MorryB
Would you mind if we move this discussion to email?

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW BLOG…

…that tackles Church abuse, separation of Church and State, Atheism, Buddhism, Existentialism….

Just posted:

CONCEPTS + LOGIC = KNOWLEDGE, by Blacksun
MAN AND REASON, by Randall Duncan
RATZINGER’S VATICAN: SEX, LIES AND SECRETS, by Emily Helm.
THE NEW BUDDHIST ATHEISM, by Mark Vernon

http://theexistentialatheist.blogspot.com/

“The only way to cure the cancer of Catholicism, and stop the pedophilia, is to begin each ceremony of ordination to the deaconate with castration.”

Billy Graham and all Evangelists greatly benefitted by the invention of the microphone to make believers out of the audience, but now the internet make people think twice in what to believe in and the tide is moving in the opposite direction. The advantage to express your thoughts to millions of people with few strokes on the keyboard anonymously and the easy possibily to read others' opinions, make it easy for the truth to come out.

It is fair and natural for people to be upset about the "tinkering" that takes place regarding our laws, but the religious are always in an uproar when people are given rights, and the sane people are always in an uproar when rights are taken away. Do you see the difference?

schnauzer21,

As I've said, America existed for years without idiotic laws like gay-marriage, abortion, etc. It became great for the right values it stood for. So what made you think that you guys are too important that you can tinker America's laws that will result to its destruction?

spidermean2-shouldn't you be off praying or something? Look, I am an atheist, I have no problem that you choose to beleive in what you believe. Its your choice. Leave me to mine. What you and your family do in the privacy of your home or in your chosen places of worship and with those who are like minded, is none of my business. What I do in mine is none of yours.

"If all the Christians out there weren't trying to legislate everyone else into their way of life"

Gay marriage, gays in the military, abortion, etc. These things did not exist since America was founded until the idiots appeared.

Yikes!

If all the Christians out there weren't trying to legislate everyone else into their way of life, I'm sure the atheists would simply look on in quiet pity and amusement. It always amuses me when Christians refer to atheists as "hateful" and "unaccepting".

Terrifying.

Graham opposed segregation during the 1960s and refused to speak to segregated auditoriums, once dramatically tearing down the ropes that organizers had erected to separate the audience.[7][15] Graham said, "There is no scriptural basis for segregation.... The ground at the foot of the cross is level, and it touches my heart when I see whites standing shoulder to shoulder with blacks at the cross."[7] Graham paid bail money to secure the release of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from jail during the 1960s civil rights movement; he invited King to join him in the pulpit at his 16-week revival in New York City in 1957.[15] During that 16-week stint, Graham was heard by 2.3 million listeners, who gathered to hear him at Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, and Times Square. (wikipedia)

"I cannot conceive of a god who rewards and punishes his creatures or has a will of the kind we experience in ourselves. Neither can I —- nor would I want to -—
conceive of an individual that survives his physical death. Let feeble souls, from fear or absurd egotism, cherish such thoughts. I am satisfied with the mystery of the eternity of life and a glimpse of the marvelous structure of the existing world, together with the devoted striving to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

-- Albert Einstein

What is an evangelical Christian?

1. Believes on salvation by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ. It's a gift and not thru our OWN WILL. It means that good works follow as a result of salvation and not before in order to be saved.

2. Believes that only the Bible is the source of their doctrine. They inherently love the word of God which is the Bible. (My sheep know my voice and they follow me)

3. The Bible can only be understood with the help of the Holy Spirit. They are spiritually discerned. (This is the reason why unbelievers who read the Bible continue to be stupid)

4. They preach for two reasons. They pity the unbelievers and it's God's commandment.

5. Salvation cannot be coerced coz it's a gift. God decides whom to save. We can only share the gospel. Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit.

6. We are only answerable to one Master -- Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we have no "holy person" whom we consider as our leader.

My comments , talking about Graham and his history of calling African Americans the N word and calling Jews the K word weren't posted.

Of course not, No evidence from the man himself is allowed to show that he's to Christ what a rock is to bread

This is something the idiotic atheists should ponder about. At least this is a presumption that they have some brains.

There are thousands, if not millions, of flowers out there. Each one are pretty. Perfect in it's use of colors and to think that none of these flowers have eyes or mirrors to critique their own work.

If it's not supernatural, I'll give you pot of soil and water and make me one colorful object and don't forget, blindfolded.

It's true that there are many false religions but to think that God doesn't exist is the ultimate stupidity.

Tilde-Tilde: "These comments are by and large pathetic . . . It would be one thing if this was an intelligent exchange of differing ideas. Good theological debate.
But most of what's here is a sad little waste of time."

Good theological debate? No such thing. In fact, if anything is a "sad little waste of time," it is theology. Might as well discuss the dietary habits of unicorns or the mating rituals of leprachauns.

I live in Boone, NC the home of Samaritans Purse. Until he was called out on it, Franklin Graham was double dipping salary from his own scams as well as daddy's. Sam's Purse as it is called locally is secretive, monolithic and practices job discrimination...

Ghristianity is mind control for the poor peasant slaves so that they will do there labor and not revolt because they have been brainwashed by the ruling class to believe that they will get there reward in Heaven. What a scam. Religion is the root of all evil!!

We cannot win our way into Heaven by our own goodness, because we will never be good enough; But Billy can buy his way in with the approx.$400,000,000 dollars that he takes in tax free each year. He is quiet about his millions living in his humble tax free mansion...His son is running things now, I guess "in his fathers house there are many mansions" and private jets etc.
Posted by: jpenergy
____________________

Mr. Graham has never lived in a "mansion." Since their early years, the Grahams have live in a log home in the mountains of North Carolina. Their five children were raised in that home, which was constructed from old logs from other homes that had been torn down. It is a very modest home by any standards. His son Franklin, lives in a similar log home.

Mr. Graham NEVER received a huge salary. It, too, was very modest.

Furthermore, Mr. Graham NEVER amassed a fortune, nor did he EVER live a lavish lifestyle.

The above poster's lack of knowledge and contempt for a man he/she obviously knows nothing about is evidence of the barbarism that comes when one rejects God, our Maker.

No group is more vicious than the godless left (see Stalin and Mao and the following posts). When you get to hell, you will never be able to say with your rational minds that you did not deserve it. It is never too late to repent.

Heaven is where our souls bow before GOD and worship him forever...

The problem with the vision of heaven portrayed, as glorious as it may be, is that it devalues the manifest world (this one here). And we currently live with the results of that devaluing, and move more deeply into it with each day. If there's something infinitely better after this life, then why value this one? Yeah, I know, good works, etc. but that's not how it's played out.

I am somewhat saddened by all of the negativity directed at Rev. Graham. I went forward at one of his "revivals"(?) when I was about 12 years old. I had gone with a friend more religiously conservative than me. All of us who went forward were taken back to a gymnasium where we had one-on-one religious counseling. When I was told only those who accept Christ as their Savior will go to Heaven. At the age of 12, I asked my "counselor" about all those of different religions, like Hindus; where would they go? As I have gotten older (now 60+), I've gotten even farther from traditional Christian beliefs, but less than a month ago a 40 year old friend died from a stroke two weeks after her first child was born. A part of me is hoping she is "up there" looking down on her husband and infant son, and, yes, I do hope to see her again. Hokey maybe, but sometimes it brings the peace we need.

Thurgood wrote, "Why would I want heaven - a place populated by bigots like John Calvin, Martin Luther, crooks like Pope Alexander VI, thugs like Hitler and Franco; and charlatans like Jerry Falwell. I would rather go to hell with its Gandhi, Einstein, Russell, Vivekananda, Giordano Bruno, Mark Twain and Eugen Victor Debs."

Perhaps because if you were wiser you would be more attuned to the ways in which you are a sinner and less inclined to identify your behavior with what you imagine to have been the behavior of your heroes?

Billy is con artist or he doesn't know he is one. He has successfully conned the international community to make a luxurious living for himself. In the 50s he charged the poor Christians of Madras now Chennai $100,000 for ONE REVIVAL and expenses in a 5 star hotel.He refused otherwise!!! He peddled Christ for profit. If there was a GOD he couldn't have got away for all this time.

lilst1ov7 wrote:

I live in physical pain every day of my life and I have lost my Mother and two brothers. I choose to believe that there is a peaceful place I will go when I die, where all of my pain will be gone, and I will be able to be with my family again. There is so much anger and hatred over someone expressing his thoughts or beliefs in God. Words like fanatic and nut are used. I am one woman, who lives a simple, not at all perfect life, who chooses to believe in God. Why would anyone find that offensive?
--------

Dear heart, I sincerely hope that your beliefs comfort you and bring solace. I also know what it means to grieve, having lost my elder son and there is nothing I would like more than to see him again and stroke his face. I understand the reason for the intense hope that we shall see our loved ones again, in spite of cruel and uncaring nature. I wish you all the best, and may your heavy heart be eased by your faith.

