(Billy) Graham Speechless After New Orleans Tour

[deadparrot]

NEW ORLEANS - Evangelist Billy Graham, whose ministry has taken him to some of the world's least-developed countries, said Thursday that the scope of devastation he saw as he toured hurricane-ravaged New Orleans this week left him speechless.

"I cannot imagine what those people have been through," Graham said during an interview with The Associated Press, a day after he was shown some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. "This is a far greater disaster than the average American understands."

Graham came to New Orleans for an event this weekend organized by local ministers and his son, Franklin Graham, now head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Billy Graham plans to preach Sunday, his first public sermon since June, when he led his final revival meeting in New York City.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060309/ap_on_re_us/billy_graham_new_orleans

[MrModerate]

1. Since they're still quoting him . . .

He doesn't seem quite "speechless."

However, whatever little bit of understanding of the devastation gets communicated to those of us who weren't affected is probably a good thing. If nothing else, it highlights the increased governmental (and especially federal) obligations to intervene <effectively> in such catastrophes.

[Wilms]

2. Perhaps he'll have another talk with * n/t

[rsmith6621]

10. Billy Graham Is a Dem......

[Wilms]

14. Didn't say he wasn't. Here's that to which I refer.

"Though he was always somewhat religious, Bush said, a turning point came in a private talk with the Rev. Billy Graham along the coast of Maine in 1985. Graham's words planted the "mustard seed in my soul" that eventually led to a decision to "recommit my heart to Jesus Christ," he wrote."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24634-2004Sep15.html


Though here, is a report saying Graham didn't feel he had much influence on *

http://www.democrats.com/node/838

[xxqqqzme]

19. if the extent of raisin brain's

commitment is his heart, then I understand perfectly - that's a non-committal commitment cuz he has a heart of stone

[Raine]

33. Graham is not responsible

for Chimp's misinterpretation. You can explain to an idiot but if they don't understand it's not your fault.

[TheModernTerrorist]

46. so was Zell Miller...

:shrug: just sayin...

[951-Riverside]

57. He's not Zell Miller

Some of you are just trying to justify your blind hate.

[AnneD]

20. It is evident...

that Bush doesn't really know Christ or worship God as evidenced by his actions. I doubt he would listen to a godly man like Billy Graham. I sometimes wonder...if the Rapture that the CC talk about were to truly occur...what a shock they would experience to see who was left behind. Frankly, God could save us all a lot of time and trouble by smoting a few folks.....sigh.....in my perverse unChristian fantasies.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

25. I think it has started...Chris Reeve...Dana Reeve...

It's just not happening all on the same day.

[AnneD]

47. Hmmmmm

hadn't thought of that.

I once was told that you could tell how great a person was in their life by what happens in there death. For example, the founders of most of our religions. They were not much but local legends while alive, but after their deaths their thoughts and deeds continue to blossom and grow. Now look at Hitler or Stalin...on their way to the historical dust bin.

[uppityperson]

3. Good. More people need to see with their own eyes.

[goclark]

4. His son Franklin is a Repub right? nt

[JerseygirlCT]

39. His son is an ass. The father has a few more

redeeming qualities, IMO.

[mitchum]

42. You're right...

charisma
a wonderful voice
he doesn't soak his flock quite as much as Franklin

I think that about covers it

[MADem]

5. Ah, yes, Mister "Crusades for Christ" himself

A real charmer, that one: http://www.counterpunch.org/vestgraham.html

[Jax]

6. Find your voice Billy and SPEAK UP

about the horror you are seeing. LOUDLY. And never stop.

[catmandu57]

7. Maybe it will be a Cronkite moment

and lead to the saner portion of our citizenery to open their eyes, ears, and hearts.

[acmavm]

8. Preachers in $2000 suits don't have that many 'Cronkite' moments.

They're hypocrites to begin with, suffering of others is just expected. You know, like the poor in the Bible, 'they will always be with us' so just ignore them and maybe they'll go someplace else.

[unschooler]

58. How do you know the price of his suit?

I'm not a fan of Billy's theology or Franklin's politics. Just wondered why you think he wears $2000 suits.

[Charlie Brown]

9. Graham is an Anti-Semitic con

He and his idiot son have exploited their sincere followers for money and prestige for the better part of a century. They've ordained themselves the "clergy" of a movement that is not supposed to have dogmatic leaders and use their positions to shun anyone who dares disagree. His main interest in New Orleans is the spotlight it will place on him. If he really cares about Katrina victims, why isn't he encouraging Congress to increase aid and reconstruction. Fraud. I guess I'll pray that he learns to follow the example of what he preaches.

