Bill Graham Sells Out To The Dark Side

   I guess that every man does indeed have his price, right Billy?

By Don Hamel   October 24, 2012

The readers of the Columbus Dispatch awoke to Billy Graham sermonizing on Sunday morning. And they didn’t even have to go to church. He took out a full page ad to make the following entreaty to the good people of the swing state of Ohio:

The legacy we leave behind for our children, grandchildren and this great nation is crucial. As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize this election could be my last. 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.

In case you’re still wondering who he could possibly be endorsing with that ad, here’s an additional clue: An article from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s website that called Mormonism a “cult” disappeared days after Graham met with Mitt Romney, earlier in October.

For several years Graham’s website had this to say regarding cults:

A cult is any group which teaches doctrines or beliefs that deviate from the biblical message of the Christian faith. It is very important that we recognize cults and avoid any involvement with them. Cults often teach some Christian truth mixed with error, which may be difficult to detect… Some of these groups are Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, the Unification Church, Unitarians, Spiritists, Scientologists, and others (Emphasis mine)

Gaebler.com, which describes itself as “Resources for entrepeneurs,” tells us that full page ads in U.S. newspapers can cost anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000, depending on factors like circulation,etc. It also cautions, “Newspaper advert prices can blow your marketing budget if you are not careful. Before you launch an advertising campaign, understand the costs of advertisements in newspapers.”

Of course that’s not a big problem for an ‘entrepeneur’ of Billy Graham’s stature, his business is booming these days. And aside from syndicated radio, television specials and newspaper columns, his Evangelical Association has even produced over 130 movies through their subsidiary company, World Wide Pictures. So his “marketing budget” can probably absorb the cost of a Sunday ad in the Columbus Dispatch. And of course, it’s all tax free. Separation of church and state, don’t you know.

The question isn’t how he did it, it’s why; as recently as two weeks ago, Billy Graham’s official position on Mormonism is that it was a religious cult. Making Romney, who has held several high-ranking positions in the church, not just a cult member, but a cult leader. At least he was until last week.

Billy Graham, like many of his oh-so-holy brethren, has amassed a vast fortune, without the inconvenience of having to kick in to keep America afloat. It’s the deal the founding fathers made with themselves, to keep religious leaders from trying to wrest control of our democracy, on behalf of ‘God’s will.’Billy’s own words provide a damn fine example of why that separation is important. And there was a time when Graham himself felt as though that was a pretty good idea. In 1979 he said:

“I’m for morality, but morality goes beyond sex to human freedom and social justice. We as clergy know so very little to speak with authority on the Panama Canal or superiority of armaments. Evangelists cannot be closely identified with any particular party or person. We have to stand in the middle in order to preach to all people, right and left. I haven’t been faithful to my own advice in the past. I will be in the future.

The future isn’t now, I guess. Between changing Mormonism’s ‘cult status’ and taking out full page ads to sway voters, he certainly hasn’t been ‘faithful to his own advice’ in the present. I suppose if he already believes, “ this election could be my last,” then that was just another deeply held belief that needs to be deleted.

Creative Commons License

Technorati Tags: Billy Graham,Mitt Romney,Mormon,2012 Elections,Christians,Current Events,Cults