Billy Graham the man doesn't need my approbation, though he has it for a life well lived - a rare thing.

I'd like to once again take up his arguments. I believe it's just wishful thinking to claim to *know* that after you die you're going to live on in a place that not only fulfills your wishes, but is even better than you knew how to wish for.

On the other hand, I find it even more absurd to believe that the human mind and body - eye, ear, genitals, with all their complexity - result from some proclivity of hydrogen atoms to get more complex.

And that is essentially the atheist's explanation for everything we observe.

I confess that life puzzles me. I won't apologize for that, though. On the one side I see people claiming to know what goes on beyond the grave, and on the other, people who are sure there's no intelligence driving the universe and that hydrogen atoms just do what they do and here we are.

Being puzzled strikes me as the only rational response.

These comments are by and large pathetic.

You who have quoted Mark Twain: have any of you read even one book (start to finish) by this author? He'd make mincemeat of your poor use of language, your third-rate thinking and your mob-like approach to posting.

It would be one thing if this was an intelligent exchange of differing ideas. Good theological debate.

But most of what's here is a sad little waste of time.

How dare someone like Billy Graham express his rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion! We have to STOP this! Once and for all lets put these Christians in jail !
THAT is what America is about, right?
The comments on here are amazing. No wonder God is going to destroy us.

“The dogma of one man's sin affecting all humanity gave rise to its logical corollary of the dogma of one man's blood washing away the sins of all... The theory that the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church developed out of this dogma; and, in place of calm reason and generous love, frenzy, fanaticism, intolerance and bigotry gripped the propagation of the life-giving message of Jesus...

“It is interesting to speculate how the message would have spread... if the divine life and sublime teachings of Jesus had found the central place, instead of the popular and striking dogmas of ‘the scapegoat’ and ‘the atonement’, physical resurrection and the second advent, earthly kingdom, and the imminence of the Day of Judgement....

“The history of Christianity in its twin records of persecution, violence and war, on the one side, and lofty mysticism, moral passion and humanitarianism on the other, bears the impress of this inner division which also explains its recurrent conflicts with science...

So said Swami Ranganathananda of the Ramakrishna Mission, who in his lifetime helped build India's largest charitable hospital in Calcutta. What have you done Billy with your millions? Or have you and your followers trying to earn what you call grace - and dump the good works, because goodness does not matter? This is not moral relativism, it is immoral certainty. The logical conclusion that it leads to being, Hitler and Franco are in heaven while Gandhi and Chief Seattle are in hell. Why would I want heaven - a place populated by bigots like John Calvin, Martin Luther, crooks like Pope Alexander VI, thugs like Hitler and Franco; and charlatans like Jerry Falwell. I would rather go to hell with its Gandhi, Einstein, Russell, Vivekananda, Giordano Bruno, Mark Twain and Eugen Victor Debs.

How can grown-up human beings actually believe this crap? What a crazy world we're living in.

Wake up! This is just nonsense...

Billy Graham made a fortune selling a pig in a poke to a gullible public. And the real laugh is that there was no guarantee that there ever was a pig in the poke.

I thought Heaven was when we bombed Iraq and gave all our money to the wealthy?

Is this Graham guy trying to say that 'w' was not an angel of Heaven?

WTF?

The Graham Family has been front and center...Presidents have given them top billing! What about the rest of us...are we just no count? Power concedes nothing without demand...it never did and it never will. Frederick Douglass

" But God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to become the final and complete sacrifice for our sins."
This is a serious question - what exactly does that mean? Why is Jesus Christ's death a sacrifice for our sins?
----------
I asked that question on another forum once. The response I got was, to paraphrase, God was upset with mankind, and therefore punishment was due. But instead of punishing mankind, he incarnated and took the punishment on himself, thereby sparing mankind his wrath. I didn't buy it, but at least I got an answer that wasn't completely illogical. If that confuses you, you should try the belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are all the same entity. That is a real brain buster.

Slave of God - Your are following the logic of guilt by association. Following that logic, Hitler used a car, there are many communists that use cars, and many serial murders, racists and rapist that drive cars. Therefore, if you drive a car or any motor vehicle, you are all of the above. Makes as much sense as what you are implying about evolution.

Keesvan: A quick question for the fundamentalist among you. When you get to Heaven and you realize that you share it with Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Hindus, Sheiks, etc., will you be a) happy, b) annoyed, 3) want a transfer?

TS: Reminds me of when Mark Twain quipped:

Heaven for climate; Hell for good company;

Indeed, once I am dead no harm or evil can ever touch me again, especially the harm done by religious nuts.

When the Christians ran things, they would ruthlessly burn anyone who dared express doubts about their creed.
Now they want to persuade us. Why? Because they no longer have the power to burn us.
If they ever held the whip hand again, they would start killing atheists ... again. That's what they've always done when in charge.
And they dare whine about atheists verbally criticizing them? They should be glad they're not paid back in their own coin.

Posted by: JenDray
______________

It is better to keep one's mouth closed and be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and prove himself/herself a fool.

You know nothing about Christianity. You are proving yourself a fool by your postings.

Wow,

So according to Graham the only one's to get to "heaven" are those darned sinners, having become sinless through believing in a supposedly "son of god" that supposedly died for them, and then was made into one with another 2/3rds at the Council of Nicea in 325, styled into having been born to a virgin around the winter solitice, the usual belief of pagans for any Superman helping them out of trouble.

One Bishop, Arius, who argued against the trinity at Nicea because is was too similar to having multible gods like the pagans, was afterwards killed by his opponents. What a great start for the bloody fairytale that became christianity.

" But God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to become the final and complete sacrifice for our sins."

This is a serious question - what exactly does that mean? Why is Jesus Christ's death a sacrifice for our sins?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John 3:16

I retract my earlier post saying that the censors were not allowing me to post.

My last post (fourth try) did get through.

Regards, Mr. Graham. I do appreciate that my mother liked you very much. However, I was disturbed by the poster here from India who said you visited his country in the 1960s after a cyclone hit and proclaimed their suffering was due to not being Christian. If true, that would make you more on the hard right, than a moderate. Moderates don't think they have the knowledge to condemn others who otherwise act moral, but do not share their religious or political views.

Perhaps you become more moderate after that. Hope so.

If god existed, and loved us so much, we would all already be in heaven. A truly omnipotent and loving god as Graham describes would have no reason to put us through our "real" lives. What would the point be?

A quick question for the fundamentalist among you. When you get to Heaven and you realize that you share it with Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Hindus, Sheiks, etc., will you be a) happy, b) annoyed, 3) want a transfer?

"Should we stop teaching scientific fact because on bad guy talked about it "....

Evolution is a fact now?

While fascists are found on the right wing of Social Darwinism, the left wing is occupied by communists. Communists have always been among the fiercest defenders of Darwin's theory.

This relationship between Darwinism and communism goes right back to the founders of both these "isms". Marx and Engels, the founders of communism, read Darwin's The Origin of Species as soon as it came out, and were amazed at its 'dialectical materialist' attitude. The correspondence between Marx and Engels showed that they saw Darwin's theory as "containing the basis in natural history for communism". In his book The Dialectics of Nature, which he wrote under the influence of Darwin, Engels was full of praise for Darwin, and tried to make his own contribution to the theory in the chapter "The Part Played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man".

I find it amazing and ironic that describing hell is never a problem for a regular christian but, when it comes to heaven, they really have a very hard time describing it.

Hey, religious people, enough with your fairy tales! please admit it that it is all a fantasy.

The question should be "what is heaven?", not "what is heaven LIKE?"

The answer to "is LIKE" will always be superficial because it lacks depth. It's the question a child would ask and the answer will be appropriate to children.

If you can't go 'deeper' in your understanding of God then you are wasting your time. You will be looking for superficial answers, looking to live a life based on superficial goals.

There is no more Jesuses to answer your questions. Ask yourself why?

Why do Christians love war? Every Christian on this page was an enthusiastic supporter of the pointless and evil invasion of Iraq.

Why were they so afraid of (non-existant) Iraqi WMD anyway? Surely getting nuked by Saddam (as if) would be a free ticket to your wonderful heaven.

Billy Graham is still alive?

Yonkers, New York
28 March 2010

Now 83 years of age and conscious of the certainty that I am already nearing the homestreach, my hope is that if I should ever deserve to go to Billy Graham's heaven, I would choose a cloud near Mr. Graham's.

I am told that all we have to do is lie in that cloud, chat with lucky people who would also be lying in their own clouds, and float from place to place.

We don't have to eat. We don't have to urinate. We don't have to defecate. We don't have to brush our teeth. We don't have to work. We don't have to worry, not about anything which are earthly concerns. We don't need to wear clothes, either; the temperature is that salubrious. We won't get sick, ever, and so we don't have to consult a doctor.