Here's a link to Graham on an Anti-Semitic diatribe with Nixon.

http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/02/02/Graham_Nixon.html

[Bridget Burke]

16. Billy Graham has apologized for those remarks...

Although that does not make him innocent.

His son is a Republican whore but Billy Graham has SOME principles. Let us see what he does in the future.

[Charlie Brown]

18. A forced apology

and he still said that he had "no recollection" of making the remarks, in a typical better-than-thou retort. I'll applaud Graham when he begins demanding Congress send more relief resources to New Orleans (oh, right, his cash-cow conservative base won't go along with that).

[Bridget Burke]

21. I'm not asking you to applaud Graham.

But he's a bit more honest than the other Big-Time Evangelists. Some people do care what he thinks.

[cantstandbush]

17. Yes, unlike the fleecing of the flocks by Hagee, Dobbson, Falwell and

Roberston who are AIPAC puppets. :sarcasm:

[fleabert]

23. one of the worst days in my life was the day I was tricked into hearing

hagee speak in person. :puke:

my boyfriends mom asked if I would go to church with them- I was (and am) not the church type, but I thought it would be nice to bond with the family.

what a fucking joke, he was digugsting. And that was before he got on the TeeVee, around 1994. It was sickening.

[MaryBear]

37. Not meaning to derail the thread, but...

I just read the article you linked to above and it is shocking! For being in so many ways brilliant, tricky dick was an idiot. and i would not remember the conversation either if i was graham. except it's on tape.

[pitohui]

11. well preach it, billy

i didn't even know he could still speak, if he can raise some awareness good on him

[jamesinca]

12. wait I thought dear leader said things were going swimmingly

Now a man of the cloth says it must have been terrible, still seeing the destruction 7 months later. Who is lying, who will back peddle?

[jamesinca]

13. wait I thought dear leader said things were going swimmingly

Now a man of the cloth says it must have been terrible, still seeing the destruction 7 months later. Who is lying, who will back peddle?

[superconnected]

15. At least he didn't blame the gays

of course he does have a speech on Sunday.

[blue cat]

22. Billy Graham

is a life long democrat!!!

[Megahurtz]

24. Did he finally pull his head out of his ass?

:shrug:It just makes me wonder!

All of these Televangelists have so much money that they have no bloody idea
what goes on in the rest of the world!:think:

[pitohui]

26. he's 87 and has parkinsons

he prob. had NO clue until he saw it for himself

i didn't know he was still capable of speaking, i'm not a fan by any means, but if his word carries some weight to the yahoos of the nation and gets them to wake up to the reality of what has happened, good on em

i also like it that he acknowledged this is a catholic area and he didn't try to infringe or proselytize

even a stopped clock etcetera

[Megahurtz]

27. Oh, that would be the problem,

I didn't know that.:(

[VegasWolf]

28. Screw Billy Graham, why not donate some of the money that you

skunked the public out of, you Republican asshole. You helped create the dry drunk Bush.

[bmbmd]

29. He is a dear, sweet man-you have no right to speak

that way about him. Here's what the old book says:

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:10-12).

[VegasWolf]

32. I actually could care less what the Old Babble says. Carl Sagan

was a nice guy too, but he didn't make his bread and butter by encouraging folks to belive in invisible sky people!

[TankLV]

49. Fuck him and his family of charletans.

He's a fucking religious right wing BIGOT & HOMOPHOBE.

He and anyone who agrees with him can go fuck themselves.

They make life HELL for many gay men and women.

Fuck 'em all!

[leesa]

54. Yeah, right. He really came out against the unprovoked slaughter of

Iraqis, didn't he? Or did he say to Bush, "Praise God, and on to Jerusalem!" The guy's a charlatan and has always been a charlatan.

[Raine]

35. He's NOT a repug!

He's a Democrat, he may be an asshole but he is NOT a repug one!

[VegasWolf]

36. That's an old story that graham is a democrat. This story has been

batted around many times. He is just too cozy with the Republican power boys for my liking. His Democrat stripes are extremely weak.

[mitchum]

43. Yes, a Democrat just like Zell Miller....

huckster Graham has ALWAYS been cozy with the gop

[C_U_L8R]

30. UMMM HELLO..... It's March 2006

did it take these idiots this long to figure out that a disaster struck New Orleans ??????

