Was Billy Graham Joking?
On page 31 of George W. Bush’s Decision Points, he tells about a family gathering of about thirty persons at his parents’ home in Kennebunkport, Maine, at which Billy Graham was also a guest. The senior George asked Graham to answer questions from the family about what being a Christian means. Graham talked about the “being born-again experience.” Then George, senior, said his mother, sitting there, had never had a born-again experience, yet she was the most religious one of them, and was kind. Graham replied in direct quotation that some people need the born-again experience to know God, but some are born Christian. Perhaps his mother was a born Christian, he said.
Is this what Billy Graham really believes? Surely not, for the Christian religion doesn’t teach that. It teaches everyone is born in sin and must make the choice to be a Christian or not. And it was too serious a subject to joke about. I imagine he will receive some criticism for this. I'm just reporting; you decide.
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That (What Graham said), is, indeed, very shocking, to say the least! Makes one wonder if Graham compromised his faith when he met with many other world leaders in his time! The Bible teaches that we are ALL born into sin, but at the moment of faith in Christ, when we believe AND embrace all He is, according to the Bible, we are "born again", and become a "new creation". There is no way Graham did not know or understand this! (Maybe he was trying to back out of a sticky situation; essentially calling Sr's mother "unsaved"!) Being born into a denomination by no means automatically makes one a "believer", does it? Thanks for sharing! Amy
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