norman Vincent Peale on his platform. Peale
had written 46 books, the first one published in 1937.285
His book, The Power of Positive Thinking had already been in print for several
years so his viewpoint was well-known.286
It should also be mentioned that the committee for the 1957
New York Crusade was made up of about 120 modernists and unbelievers compared
to about 20 fundamentalists. The Executive Committee was comprised of about
15 modernists and only 5 fundamentalists.287 Many of those on the committees
denied the virgin birth, bodily resurrection of Christ, a literal heaven
and a literal hell, the inspiration of Scripture, etc. The sad part is that
those who went forward at this meeting were turned over to these modernist
churches. After all, Graham usually only gives decision cards to those who
participate in his meetings. (One exception was in the 1970s when Graham
turned over decision cards to a Catholic diocese who had no official involvement
in the crusade.288) Therefore, all the funda-mentalists who do not participate
do not get any of the names. In other words, Graham's crusades only end
up helping the liberal and unscriptural churches to prosper and grow. Can
this be pleasing to God?
Graeme Keith, chairman of the Carolinas Billy Graham Crusade Committee,
is quoted in the Charlotte Observer (March 1, 1996) as saying:
| "'We have Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and other denominations represented on the committee....Our goal is to make it the finest crusade Dr. Graham has ever conducted.' Graham has even gone further afield on occasion. At his 1966 World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, who is head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, was featured. The Coptic Church is a blend of Christianity, Judaism, animism and paganism."289 |
I have a copy of a letter that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association sent to an inquirer in 1968. Rev. W H. Martindale, writing for Billy Graham, stated:
| "There are many aspects of the Christian life that Mr. Graham does not touch upon because he does not believe that they are the duty and responsibility of the evangelist. Mr. Graham believes that we are saved through the blood of Christ, however, this aspect of Christian doctrine he does not emphasize in his messages. This is the duty and prerogative of the pastors. Every effort is made to see that the inquirers are oriented in a Bible preaching church."290 |
The last sentence simply IS NOT TRUE! The inquirers ARE NOT sent to Bible-believing churches in most cases. "Cases are documented to show that some ministers have actually gone forward at the invitation and then into the counselor's room and their cards have been sent to liberal churches in their community which they, the ministers, have opposed from their own pulpits."291 For example, in Graham's 1952 Pittsburgh crusade, the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph reported that Graham said:
| "Many of the people who reach a decision for Christ at our meetings have joined the Catholic Church and we have received commendations from Catholic publications for the revived interest in their Church following our campaigns. This happened both in Boston and Washington. After all, one of our prime purposes is to help the churches in a community. If after we move on, the local (sic) churches do not feel the efforts of these meetings in increased membership and attendance, then our crusade would have to be considered a failure. "292 [Emphasis in the original.] |
Did you
notice that Graham was only interested in a church's increased membership-but
nothing was said about a person receiving Christ as his or her personal
Lord and Savior. This is what is important-not church
membership! Church membership could increase a 1000-fold but if people
are not being saved, then all is in vain.
Graham also gave a boost to the Catholic Church (in 1952)
when he added that he "hoped to hear Bishop Fulton J. Sheen at one
of the masses at St. Paul's Cathedral tomorrow. "293 [Emphasis in
the original.]
| "In
1968, Graham was in a meeting in San Antonio, Texas. He said
that the Roman Church had given 'tremendous cooperation' in areas
where he had held crusades. He added, 'A great part of our support
today comes from Catholics. We never hold a crusade without
priests and nuns being much in evidence in the audience."'294
By 1973 nuns were singing in the choir at Graham's crusades.295 |
Continuing
on with Graham's ecumenical outlook, the June 10, 1966 issue of Time said
that volunteers "will tactfully receive those stepping forward to
make a decision for Christ, [and] steer them to the nearest church
of their chosen denomination...."296
In Poland in 1978, "Graham taught nuns and priests how to evangelize.