We won't die--ever. Up there in heaven, we will live forever!

Mariano Patalinjug

How strange and sad it really is to hear a grown man talk this way. His heaven is the heaven of a child. He wants to have all his toys for ever and ever and ever.

What a creepy nightmare.

Dear Mr. Graham, My mother (who passed away last year) dearly loved your sermons when you were a young preacher.

However although raised a Baptist, I am not a believer today.

In my teens, I held discussions with a Jewish friend -- with the intent of converting him. Instead the experience and questioning put me on the road for becoming a non-believer (even though my Jewish friend insists to this day that was never his intention. He was just asking questions.)

And one of the questions my Jewish friend asked me that helped snap me out of my belief was "What do Christians say heaven is like?"

It was a simple question and I realized I needed help, so I consulted others for advice. The diversity and breadth in answers shocked me:

-- my explanation favorite was the woman who told me that when we die the angels will be our servants since we were all "tempted" on earth.

-- others told me we would reappear in our physical shape (what age? would deformities be gone -- I was assured yes,

-- others insisted we would be spiritual creatures without need for physical form nor the needs of eating, sleeping, etc.
I recognized (very sadly) that everyone was "making it up".

Later I read a book that explained a passage that had bothered me very much when young reading the Bible on my own:

Mark 10:17-18 As he [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked him, “Good Teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me Good? No one is good except God alone.”

Why would Jesus say this if he was pre-existent with God at the beginning of time as a member of an all powerful Trinity? Either Jesus was lying; else he was not and he was just a human.
I saw no evidence Jesus was lying. (I know the official response is that Jesus was just “coy”/playful.)

That exposed me to the literature that criticized the Bible. The lists are huge. A few examples:

*Jesus has to be told of John the Baptist’s death and (he couldn’t forsee it?) He is also weak especially in Mark and Luke such as when he doesn't know a fig tree is bare until he walks up and SEES it.

*Jesus predicts some of his contemporaries standing around him will be alive when he comes back with legions of angels to destroy the world. { The common answer: Jesus had a misunderstanding of his “Father’s will”.)

*Jesus ALWAYS casts out demons to cure people with mental illnesses. Mental illness never has a natural cause. Matthew has a verse showing there were lots of miracle workers casting out demons at the time.

*Even in the Old Testament you would think that an all powerful “God” would know when dictating Genesis etc that the sun, moon, and stars were not created on “Day 4” of Creation, and heaven and earth on Day 1.

The list goes on and on a hundred fold now.

Today, I realize I would have to throw out rationality and science to believe again. No thanks!

.
.
.

Nowhere in the Bible you will find that it's says you will go to heaven or hell when you die.

NO WHERE.

.
.
.
...
.
.

It seems so very early to begin a campaign, but this Heaven thing works better for me than Hope.

LADYLIBERTY1 is purposely misunderstanding the question. Though she probably doesn't know it ... such is the nature of this virulent infection religion.
Uh, you have to be very precise with these lunatics. LADYLIBERTY1, no jews living today are going to your heaven. Get it now?
Posted by: barferio | March 28, 2010 3:16 PM

________________________

I know one personally who is in heaven. I travelled with his group to Israel. His name is Zola Levitt. He was a wonderful teacher and his website is online at:
http://www.levitt.com/

He's been in heaven for a couple of years, now.

It's hard to believe that: Difficult as it was to spring life from an accidental mixture of atoms, the concept of teeth and cannibalism was the next "natural" step. DUPED BY SPINELESS EVOLUTIONISTS!

I just love these magical sky fairy stories.

I Jeremy 19:24 "Again I say unto you,
it is easier for a rich man to enter a camel than pass a needle."

Heaven will also be a place of reunion. I am often asked if we will meet our loved ones there who have died in the Lord. I have no doubt that we will!

I hate going to a party and not knowing anyone! I think the parties in heaven will be fun all the evangelists and Preachers will not be there. they will be elsewhere for their self serving, profiteering, hustling and hypocrisy

When I read the Bible religious leaders of the day didn't bode well with Jesus. He compared Pharisees and Sadducees to whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones. I really don't think Billy Graham will fair well either when he stands before God on judgment day.

LadyLiberty wrote:
"Jesus is THE Number ONE JEW in heaven."
No, honey. Jesus believes that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, remember?
Therefore Jesus is a Christian.
Honestly, the crap you people will spout to wriggle out of your contradictions. Now you're denying that Jesus is a Christian. Don't you feel silly?
Posted by: JenDray | March 28, 2010 4:33 PM

________________________

This is nonsense! You show your absolute lack of knowledge of Christianity.

Jesus is the Messiah/Christ is His position.

He doesn't follow Himself. His followers are called Christians.

When the Christians ran things, they would ruthlessly burn anyone who dared express doubts about their creed.

Now they want to persuade us. Why? Because they no longer have the power to burn us.

If they ever held the whip hand again, they would start killing atheists ... again. That's what they've always done when in charge.

And they dare whine about atheists verbally criticizing them? They should be glad they're not paid back in their own coin.

We cannot win our way into Heaven by our own goodness, because we will never be good enough; But Billy can buy his way in with the approx.$400,000,000 dollars that he takes in tax free each year. He is quiet about his millions living in his humble tax free mansion...His son is running things now, I guess "in his fathers house there are many mansions" and private jets etc.

Reading the defensive, angry sniping at Billy Graham and others on this thread amuses me. Why the vitriol at someone who believes so strongly in his God? Would the same vicious response be rained down upon a leader of another religion? These were simply his written words creating all of this. I've read them twice now and I don't see anything that should cause anyone to freak out. If you're not a Christian, just chill and don't be so eager to attack others. What religion or positive ideology does that support?

Hey, a lesser member of the Graham corporation is in my little Alabama town right now passing the offering plate. Great franchise, but it's spreading itself a little thin.

Gee, I wonder if any of these folks ever think about ridding themselves of worldly goods and going to live among the poor and down-trodden, something more than a photo-op?

"Hilarious."

Yes some of the narrowminded liberal responses are hilarious. Cracks me up how someone mentiones "Jesus" and it seems to bring the very worst out in them.

Thank you for all of the wonderful things that you've done for the needy and homeless over the years Mr.Graham, it's been inspiring.

- Ray from Laurel

When is it my turn to spread my personal psychosis? Are we taking numbers for Post columns now?

Jon and Sally: Thank you for allowing Mr. Graham to contribute this 7 paragraph synopsis of the Good News that he and millions of others have experienced. I thank God that, by simply trusting in his Word (the Bible) being always able to talk with Him (prayer), and having friends that also have a relationship with him (fellowship), I have had great fulfillment in my 52 years and look forward to the future. Jesus, God's son who died/rose for me, is real, and is the reason I have an Ivy-League education, have been able to live and work as a Managing Director in a top firm in New York, love my wife of 26 years more than ever, and have five wonderful children.

Dear VIRGINIABAPTISTPASTOR:

Why do us heathen rage, you ask?
Well, speaking for myself, I particularly dislike christianity as practiced in its myriad forms; its myriad tax-exemptions, its pushy proselytizing, its interference in our bedrooms, our government and our lives, its simpering and medieval love of superstition and repression, its ceaseless preaching, its reduction of women to second-class persons without reproductive rights.
I'm sure though, that if I became familiar with other "faiths" I'd dislike them and their adherents just as much.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Heaven is neva, eh backwards
or ha, even rearranged.
hm.

Hey.

I've been censored.

Was it my disrespect?

Since I didn't show any -- obviously you could not handle the questions I posed.

Really Really Pathetic, censors. I will be MORE active because of this!

Are such attacks reserved only for Christians, or is every guest writer of every faith system subjected to this treatment?

POSTED BY: VIRGINIABAPTISTPASTOR

Don't get your panties in a twist there, Pastor. All faiths are fair game. Just because we're goring your ox here doesn't mean we don't see equal value in goring the others.

really, why do the christians quote their bible to 'prove' their point? the other christians already know it, and the rest of us think it's nothing but fairy tales. So what's the point?

And by the way, thousands upon thousands of earthquakes happen every year. Christians have been predicting the end of the earth for two thousand years. It's getting a bit old, don't you think? why do you think your life is so special that your gods are going to end everything while you're still alive?

And, oh yeah, stop trying to start Middle East wars, just because your silly prophecies tell you it's a fast track to the Rapture.

virginiabaptistpastor: "So, why is it that more than 90% of those commenting on this article feel the need to attack, criticize & ridicule Billy Graham for his views? I wonder: Are such attacks reserved only for Christians, or is every guest writer of every faith system subjected to this treatment?"

All religions are silly, but the Christians are the ones trying to force their "faith" down everyone's throat in the US, trying to get their religious laws applied to non-believers, trying to stop our kids being taught evolution.