[Raine]

31. Billy Graham's OK

his son is an ass but he's a pretty decent guy himself.

[fshrink]

34. This country is not even able

to clean up after a storm. Tells you a lot about the state of the union...

[OldLeftieLawyer]

40. Why do you hate America, hmmmm?

I mean, look at how SAFE we are with President Fuckface in the Oval Office, squatting there, trying to figure out if he or the dog just pooped on the carpet!!!

You filthy communist!

heh heh heh

[stepnw1f]

38. But Don't You Like What Your Christian Conservative Leader Does

to his own people. He neglects them and let's them pray to the Lord for help, rather than to the very country they payed taxes to.

[mitchum]

41. He's still a pulpit-dwelling grifter

[bobbieinok]

44. BGrahan was the speaker at the OKC bombing memorial; from what

I remember he brought comfort to grieving families and a grieving state

his son, however, demanded to speak at the Columbine HS memorial and antagonized nearly everyone

IMO, the comparison says a lot about the difference between the 2.....B 'earned' whatever goodwill he has through hard work; his son F thinks he's entitled to every thing, goods and goodwill, his father EARNED

[pstans]

45. We need Graham and Clinton to tour NO

That would really piss off the wingnuts.

[pacalo]

48. His comments are a good start in getting the attention of the fundies.

But he hasn't spoken out about this very crooked, deceitful, hypocritical administration who is falsely claiming to be on a mission from God. That's when he'll get my attention & deep respect.

[anitar1]

50. i don't even like Billy Graham anymore. Far as I am

concerned , he is just another money raker. that has been his career. the son will be worse. I remember reading about Franklin waiting breathlessly at the gates of Iraq. Could hardly wait to get in there and convert those heathens. They should drop him into Baghdad by parachute and let him start preaching. I loathe these phony preachers. If they really wanted to "help" people, they would be here setting up soup kitchens and helping our poor and homeless.

[Justice]

51. We should see what he says Sunday in his sermon

I suspect Graham's words will be powerful on the issue of helping our neighbors and friends in the areas hardest hit by Katrina. I suspect he will re-focus attention on the area and the issue.

[onager]

52. Graham pimped for Bush in 2000

GWEN IFILL: As added insurance, millions of phone calls, thousands of pieces of direct mail, and this pre-election appearance Sunday with popular evangelist Billy Graham, a family friend, who all but endorsed Bush.

BILLY GRAHAM: I've been praying that God's will shall be done. I don't endorse candidates, but I've come as close to it, I guess, now as anytime in my life because I think it's extremely important. We have in our state absentee ballots, I've already voted, I'll just let you guess who I voted for.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/july-dec00/bush_11-6.html

Sanctified assclown. Billy Grab'em is not one whit better than Swaggert, Falwell or any of the other Jesus Hucksters. He just has better P.R. And for that, we can mostly thank the arch-conservative Hearst press of the late 1940's. Ever since Hearst launched his career as an Anti-Communist For Jesus, Billy Graham has been marketed as carefully as any soap powder or peanut butter.

For testimony as to how well it has worked, all I have to do is read a few of the posts in here.

[QC]

53. This makes his criticism of the Katrina response more credible.

Graham has the power to do more to refocus public attention on what's happening on the coast than any number of cynical, embittered people on discussion boards. Let's see if he does it. If he does, then good for him, and if not, then he is a hypocrite.

And no, I'm not a fan, but the constant reflexive, kneejerk attacks on religion and religious people here got old a long time ago.

[onager]

55. And so does the constant reflexive, kneejerk defenses...

Of anything related to the Great Untouchable, religion.

Actually, I'm not at all cynical and/or embittered. I find it hilarious that "people on discussion boards" must always rush to defend their favorite Invisible Thingamajig In The Sky...who is supposed to be, after all, omnipotent. And therefore supposedly quite capable of defending Itself.

[QC]

56. Given Graham's influence, which you acknowledge,

and the respect with which he is viewed, whether rightly or wrongly, how is it not a helpful thing for him to draw public attention to the inept response to Katrina? The man does have influence, after all, and the fact that he has been supportive of Bush in the past makes it very hard to dismiss him as a victim of "Bush Derangement Syndrome."

I suspect that people in coastal Mississippi, where my relatives were flooded out, and Louisiana, where people are also suffering terribly, are happy to get any support they can. Their own government has forgotten them, as have the media. Maybe Graham's remarks can help refocus government and media attention where it should be.