A picture taken at the famous Polish Shrine of the Black
Madonna shows Graham welcoming pilgrims to the worship of their Virgin."297
NO ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
In 1983, The Florida Catholic reported that 600 people were turned over to the Catholic Church from the Orlando crusade.298 "On the evening of June 9, 1982, the names of 2l00 inquirers were given to priests at Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts."299 During the June 1992 Crusade in Philadelphia,
| "[a]pproximately 1,200 Catholics in the Archdiocese and about 700 Catholics from elsewhere took steps...in response to Dr. Graham's 'altar calls.' The individuals...were referred to about 250 parishes, said sister Josephine Kase, I. H. M., Assistant Director of the Archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs."300 |
In 1987 at the Denver crusade, 500 individuals were referred to the St. Thomas Moore Roman Catholic Church from just one service!301 One Catholic who went forward at this meeting didn't know how to express his feelings but the Catholic counselor, Donald Willette, was there to help out. He said: "Catholics have trouble with the expression 'Born again.'...I try to help people understand what this experience means, in light of the teaching of the [Catholic] church."302 So, even if Graham were definitely preaching the true Gospel of Christ, by allowing his sermon to be "reinterpreted" by the counselors, would negate all the good that would have been done. The "reinterpretation" is done in light of the Catholic Church's teaching-not in accordance with the Scriptures.
| "A
Catholic nun, Macrina Scott, director of the Catholic Biblical School
in Denver, says she trained about 80 counselors and Bible teachers to
assist Billy Graham's Rocky Mountain Crusade last July [l987].303
"By September 1992, the Catholic diocese of Portland, Oregon, had set a goal to supply 6,000 of the 10,000 counselors needed for the Graham crusade. All Catholics responding to the altar call were channeled to Catholic churches."304 |
Surprisingly,
around 1993 a retired missionary wrote to Graham's organization asking if
he was sending new converts back to the Catholic Church. T. W Wilson (who
died on May 25, 2001305), a member of the Graham team, responded: "I
do not know where you got your information-but I'm sure you have
been misin-formed." Isn't it amazing how they are still trying
to conceal this plain fact?
"At the 1996 Charlotte Crusade held by Evangelist Billy Graham, the
decision cards of 1700 Catholic responders to his invitation to commit their
lives to Christ were given to the local Catholic Diocese for follow up."306
The Catholic priests do not believe in salvation by faith. They teach that salvation is obtain through infant baptism. "Catholic teaching states that anyone who claims to have the assurance of salvation through God's power or mercy has committed the sin of presumption..307 According to the Catholic paper, Our Sunday Visitor, we are told that "Presumption is a sin against hope. it is a rash confidence of obtaining eternal salvation....A person who says that he or she is assured of salvation is presuming...."308 This is in direct contradiction to God's Word: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (I John 5:13). I John 2:5 says: "But whoso keepeth His word, in Him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him."
"Converts" are also turned over to the Jewish synagogues. The Rabbis do not believe in Jesus. Other inquirers are sent back to the liberal Protestant ministers (like New Ager and Mason, Norman Vincent Peale) who deny the atonement of Jesus Christ and the literal meaning of the Scriptures.
Since
the Bible clearly teaches that we are only saved through the blood of Christ
and His atonement and Graham "does not emphasize"
this doctrine, how many of these inquirers are actually
being saved? Notice that Martindale also says that this doctrine (as well
as others) is the prerogative of the pastors, yet these
individuals are not being sent back to churches (in most cases) where the
pastor, priest, or rabbi will teach this doctrine. This is spiritual suicide
for these people.
Footnotes
283
Bundy, Billy Graham, op. cit., p.9. See also: David W. Cloud, Flirting with
Rome: Evangelical Entanglement with Roman Catholicism (Volume I –Billy
Graham) (Oak Harbor, WA: Way of Life Literature, 1993).
284Letter
on file from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, dated February 29,
1968.
285Ruth
Stafford Peale, "A Life of Faith and Love: Remembering Norman Vincent
Peale 33°, Grand Cross, "The Scottish Rite Journal )September 1995,
Vol. 104, No. 9), p.6.
286Ibid.
287Zeller, op. cit., p.7; See also: Martin, A Prophet with Honor, op. cit., p.222.
288The
Berean Call (June 1997), p.4.
289Brad
K. Gsell, The Legacy of Billy Graham (Charlotte, NC: Fundamental Presbyterian
Publications, n.d.), p.28.
290Letter
in my files from W.H. Martindale, Spiritual Counselor for the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association, dated February 29, 1968. See also: David W. Cloud,
"Billy Graham's Disobedience to the Word of God" (Updated March
2, 1999), p.9; Ian Paisley, "Billy Graham's Tragic Romeward Run,"
O Timothy (1993, Vol. 10, Issue 9).
291Bundy,
Billy Graham, op. cit., p.68.