And by the way, the goddamned Baptists are the worst of the worst for that.

Leave us alone, leave our schools alone, leave our courts alone, leave our bedrooms alone, and we'll leave your stupidity alone.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have no further dealings with you primitives.

LadyLiberty wrote:
"Jesus is THE Number ONE JEW in heaven."

No, honey. Jesus believes that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, remember?

Therefore Jesus is a Christian.

Honestly, the crap you people will spout to wriggle out of your contradictions. Now you're denying that Jesus is a Christian. Don't you feel silly?

God bless Billy Graham preaching the promise of heaven when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ is Lord. We see many signs in the world today that the time is at hand. Earthquakes have rocked the lands and people of Haiti, Chile, Turkey, Cuba and seismic volcanic eruption have occurred in Iceland.

A history of earthquakes goes back to biblical times. In the new covenant of God written in the gospel of Luke 21:11 it says, “And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”

We know an earthquake occurred at ninth hour while Jesus was nailed to the cross on Calvary. Jesus yield up the ghost and “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly this was the Son of God.”

John the Divine saw a great earthquake. “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo , there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree castes her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.”

For those who believe in Christ, a time is coming when an earthquake will shake the surface of the earth and stars traveling billions of miles will reduce in size and enter the earth atmosphere.

As the apostle Paul said to the Athenians from Mar’s Hill, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him (Jesus Christ) from the dead.” Happy Holy Week and Easter Day.

"I am often asked if we will meet our loved ones there who have died in the Lord. I have no doubt that we will!"

So what happens if your loved one is a non believer? Say you had a spouse of 70 years that was a Hindu? Would you miss them? I can't imagine eternal bliss feeling so good when your spouse, son/daughter/father/mother, whom you loved all your life, is suffering eternally in damnation.

The name of this column is "On Faith". As I understand it, this column is a medium by which one can share their religious faith, whatever it may be. I also understand that in the United States, we still have something called freedom of religion as well as freedom of speech. So, what is the problem with someone like Billy Graham being asked to express in writing a tenent of his faith, which is shared by millions of people? Now it's true that many people who read this column hold beliefs that differ from those of Rev. Graham. But this column regularly provides an opportunity for adherents of various faith traditions to share the teachings of their respective faiths as well. So, why is it that more than 90% of those commenting on this article feel the need to attack, criticize & ridicule Billy Graham for his views? I wonder: Are such attacks reserved only for Christians, or is every guest writer of every faith system subjected to this treatment?

My vote for the best comment:

Posted by: JenDray | March 28, 2010 2:40 PM
If Heaven is so great, I think all you Christians should hurry up and go there.

Put your money where your mouths are! Rapture yourselves today!

Say hi to God for me!

Imagine if Billy Graham finds out that the Creator loves muslims, Hindus and even gays as much as Christians. Will he ever be disappointed and embarrassed.

It is interesting to compare the christian religion to the religions surrounding it at the time of its inception. Particularly the pagan mystery religions. If one does so, one will see there is very little unique about the christian religion. Many pagan gods died for our sins prior to the story of Jesus as well as being born of virgins, rasing people from the dead, being born in a stable, ascending to heaven and being the Son of God.

When one exams the historical context of a religion and the influences of one religion upon the other, especially those in close proximity, it does influene what a person chooses to accept on the basis of faith. While I have a firm belief in the Supernatural, I choose carefully through which filter I choose to view it.

Now, it's clearer to me why in one of Tupac Shakur's songs, he asked, "I wonder if heaven's got a ghetto?" The whole subject is better suited in stand up. Imagine the feeling the shunned would have (remember even spirit beings supposedly have free will) meeting the shunner (or any other pejorative you wish to substitute with)? Reality is, however, if people living here on earth do and commit everything possible to avoid each other in the normal course of life (be it due to politics, policy, preference), what makes anyone think it'll be any different in this "other realm"?

How does one promise the unknowable? Is Graham anymore than a hypocrite? Is he a charlatan? He may be sincere, but he has ties too close to presidents. He is a president maker. He is a rich man. He uses the influence of the ages on the aged and infirm. He has no faith beyond booty. He is a danger to society, justice and true faith. Religion is the opiate of the masses and Billy has learned his lesson well. When one accepts on faith and carries forth a sword it is oneself you will fail.

Not being a Christian I have suffered the misfortune of having to listen to the hate filled diatribes of Billy, a charlatan if there was ever one. The time was 1975, some of the worst floods hit my home state in India after a cyclone of record intensity. Weeks after, Billy and his charlatans in arms (including one Rev.Iqbal Haq muslim turned Christian) descended ipon my land and endlessly repeated the absurd cruel notion that this cyclone was out work, our sins being visited upon us. What an inconsiderate and hate-filled diatribe it was, in other words another typical Good News Gospel. Billy you don't realize how ridiculous you sound.

LADYLIBERTY1 is purposely misunderstanding the question. Though she probably doesn't know it ... such is the nature of this virulent infection religion.

Uh, you have to be very precise with these lunatics. LADYLIBERTY1, no jews living today are going to your heaven. Get it now?

Oh..one more item:will non-xristaibs go graham's heaven-the four billion reamining huams?

How could Grham and his fellow christains go to heaven when they believe that God has a son? And how could grham's god be so gracious if he "scarificed" his "only son" with such cruelty for the sake of the evil doers:the Crusaders wars,the Inquisition,the Holocaust of the jews,the on-going Holocaust of the Palestinian People as a result of the Christians creating the evil racist apartheid murderous jewish state,the genocide and forced conversion of a whole continent of South America, the Slavery of millions of Blacks,the nuking of two Japenese cities, the incendary bombing of Dresden,the invasion and destruction of Iraq and the killing of one million Iraqis, and the abuse of children by the guardians of christianisty...and the list is endless...with all that:How can christains go to the promised heaven of graham?

Graham, pls wake up....Now.No body believes U.

Complete lunacy.

Lady Liberty: "Of course! That's the message of Christianity. We can't change the message. Those who believe it will accept, and those who don't will reject."
Make your mind up, honey. I've got news for you: Jews don't accept Jesus as their saviour.
So no Jews in your Heaven. In fact, any Jew who refuses to accept your Jesus gets an eternity of torture.
Your thinking is typical of the wooly, muddled, illogical crap that emanates from Christians' brains.

Posted by: JenDray | March 28, 2010 2:05 PM
___________________________

Jesus is THE Number ONE JEW in heaven.

The Apostle Paul, writer of much of the New Testament is there.

The Apostles John, Peter, James, Matthew, and all Jewish believers who have passed from death to life are there.

King David is there. He believed in the Messiah. King Solomon, Nehemiah, Ezra, Malachi, Queen Esther, Daniel, the prophet Isaiah, as well as all the Old Testament saints who believed in the Messiah are there.

All those who looked for a Messiah, who believed in the Messiah to come, who accepted the Messiah when He came, who trusted in His provision/sacrifice for sins are in heaven.

The early church was made up of Jewish believers. Christians are those who follow Christ Jesus, King of the Jews. All who are in Christ have been adopted into His family. They have been adopted into the family of God.

So, YES, there will be Jews in heaven. Scripture says people from "every tribe and tongue and nation" will be in heaven. But, entrance is through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the Jewish Law, perfectly. He is the Way. He is the DOOR. Entrance is ONLY through Him. You don't get in on your own. You aren't good enough.

There are no longer temple sacrifices. So, as a Jewish person what are you trusting in? In the Old Testament, the Jewish people went through the priest. They sacrificed a lamb for their sins. But, the removal of sin was temporary. Jesus removes sin permanently. He clothes us in His righteousness.

If you reject His sacrifice, where is your sacrifice? The Law demands it. How can you a sinful person come to a Holy God and expect Him to receive you? Who will make intercession for you?

Jewish temple sacrifice ceased when Jesus died on the Cross and the temple veil was torn in two. The Way to God through the sacrifice of a lamb, through the ministry of a priest, once a year, and through the veil that separated the Holy Place from all except the High Priest, was forever ended by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Our High Priest shed His own blood on the Cross on Passover, for our sins. Jesus Christ, perfect lamb of God, sacrificed on the cross on Passover, paid the eternal price for the sins of man.

This does not apply to people of the Jewish faith, according to BG.

Heaven used to be a place where Jesus rose to on a cloud. That doesn't work anymore.
Paul believed the second coming would be in his time. We have seen many of those times pass one after another.

It is amazing how these people are determined to continue there self denial of reality. i.e. the earth is less than 5000 years old.

