Slog
News & ArtsThursday, October 18, 2012
2012 Billy Graham Throws God Under the Bus: Mormonism Is No Longer a Cult
Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 9:15 AM
Some white Christians will move heaven and earth to get rid of Obama...
The Rev. Billy Graham’s Web site has removed an article labeling Mormonism a cult, a move that follows Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s visit to the evangelical leader.I always knew these people never really believed in God and all that nonsense they preach. It's about getting them Benjamins and staying top dog.The Asheville Citizen-Times reported the disappearance of the article earlier. The article had said that “Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, the Unification Church, Unitarians, Spiritists, Scientologists, and others” were cults. Mr. Graham, 93 years old, met with Mr. Romney last week, on Oct. 11 at his home inMontreat,North Carolina. Mr. Romney soon after addressed a crowd in Asheville, N.C.
1
Hmm. I'd like to know how Unitarians qualify as a "cult." I know some of their theology lies well outside the normal bounds of Christianity, the way Mormonism does, but I'm unaware of any coercion or other force they use to keep members in the pews.
2
By "cult," I think they mean people who don't think exactly the same way we do." In which case, Mormonism is far more of a cult than most of the others, but oh well.
3
I wonder if David Gregory considers Billy Graham to be the Leader of the Christian People, just like how Bibi Nets is the Leader of the Jewish People.
5
@1 Billy is pretty loose with his slander. Anybody that doesn't do Christianity the way he does is a cultist.
The motivation, beyond money, can be found in the simple facts of: 93 years old, North Carolina preacher, isn't on the buddies list with this POTUS like he was with previous ones.
The motivation, beyond money, can be found in the simple facts of: 93 years old, North Carolina preacher, isn't on the buddies list with this POTUS like he was with previous ones.
6
Oh, they believe in God, they just believe in God so much that they know to best further God's interests sometimes they need to lie for the greater good. And while God may "say" he's against lying, he'll totally understand, cuz their deity is all about the ends justify the means, right?
7
uh oh.....
WASHINGTON DC (AP) — Weekly applications for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped 46,000 last week to 388,000, the highest in four months.
WASHINGTON DC (AP) — Weekly applications for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped 46,000 last week to 388,000, the highest in four months.
11
Not surprising he would alter his supposedly-eternal theological views in order to synch with the US conservative-politics of the moment!
In the 1950s and 1960s he was an anti-Semitic bigot, but he changed that around once the US Fundamentalist Conservatives entered the whole Israel-Fetish phase in the 1980s.
In the 1950s and 1960s he was an anti-Semitic bigot, but he changed that around once the US Fundamentalist Conservatives entered the whole Israel-Fetish phase in the 1980s.
12
Looks like this link on the Billy Graham website was removed, but you can find it using archive.org.
http://billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=2072">http://web.archive.org/web/2010112117445…
There are some features common to most cults:
• They do not adhere solely to the sixty-six books of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. They add their "special revelations" to the Bible and view them as equally authoritative.
• They do not accept that our relationship to Jesus Christ is a reality "by grace through faith" alone, but promote instead a salvation by works.
• They do not give Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, full recognition as the second Person of the Trinity, composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Some of these groups are Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, the Unification Church, Unitarians, Spiritists, Scientologists, and others.
http://billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=2072">http://web.archive.org/web/2010112117445…
There are some features common to most cults:
• They do not adhere solely to the sixty-six books of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. They add their "special revelations" to the Bible and view them as equally authoritative.
• They do not accept that our relationship to Jesus Christ is a reality "by grace through faith" alone, but promote instead a salvation by works.
• They do not give Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, full recognition as the second Person of the Trinity, composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Some of these groups are Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, the Unification Church, Unitarians, Spiritists, Scientologists, and others.
14
@10, sloespin, Graham has ALWAYS been a complete fraudster for the conservative side, i.e., Wall Street spending scumbags.
He's always been supportive of the world's thieves and murderers, as long as they send him money. Your comment sux.....
He's always been supportive of the world's thieves and murderers, as long as they send him money. Your comment sux.....
15
"...getting them Benjamins and staying top dog," and voting the scary, smart black man out of the White House.
I agree with you, Charles, I think this makes the second time this year. Who'd've thunk?
I agree with you, Charles, I think this makes the second time this year. Who'd've thunk?
17
From a purely theological perspective, Mormonism is both blasphemous and heretical to the Christian faith. Furthermore, by embracing and practicing the Mormon religion, all faithful Mormons have, under (relatively) clear biblical edict, voluntarily and enthusiastically condemned themselves to estrangement from God and eternal damnation.
Of course, none of this carries any substance if you don't believe in God, but it is pretty incredible to see just how deep the hypocrisy runs.
Of course, none of this carries any substance if you don't believe in God, but it is pretty incredible to see just how deep the hypocrisy runs.
18
I grew up in a very conservative Catholic church. We were actually taught that what @6 is describing is a perfectly valid way to bring people to God.
21
@14 Good one. Yeah, his support for NK was messed up, and his antisemitism as well. I'm mostly ignorant of the rest of his bad history, comes with growing up fundie.
22
@19: All the Stranger has done in this instance is report that Billy Graham rather conveniently no longer considers Mormons members of a cult.
I wonder if he feels the same about the other religious affiliations mentioned in that article or if it's just the Mormons who now get a pass?
I wonder if he feels the same about the other religious affiliations mentioned in that article or if it's just the Mormons who now get a pass?
23
"I always knew these people never really believed in God and all that nonsense they preach. It's about getting them Benjamins and staying top dog."
Charles, you say so much more when you resist the urge to be long-winded.
Charles, you say so much more when you resist the urge to be long-winded.
24
No longer publishing an article identifying Mormonism as a cult doesn't necessarily mean BG reversing position on whether or not Mormonism is a cult. Having grown up in a faith community that more or less defined cults using the criteria listed @12, I doubt he's changed his mind about the nature of Mormonism. He's more likely trying to distance himself from the fact that he's supporting the "cultist" candidate over the Christian candidate. Nonsensical editing to avoid addressing one's own hypocrisy is nothing new. And BG's hypocrisy on this matter doesn't negate his belief in God any more than your failure to live in perfect conformance the socialist ideals you preach negates your belief in those ideals.
25
C'mon, we all know that once Romney loses, on November 7th that page is going right back up there. Tolerance is for closers.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
All You Motherfuckers Complaining That aPodments Are Too Small at 200 Square Feet by Dominic Holden
-
Portland Voters Are Stoopid by Goldy
-
SL Letter of the Day: Did You Think I Was Going To Tell You Not To Come Out? (PLUS: Help Free Kate!) by Dan Savage
-
Rightwing Anti-Gay French Activist Commits Suicide at Notre Dame Cathedral by Dan Savage
-
Spoiled Rotten: Star Trek Into Darkness by Paul Constant
-
There Are No Atheists In Foxholes by Dan Savage
-
Tornado Truthers by Dan Savage
-
Why They Break Windows by Unpaid Intern
-
Listen Up, Gays: They're Coming to Recruit You by Cienna Madrid
-
Saint Genet Re-Creates "Shoot" by Brendan Kiley
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (25) RSS