292Wilson
Ewin, Under the New World Order: Evangelicals, Catholics and Israel: Conspiracy
of the Ages (Compton, Quebec: Quebec Baptist Missions, n.d.), p.76. See
also: David W. Cloud, Firting with Rome (Volume I –Billy Graham) (Oak
Harbor, WA: Way of Life Literature, 1993); Wilson Ewin, Evangelism: The
Trojan Horse of the 1990's (Compton, Quebec: Quebec Baptist Missions, 1992),
p.3; D.W. Cloud, Is the Roman Catholic Changing? (1984); "Did You Know?,"
The Good Newsletter (November/December 1996, Vol. 2, Issue 12), p.12; "Graham
Team Denies Sending Roman Catholics Back to Romanism," O Timothy (1994,
Vol. 11, Issue 12).
293Ibid,;
"Did You Know?," The Good Newsletter (November/December 1996,
Vol. 2, Issue 12), p.12; David W. Cloud, Flirting with Rome (Volume 1 –Billy
Graham) (Oak Harbor, WA: Way of Life Literature, 1993); Wilson Ewin, Evangelism:
The Trojan Horse of the 1990's (Compton, Quebec: Quebec Baptist Missions,
1992), p.3; "Graham Team Denies Sending Roman Catholics Back to Romanism,"
O Timothy (1994, Vol. 11, Issue 12).
294Miesel,
op. cit.
295Wilson
Ewin, Evangelism: The Trojan Horse of the 1990's (Compton, Quebec Baptist
Missions, 1992).
296"Evangelism,"
Time (June 10, 1966), p.84.
297Ewin,
Evangelism, op. cit.; David W. Cloud, Flirting with Rome (Volume I –Billy
Graham) (Oak Harbor, WA; Way of Life Literature, 1993).
298David
W. Cloud, "Billy Graham's Disobedience to the Word of God" (Updated
March 2, 1999), p.3; David W. Cloud, "Evangelical Entaglement with
Romanism: How Serious Is the Back-to-Rome Movement?," Foundation (January/February
1987), p.5; David W. Cloud, "Evangelical Leaders Befriend the Mother
of Harlots," O Timothy (1988, Vol. 5, Issue 4).
299Wilson
Ewin, The Assimilation of Evangelist Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic
Church (Compton, Quebec: Quebec Baptist Missions, 1992), p.14; "Graham
Turned 2,000 Inquirers over to the Catholic Church in New England,"
O Timothy (1992, Vol. 9, Issue 6); Ewin, Evangelism, op. cit.; Ian Paisley,
"Billy Graham's Tragic Romeward Run," O Timothy (1993, Vol. 10,
Issue 9); David W. Cloud, Flirting with Rome (Volume I–Billy Graham)
(Oak Harbor, WA: Way of Life Literature, 1993).
300Christie
L, Chicone, "1,900 Catholics Respond to Billy Graham's Call, "The
Catholic Standard and Times (July 16, 1992), p.10; Ewin, The Assimilation
of Evangelist Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic Church, op. cit., p.14.
301Cloud,
"Billy Graham's Disobedience to the Word of God," op. cit., p.3;
David W. Cloud, "Evanglical Leaders Befriend the Mother of Harlots,"
O Timothy (1988, Vol. 5, Issue 4); Ewin, Evangelism, op. cit. See also:
David W. Cloud, Flirting with Rome (Volume I–Billy Graham) (Oak Harbor,
WA: Way of Life Literature, 1993).
302David
W. Cloud, Flirting with Rome (Volume I–Billy Graham) (Oak Harbor,
WA: Way of Life Literature, 1993).
303David.
W. Cloud, "Evangelical Leaders Befriend the Mother of Harlots,"
O Timothy (1988, Vol. 5, Issue 4); Ewin, Evangelism, op. cit.; Ibid.
304Cloud,
"Billy Graham's Disobedience to the Word of God," op. cit., p.3.
See also: Miesel, op. cit.; "Billy Graham," The BDM Letter (November
1993, Vol. 2, No. 9), p.2; Cloud, Flirting with Rome (Volume I–Billy
Graham), op. cit.
305"T. W. Wilson, Longtime Associate to Billy Graham Dies at 82," Christian News (June 4, 2001, Vol. 39, No. 23
306"Graham
Continues to Send to Catholicism," The Flaming Torch (April/May/June
1998, Vol. 39, No. 2), p.5.
307"Roman
Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition," a tract by Mike Gendron. See
also: "Salvation by Sanctifying Grace Demo," Constantly Evolving
Catholicism (September 1995), p.5; Sheedy, "Ask Me a Question,"
Our Sunday Visitor (February 14, 1993, Vol. 81, No. 42), p.20.
308Sheedy,
"Ask Me a Question," Our Sunday Visitor (February 14, 1993, Vol.
81, No. 42), P.20.