Action spoke louder then words as we have watched many Religious Leaders openly lie in the name of God for Greed. Some even use fake threats they God wants you to give them money or they will die. Look at the Vatican as they have lied so much they believe their own lies. The Vatican has been molesting kids and raping woman/Nuns since the beginning. The Pope made friends with Bishops and helped cover up their crimes just for their vote as Pope. Try reading the bible yourself and you'll see Jesus said this would happen. Satan has been in charge for a very long time and you will know who follows God's words by their Actions. Our Churches have become businesses. Notice how easy it was for Bush to do so much evil in 8 years by using God's Name. Now the Republicans are using God's Name for all their sin. Sarah Palin is just like the harlet written in the bible as she uses sex to get followers.

And who gets the space beside Lloyd Blankfein?

If Heaven is so great, I think all you Christians should hurry up and go there.

Put your money where your mouths are! Rapture yourselves today!

Say hi to God for me!

'In Heaven there will be no more fear or worry or stress. We won't need locks on the doors, or bars on the windows, or sophisticated alarm systems - because everything that causes fear will be eliminated. Evil and Satan and death will be banished forever, and we will no longer be threatened, either by nature or by other people. Conflicts and wars will cease, and all the things that divided us on earth will divide us no more. God's promise will be fulfilled. In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to "a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13).'

Dear Billy,

I have a nice bridge for sale.

Please call me about it.

Billy Graham: “The Promise of Heaven”

“…far more glorious than anything we can imagine.
Heaven is like the most perfect and beautiful place
we can possibly conceive - only more so.

“…no harm or evil can ever touch us again…"He
will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There
will be no more death or mourning or crying or
pain, for the old order of things has passed away"
(Revelation 21:4).

“In Heaven there will be no more fear or worry or
stress. We won't need locks on the doors, or bars
on the windows, or sophisticated alarm systems…

“…death will be banished forever, and we will no
longer be threatened, either by nature or by other
people. Conflicts and wars will cease, and all the
things that divided us on earth will divide us
no more.”

Unknown: “The Big Rock Candy Mountains”

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
there's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes
and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars are all empty
and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees
and the cigarette trees
Where the lemonade springs
where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
you never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol
come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats
and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this coming fall
in the Big Rock Candy Mountains

A religion with human sacrifice at the center seems a bit strange. Just wondering what kind of Christian heaven is in store with that in mind.

Slave of God,

Hitler's perverted understanding of evolution is relevant how? Humans have been engaging in selective breeding forever. We created the entire species known as dog without even knowing about Darwin's insights. Should we stop teaching scientific fact because on bad guy talked about it (although it was clear that he didn't understand it--nothing about evolution suggests we should engage in genocide, nor does it suggest that one race is superior to another)?

Acts can be evil, facts cannot.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thanks WaPo!! That's the funniest article I've read for quite some time!!!

Chabot: "And the best thing about heaven, as far as Presidential Pastor Billy Graham is concerned: no Jews!"
____________________
Ladyliberty: "Obviously, the above poster's statement is made without knowledge."

DrWho2: "Didn't Grahams article imply that accepting Jesus as our Savior was crucial to entering Heavon?"
________________
Lady Liberty: "Of course! That's the message of Christianity. We can't change the message. Those who believe it will accept, and those who don't will reject."

Make your mind up, honey. I've got news for you: Jews don't accept Jesus as their saviour.

So no Jews in your Heaven. In fact, any Jew who refuses to accept your Jesus gets an eternity of torture.

Your thinking is typical of the wooly, muddled, illogical crap that emanates from Christians' brains.

When I feel the spring sun on my face, I'm in heaven.

Non-thinking Americans are born into a trap. Evolution on one side and the narrow-minded Billy Grahams (and son) on the other. As Darwinism fed racism in the 19th century, it formed the basis of an ideology that would develop and drown the world in blood in the 20th century: Nazism
---------------------------
Sick minds can pollute many concepts, just as the Bible has been used to support many repugent ideas, including racism. So your logic is flawed.

Heaven?! Dream on.

Slave of God - Hitler also believed in the possibility of harnessing the atom to make an atomic bomb and that the earth was round. Hitler was a terrible human being, but because he believed in some scientific principles does not make them untrue.

At least Billy stood for something.
A strong Darwinist influence can be seen in Nazi ideologues. When one examines this theory, which was given shape by Adolf Hitler and Alfred Rosenberg, one comes across such concepts as "natural selection", "selective mating", and "the struggle for survival between the races", which are repeated dozens of time in the works of Darwin. When calling his book Mein Kampf (My Struggle), Hitler was inspired by the Darwinist struggle for survival and the principle that victory went to the fittest. He particularly talks about the struggle between the races:

History would culminate in a new millennial empire of unparalleled splendour, based on a new racial hierarchy ordained by nature herself.

In the 1933 Nuremberg party rally, Hitler proclaimed that "a higher race subjects to itself a lower race… a right which we see in nature and which can be regarded as the sole conceivable right".

That the Nazis were influenced by Darwinism is a fact that almost all historians who are expert in the matter accept. The historian Hickman describes Darwinism's influence on Hitler as follows:

(Hitler) was a firm believer and preacher of evolution. Whatever the deeper, profound, complexities of his psychosis, it is certain that [the concept of struggle was important because]… his book, Mein Kampf, clearly set forth a number of evolutionary ideas, particularly those emphasizing struggle, survival of the fittest and the extermination of the weak to produce a better society.

Yes, just last night the tooth fairy left me 10 bucks under my pillow and TODAY? I saw the Easter Bunny! Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord, Thank you Billy Graham for the Girl with those Faraway Eyes

Non-thinking Americans are born into a trap. Evolution on one side and the narrow-minded Billy Grahams (and son) on the other. As Darwinism fed racism in the 19th century, it formed the basis of an ideology that would develop and drown the world in blood in the 20th century: Nazism.

Chabot: And the best thing about heaven, as far as Presidential Pastor Billy Graham is concerned: no Jews!
____________________
Ladyliberty: Obviously, the above poster's statement is made without knowledge.
First of all, Jesus our Lord was born of a Jewish mother. He entered space and time as a Jew. He was the fulfillment of the Jewish Law which called for a sacrificial atonement for the sins of man.
Of course, all the Old Testament writers were Jewish.
The New Testament writers were Jewish.
So, the above poster is clueless about Christianity.
---------------
Drwho2: Okay, what about Muslims and Hindus? Didn't Grahams article imply that accepting Jesus as our Savior was crucial to entering Heavon?
________________
Of course! That's the message of Christianity. We can't change the message. Those who believe it will accept, and those who don't will reject. There is no coercion to believe. The Gospel is the "Good News" - It is a message of salvation. People who want to abuse the messenger, don't like the message.
Jesus left His disciples with the message: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." What is the Gospel? That Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to earth, and became the sacrifical, blood atonement, for the sins of man. Repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved." That's the Good News. That's the message. You are free to accept or reject.

Posted by: ladyliberty1 | March 28, 2010 1:20 PM
Nice offer, but I reject that as being the truth. There were many saviors and sacrifical gods before the story of Jesus, and there will probably be more to come. I trust religeous dogma as much as I trust a used cars salesperson

The evidence for Santa Claus and the evidence for God are about the same: nonexistent. It's just that we tend to grow out of one fairly tale and not the other.

Taken as an empirical question, the ideas of God and heaven are beyond silly. A magical land where no suffering exists? That's convenient for people who--as all evidence suggests--die and know they will die. But it seems more like a comforting story than something a rational adult should believe in.

Furthermore, think of what is being sold here. An eternity is a trillion trillion trillion years multiplied by a trillion trillion multiplied by infinity. What is appealing about this, whatever form it takes?

Religion, including Billy Graham's prosperity- and power-centric version, hurts real people. It is not noble to enable suffering an delusion in the real world and justify it with promises of ice cream and puppies in the afterlife.

Graham said no Muslims and Jews will go to heaven. Only the ones who do flesh and blood.

I saw Jesus today....he made me a taco!

God is dead. Get over it people - the Pope included.

So, if god loves everyone equally and wants to save everyone, why only Christians in heaven?
Posted by: djmolter | March 28, 2010 1:20 PM
_______________

If you were on the Titanic when it was going down and someone offered you a life line, would you grab it?

God has offered a life line. Grab it.

So, if god loves everyone equally and wants to save everyone, why only Christians in heaven?

Chabot: And the best thing about heaven, as far as Presidential Pastor Billy Graham is concerned: no Jews!
____________________
Ladyliberty: Obviously, the above poster's statement is made without knowledge.
First of all, Jesus our Lord was born of a Jewish mother. He entered space and time as a Jew. He was the fulfillment of the Jewish Law which called for a sacrificial atonement for the sins of man.
Of course, all the Old Testament writers were Jewish.
The New Testament writers were Jewish.
So, the above poster is clueless about Christianity.
---------------
Drwho2: Okay, what about Muslims and Hindus? Didn't Grahams article imply that accepting Jesus as our Savior was crucial to entering Heavon?
________________

Of course! That's the message of Christianity. We can't change the message. Those who believe it will accept, and those who don't will reject. There is no coercion to believe. The Gospel is the "Good News" - It is a message of salvation. People who want to abuse the messenger, don't like the message.

Jesus left His disciples with the message: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." What is the Gospel? That Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to earth, and became the sacrifical, blood atonement, for the sins of man. Repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved." That's the Good News. That's the message. You are free to accept or reject.

Mr. Graham,
That we have different philosophies doesn't detract at all from the fact I am delighted to see you still very much alive and trying to help people.

You're a lovely man.

Chabot: And the best thing about heaven, as far as Presidential Pastor Billy Graham is concerned: no Jews!
____________________
Obviously, the above poster's statement is made without knowledge.
First of all, Jesus our Lord was born of Jewish mother. He entered space and time as a Jew. He was the fulfillment of the Jewish Law which called for a sacrificial atonement for the sins of man.
Of course, all the Old Testament writers were Jewish.
The New Testament writers were Jewish.
So, the above poster is clueless about Christianity.
---------------
Okay, what about Muslims and Hindus? Didn't Grahams article imply that accepting Jesus as our Savior was crucial to entering Heavon?

The atheist point of view is that in the absence of tangible evidence there is no justification to invoke a God. The believer’s point of view is who needs evidence I prefer authority.

Chabot: And the best thing about heaven, as far as Presidential Pastor Billy Graham is concerned: no Jews!
____________________

Obviously, the above poster's statement is made without knowledge.

First of all, Jesus our Lord was born of Jewish mother. He entered space and time as a Jew. He was the fulfillment of the Jewish Law which called for a sacrificial atonement for the sins of man.

Of course, all the Old Testament writers were Jewish.

The New Testament writers were Jewish.

So, the above poster is clueless about Christianity.

Lies. But, as the saying goes: "There is a sucker born every minute".

Blessings to you and your family, Mr. Graham. You and your beloved wife, Ruth, who is now with the Lord, have been a blessing to our family for years, through your ministry/writings/crusades, but especially because of your personal testimony. In all your years of public life, you have walked the walk of a person of integrity. That is reflected in the lives of your sons and daughters and their families. Your son, Franklin's ministry, Samaritan's Purse, has met the physical needs, of countless many who have suffered in natural disasters throughout the world. The medical arm of that ministry has provided relief for many countless who had need, but no provision. Your son, Neil has served in ministry in China, and your 3 daughters, as well as their children have followed in serving those in need. Of course, it is their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that has given them the desire to serve out of love and compassion, and gratitude for God's great love toward His children. They, as do all Christians, "look for a Kingdom who founder and maker is God."

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:1-2

Your Christmas card this year had the verse from 1 John 3:1 which says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us."

God Bless you as you continue to be a source of blessing to others.

God bless you Evangelist Billy Graham. The United States needs persons with you. God bless you.
See:www.sala-de-oracion.blogspot.com
Uruguay

Ah, the evangelist's dream. To go to the big exclusive country club in the sky. Sorry, but it doesn't carter to people of other religions.

.
This piece is a fraud.
Billy Graham died years ago.
.

Pie in the sky when you die.
The part about windows and doors in heaven was amusing however.

Mr. Graham and other fundamentalist Christians have every right to believe in an afterlife. But in my opinion his essay has no place or function in a leading newspaper. It has nothing to do with the news.

The failure here is not his, but the paper's. A front page item for such a piece! Where did editorial perspective flee to? Who will bring common sense and judgement back to the Post?

Do they have March Madness in heaven?

Cause if they don't, I'm not going...

Jesus ALSO came to give us an abundant life here. If we had followed God's word through Jesus we would live by every word of God; and we would have the power Jesus had. We would have brought peace and a beautiful lifestyle like the Garden of Eden. In Divine-Way website I call it a garden paradise lifestyle to replace the oppressive employment lifestyle that causes our world problem.

Christianity follows the errors of the Catholic Church which ignored God's words and changed times and seasons as foretold in the Bible book of Daniel. That is why the world continues in turmoil and bondage.

Leviticus 23 has God’s commanded feasts and holy days; Deuteronomy 4:2 God says not to add or take away from His holy days. The Catholic Church added Easter and Christmas, and took away Passover, Tabernacles, Day of Atonement, etc.. The word of God commands the 7th day as a day of no work, not the first day as the church practices.. (Exodus 20, Ten Commandments), The "daughter" "Christian" churches continue the error.

All religions with holy books are told to live according to God’s law and scriptural injunction. There is only one Supreme God, Yahweh, Jehovah, the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He gave a united message to all prophets to follow His law. We must follow in truth and correct our leaders.

God bless Billy Graham.

And the best thing about heaven, as far as Presidential Pastor Billy Graham is concerned: no Jews!

http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.com/2008/04/advisors-to-presidents-preachers-of_04.html

Billy Graham, Jerry F.and likes are intolerant and instead of breaching the lord’s gospel, they placed themselves above lord’s message and played god themselves. They are far far far from heaven worthy. They will burn in hell.
Posted by: JJames081 | March 28, 2010 11:57 AM
Report Offensive Comment
--------
Contrary to your post, they breach the lord's gospel daily.

Slave_of_God: literally, NOTHING you say is true. I mean, Nothing. E.g. Last time I checked, Lucy was not a mere ape, just more ape-like. She's still Australopithecus. So, you rely on pseudo-information your fellow believers feed you, or selectively choose phrases and words to suit your beliefs. Nothing new for creationists. It's been in their playbook for many years. I know because as a biologist and writer, I've done a lot of fact checking on them. I've read and heard some of the most outrageously false claims come out of the pens and mouths. I think you should change your handle. Try 'Slave_of_Ignorance.
Posted by: hypocritebuster | March 28, 2010

---------------
Nice try hypocritebuster, but sadly one can not free a slave that has chosen to wear his shackles.

Billy Graham, Jerry F.and likes are intolerant and instead of breaching the lord’s gospel, they placed themselves above lord’s message and played god themselves. They are far far far from heaven worthy. They will burn in hell.

Its not a matter of belief or a matter how good we know the Bible.What matters is how good we apply the simple teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives.
HE is ready to appear to anyone who follows his/her solitary path to the cross.And the path to the cross is full of difficulties and hardships that one must be ready to encounter.Jesus Christ is waiting for us at the meeting point.Are We honestly trying to be there???

In Heaven exists the pure ideas in their original forms, of which everything here (in the sub-lunar sphere) are mere shadows. In Heaven the natural motion is circular and everything is eternal, unchanging, and perfect while here below the moon things strive to be at the center of the earth, and there is corrosion and imperfection. So said Plato, and he knows better than Billy Graham, because he invented this fanciful notion of Heaven that Christians later copied.

And the tooth fairy will bring you money for your teeth, and the Easter Bunny brings candy on Easter, and Santa Claus brings Christmas presents to all good children, blah blah blah.

The Graham family has, like so many other religious con artists, made a very luxurious living from selling this scam to people.

This guy drinks his own kool-aid.

When I was a fairly precocious young man I became thoroughly impressed with the futility of the hopes and strivings that chase most men restlessly through life. Moreover, I soon discovered the cruelty of that chase, which in those years was much more carefully covered up by hypocrisy and glittering words than is the case today. By the mere existence of his stomach everyone was condemned to participate in that chase. The stomach might well be satisfied by such participation, but not man insofar as he is a thinking and feeling being. As the first way out there was religion, which is implanted into every child by way of the traditional education-machine. Thus I came - though the child of entirely irreligious (Jewish) parents - to a deep religiousness, which, however, reached an abrupt end at the age of twelve. Through the reading of popular scientific books I soon reached the conviction that much in the stories of the Bible could not be true. The consequence was a positively fanatic [orgy of] freethinking coupled with the impression that youth is intentionally being deceived by the state through lies; it was a crushing impression. Mistrust of every kind of authority grew out of this experience, a skeptical attitude toward the convictions that were alive in any specific social environment - an attitude that has never again left me, even though, later on, it has been tempered by a better insight into the causal connections.

Albert Einstein, Autobiographical Notes

If you ask me what I have felt was really missing or which affected me adversely and which helped me and to sum up as to what would I have my children have, that I may not have had.

1: A serene, quiet atmosphere which can be used to pursue quests of higher learning in an uninterrupted and peaceful manner.

2: An uninterrupted supply of food, water and juices which would keep me in excellent health with due diligence.

3: Decent shelter with a warm cosy bed and protection from the adversitiess of weather and climate.

That is the breeding ground of excellence. Let us create it for the kids with the lamp of love.

"Nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll branded Revelation "the insanest of all books".[74]

Thomas Jefferson omitted it along with most of the Biblical canon, from the Jefferson Bible, and wrote that at one time, he considered it as "merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams."

[75] George Bernard Shaw described Revelation as "a peculiar record of the visions of a drug addict".[76]

ref: Wikipedia

And how did John the Divine know the name of the rider on the horse "with a name written that only he knew?" As I say, to be led astray is no excuse to go astray, ....... it is no excuse to judge others when God is more than capable of seeing everything and judging accordingly. Does Billy Graham see everything? No.

Billy Graham is wrong. Jesus said he was going to prepare a place, he didn't say where he was going, he didn't say he was going to heaven did he. What does heaven look like? Look around you. Why did Jesus use a paste of earth and spit to cure a blind man? Why did God seperate himself from the act of healing by this "performance"? Maybe he didn't want to frighten people. Didn't God promise to make us just like him? Just who is the top concept? When it happened it was to be entirely obvious. Just who is "The Divine?" Dundee went from a population of 180,000 thirty years ago to a population of just under 144,000 today, .... guess when it was 144,000 exactly? .... like a countdown timer. To be led astray is no excuse for going astray, dosen't the angel in Revelations talk about the words of "this book", ..... how did the angel know he was in "this book" before the book existed unless he stood outside of time.

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1991/PSCF6-91Eichman.html

http://royaldutchshellplc.com/2008/01/06/crackpot-or-genius-has-a-shell-boffin-stumbled-on-a-scientific-breakthrough/

When it comes to knowing God who is infinite, or when it comes to knowing anything for that matter, a limited creature like man has to rely on belief. Billy Graham has chosen to believe the Bible, or more properly the all-knowing God who reveals himself there. I am with the great evangelist on this. It makes more sense to believe what someone who knows everything says than believing anyone who only knows a relatively few things. i.e. any human being.

Make no mistake, any statement of "fact" you make is based on a belief. One cannot know a thing for certain without knowing every antecedent to that thing, and no one knows that much...unless God....just sayin

Human desire is the root of all misery - unsatiated desire. Control desire and you will have heaven on earth.

Human service is the root of all excellence. If you excel in service, you are at the very center of the universe. True excellence in service is the Holy Spirit in action. That is what runs the entire Universe to perfect precision.

If you ask me to sum up what are human failures - they are based out of dead habit.

1: Laziness.

2: Jealousy

3: Selfishness

4: Possessiveness.

"Keep your nose on the grinding wheel and your eyes on the steeple-top" - the famous Peter Drucker quote.

"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" - Mahatma Gandhi quote.

If we do these and go entirely driven by trying to fulfill our real needs, God has given us enough faculties to create plenty for all of us - to build heaven on earth.

But yet, we look over our shoulders and see what our neighbor has and we have not.

T's the same Lucifer who sent the serpent to whisper into man's and woman's ears about the apple in Eden.

It seems to me that after the first couple billion years heaven will start to get a little boring. After a trillion years, I may start pulling my hair out. After a quadrillion years, I'll just want to blow my brains out.

=======
=======
One of the stupid people said:
"To say 'there is no God' is as much a faith statement as saying there is. Both have been unprovable statements for thousands of years of human history."

Idiot.

You never have to prove that something DOESN'T exist. You prove what DOES exist, and believe that.

What you stupid people do is just MAKE SH1T UP, then if you're not smart enough to prove it DOESN'T exist, then you figure that's as good as science because science is just "faith" too, right?

Go back the the 1200's you ignorant, superstitious Jethro. Let the smart people figure out what's going on so we can give you more of the things you want: sex robots, flying cars, andTVs that let you watch your stupid-people game shows in 3D.

>:Both sides can marshal their well worn logic"

No, only one side can. The disingenuous arguments of Aquinas aren't "logic", they're just more "I'm gonna believe everything happens by magic, just 'cause I wanna".

That was a worthless argument even BEFORE we knew why things really happen.

Listen carefully:
The magic being you "know" is out there is the vestigial memory of your parents when you were an infant.

Why do you think "god" is always expressed as a loving parent? If earth were created by other people, they would be, by definition, space aliens.

And "prayer" is the ancient memory of the baby crying. The magic being appears from above him and grants his wish!

You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You're like retarded children, or monkeys.

--faye kane, homeless brain
Read more of my smartmouth opinions at http://tinyurl.com/fayescave

If you every try to imagine what it would be like living in a harmonious world than I assume that would be your idea of a heaven.

I weep for you people. For death is the final passage of your life. My God have mercy.

In the "Epic of Gilgamesh", on which a great deal of Genesis is based, eternal life is a punishment from the gods. I wonder if anyone who craves it has really thought what it would be like to dwell in the same mind, the same self, for eternity. I'll take the merger with all that comes with the abondonment of the self, such as the Buddhists posit. But when you get down to it, no one has a clue. Never has, never will.

If there is one thing that diehard christians and diehard atheists have in common, it really seems to be absolute, unquestioning certainty that they are the ones in the know, the ones who have access to the real truth.

There are a lot of reasons not to believe in God, or heaven. For a lot of people, there are also a lot of reasons to believe and I don't think all of them are as simple-minded or superstitious as a lot of atheists would believe. Graham may be well intentioned, but it is possible to have a more profound take on faith than his simple punishment/reward scheme. I say this without being christian.

The universe is a subtle, complex, and mysterious place and the fact that any human has the audacity to state they know for certain what its underlying cause is beyond scientific theory is ridiculous to me. Choose faith or not for your own reasons, but have enough perspective to "live with the mystery." Accept that, provided they reach their choice by sound paths, other beliefs are okay and always possible.

"Any preacher who owns more than one suit of clothes is a hypocrite."
Lenny Bruce

THANK YOU

I cannot believe we still have idiot who keep giving their money to enrich charlatans like Billy in the hope of getting to heaven. What do they say- Fool and his money part ways soon.. so true.

Sounds like the same kind of "Don't be afraid of death" superstition that humans have been engaging in forever, but if it gets you through life, good for you. Just don't insist that we run the country based on it.

When people quote "The Bible", does it not occur to everyone that there have been "re-writes" with respect to language and dialect" I'm not sure of the exact order but it is something like Aramehic to Latin to Old English to King James Version to New Life Editions". Has anyone read sentences passed through dialects and languages? Not to mention that the original "information" was carried as an oral tradition for some time before it was written down.

Unquestioning quotation of text while neglecting the text's evolution seems silly.

Oh, yes and if you contribute to our church, then your eternal bliss is guaranteed--becasue we said so. Sounds like the stock market, huh?

A secular universe is so damn depressing. Who cares if it is true? The truth will set you free but it won't make you happy.

And the bunnies will lie down with the lions, right? And the bunnies will get to eat the grass, but the lions will go hungry. Tough luck, lions! If there is no fear and pain, how will we have pro football? Without pro football, what will Americans do on Sundays? Without fear and pain, where will challenges lie? Without fear, is there a point to climbing mountains? Without pain, is there gain? And what age will my mom be when I see her in heaven again? If my child dies at age 7 from a horrible disease (thanks, God!) will she be stuck at that age? What about alien beings from other planets - do they get to share Billy's heaven?

Ha ha ha, what a load of tripe. Can we stop it with the Old Man in the Sky myths and address the pressing realities of life on a resource-limited planet?

And here I thought God is with us always even on earth! Silly me -

To crossingubadly.

Nope, I never wanted to "believe". I just wanted to be able to think for myself and evaluate the evidence in support of the various religious belief systems. The evidence (by authority) for resurrections does not cut it for me, nor does being taken up to heaven on a winged horse. The Bible is an interesting collection of myths and provides an insights to the culture and beliefs of a people THOUSANDS of years ago. In that respect, it gives us a window of how people ignorant of natural laws tried to reconcile and explain why droughts, floods, disease and famine fell upon them. If I had lived back then I would have been a believer….LOL

If you are a believer ask yourself the question. Where did the certainty of your religious convictions come from? If you are honest with yourself (perhaps even religious), you will have to admit that it was driven into you since you were a child. This is belief by authority, not by reason, and therefore it is a product of indoctrination.

To each their own mythology.

Why the Post considers Graham's view of enough relevance to give him column inches is unclear apart from the Post's established habit of pandering for profit.

I would much prefer that people showed a bit more responsibility and accountability while here on earth with the rest of us.

NotSoFastMyFriend wrote: Can someone answer this for me....why do we need eternal life at all? What is the point of living forever?
=================
1. It's not the eternal part (Hell is eternal). It's the reward part for the pain you felt in life.
2. It's so that we will see again our beloved friends and family who pass away.

What mother, in the history of humankind, has had the guts to tell her child, "No, you will never see your dead father again"? The heaven story gets her off the hook.

Yea Verily!

Whatever!

An aspect of the consciousness that is you is alreay existing eternally, you just do not realize it or are aware of it. Let us just say there is more to you than meets your Name, address, country, sex, job, natiionality or physical body.

Eternal life IS the present moment expanded beyond time.

Not all of who you are was born into a body and soul and thrust through this time machine...

I bet Mr. Graham was a bit surprised to find that there is "no heaven and no hell." Must have been a disappointment to find that one's evolution does not end with the parting of the body and soul but continues on.

Mr. Graham writes, "We will be in God's presence forever. And because we will be with God, no harm or evil can ever touch us again. One of the most moving descriptions of Heaven in all Scripture is this: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4). "

Really the above is quite similiar to the idea of "Self Realization" awakening to who one really is and allowing oneself to open into that aspect of their consciousness, that the "presence of God is within." One does not have to physically die to enter the "heaven of the presence of God.," one's separated identification from this truth need only die or be enveloped in this awakening.

What I have experierienced with the death of loved ones is a compassion that is beyond our human capability and comprehension. We human beings don't know the nothing, really, when it comes right down to it, it is beyond our human comprehension, but like five year olds we do the best we can and the "intelligence" that is our true Self knows this and does not hold our ignorance against us, we are always given another shot at the basket.

Pull the other one, Billy.

Can someone answer this for me....why do we need eternal life at all? What is the point of living forever?

MorryB
Question for you? Do you know how many of those "indoctrinated" kids become "enlightened" and run in the opposite direction of this message only to find out that what they thought was a lie was actually the truth and God welcomes them back into fellowship with him? You should ask around.

The fact that you posted here is somewhat of an indication that at some point in your life you really wanted to believe. But at some point your heart was hardened. It happens quite often, no shame in it. You need to know that "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit". Ps. 34:18. Drop your defenses and re-open your heart. God will walk right in.

I reject any exclusivist, fear-based religious dogma. Go within ("the Kingdom of Heaven is within you") or go without. That's where we find our truth. The rest is just b.s. made up mostly by men to scare people into submission and to justify treating "others" badly because they don't share our religious dogma.

Liar.

I would find it easier to listen to televangelists' pronouncements about Heaven if these people weren't so busy making personal heavens for themselves ON EARTH with believers' money.

"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

And how rich are you, Billy Graham?

He could have been the subject of the wonderfully funny movie, "The Invention of Lying."

I read and watch the news everyday. Sometimes, I just need to switch the channel, just to turn off all the violence and hatred in this world. A week before the most important day of worship for Christians, why are some people so angry about the content? Just like a television, if you don't agree with or like the content of this article, simply DO NOT READ IT! I live in physical pain every day of my life and I have lost my Mother and two brothers. I choose to believe that there is a peaceful place I will go when I die, where all of my pain will be gone, and I will be able to be with my family again. There is so much anger and hatred over someone expressing his thoughts or beliefs in God. Words like fanatic and nut are used. I am one woman, who lives a simple, not at all perfect life, who chooses to believe in God. Why would anyone find that offensive?

Morryb, can I leave the skin on fired chicken?

Finally, something both the religious and atheists can agree on: after you die, ". . . no harm or evil can ever touch us again." They still disagree as to why this is true, however, and, of course, the religous don't think this peace comes to atheists.

Ah, yes and there will be a McDonald in every corner and you will be able to eat as many burgers as you wish and never get fat.

How is that for the promise of heaven?

This is a great example of the effect of indoctrinating young minds to a belief system that is based on superstitious myth. When as a child you are told that there is a bearded guy residing somewhere in space who takes a personal interest in your well being and this is reinforced time after time as you grow up, it is difficult to undo this propaganda later in life. However, if it makes Billy’s life worth living, then by all means let him have his “security blanket” but Billy please stop trying to spread your word and that you have any answers. What you are doing demonstrates the arrogance of the ignorant!!!!!!

Wish we could vote on the comments. Some good ones here.

IF there is a heaven, many who profess themselves Christian will not go because they supported the death penalty and the unprovoked war on Iraq. They have blood on their hands and have not abided by Christian precepts.

However, I personally do not believe in heaven. I believe that all of us, regardless of religion, faith, nonfaith, are brothers and sisters on this earth and we each have an obligation to live life to the fullest and help our fellow humans.

In that regard, many Christians have failed, because they ostracize certain groups like gays, they allow pedophile priests, and they fight abortion without providing a reasonable alternative.

How many people have been killed in the name of Christianity? People who believe in God should be ashamed.

Slave_of_God: literally, NOTHING you say is true. I mean, Nothing. E.g. Last time I checked, Lucy was not a mere ape, just more ape-like. She's still Australopithecus. So, you rely on pseudo-information your fellow believers feed you, or selectively choose phrases and words to suit your beliefs. Nothing new for creationists. It's been in their playbook for many years. I know because as a biologist and writer, I've done a lot of fact checking on them. I've read and heard some of the most outrageously false claims come out of the pens and mouths. I think you should change your handle. Try 'Slave_of_Ignorance.

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains you're going on a holiday
Your birthday comes around once a week and it’s Christmas every day
You never have to clean your room or put your toys away
There's a little white horse you can ride of course
You can jump so high you can touch the sky
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.

In late October 2005 I fled the Gulf Coast after losing everything I owned in Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005. I lived in Knoxville, TN, for 3 years near my parents during which time both died.

Friends of my parents were raising money for a "Billy Graham Crusade" to come to Knoxville to "preach the gospel and save the lost."

They were required by the Graham people to raise $250,000, which was spent on: luxury hotel suites for the Graham people; limo service for three days; catered meals; and various other whims and wishes of the great evangelist.

When the Graham Crusade left -- after preaching to crowds of church people -- not one abused woman's life was easier; not one homeless person in Knoxville found shelter; not one abused child found solace -- but the good church people clapped hands and praised themselves for their "crusade."

Billy Graham and his drug-addict son Franklin don't have to worry about heaven -- they are living in it right now and his flock is paying for it.

"Once upon a time, in the Land of Never, lived a delusional preacher named "Billy". Now Billy was prone to stretching a truth of two in order to entertain and calm his flock. On this particular day, he talked about Heaven".

Otherwise known as a fairy tale.

dude - the reason why no harm or evil will come to you again is because you will be dead. You do understand that part, don't you?

Great Heavens, what a crock of bologna we are supposed to swallow - and the earth will open up and swallow all those "do onto others before they do it onto you" republican bible thumpers...

I've never understood this--still don't.

The anti views expressed hear are disproportionate to the often stated one third of the world population are Christian.
So where are all the Christian views?
It is the saddest pile of stuff that I have read in a long time.
Christ promised!!!
Try believing in GOD and JESUS,
you have no reason not to and every reason for doing so.

I've never understood this--still don't.

Huckster-in-Chief

If you choose a religion, Islam is the most logical choice, IMHO. Jesus was not sacrificed, there's a chapter named after a woman, MARY, the Qur'an implores you to look at nature and ponder about creation.

"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace the savage races throughout the world."
--Charles Darwin, founder of Evolution Theory

Evolution Facts:
• Google info on some scientists using fraudulent material to promote the theory of evolution. Non-critical conformity.
• Google "living fossils" and discover that they are always identical to their fossilized ancestors. NO EVOLUTION! ALL PRESENT LIFE FORMS are so-called LIVING FOSSILS!
• Ferns that have remained the same for approximately 300 million years are just one piece of evidence verifying the invalidity of the evolution theory.
• Alligators and Crocodiles match fossil records that are 230 millions of years old. No evolution. The creatures appear instantly in fossils, consistently, and resemble today's creatures.
• Army ants haven't changed in 100 million years.
• Coelacanth fish predate dinosaurs (according to a 400 million year old fossil); THOUGHT EXTINCT, it was discovered ALIVE & WELL in 1938.
• In fact, the fossil record is perhaps the most important evidence that *demolishes* the theory of evolution's claims. Fossils reveal that life forms on Earth have never undergone even the slightest change and have never developed into one another. Examining the fossil record, we see that living things are exactly the same today as they were hundreds of millions of years ago—in other words, that they never underwent evolution.
• Even during the most ancient periods, life forms emerged suddenly with all their complex structures–with the perfect and superior features, just as do their counterparts today.
• The famous 'missing links' LUCY, Nebraska Man, and Piltdown Man have been exposed as hoaxes or just incorrect. Lucy, famously portrayed to the public as a missing link, is today agreed to have been an ape with no place in the human family tree. The magazine Science et Vie announced this in its cover story titled "Adieu Lucy" (Farewell, Lucy) in May 1999.

As I note in my latest book, Whale Falls: An Exploration of Belief and its Consequences, Graham still accepts the notion that Jonah spent three days inside a whale. On the other hand, he has accepted the idea that the universe is billions of years old and that the Genesis creation myth is just that.

So, he picks and chooses the Bible stories he believes will sell well, and ignores those with less appeal. All too human, seems to me.

The analogy of our Christian religion is that it is usually associated with personal/family loss or suffering with endless pain - be it physical or emotional. At such times people with a milder belief in the Christian concept often seem to become desperate for God or Christ to intervene and ease one's suffering or pain. Many in Appalachian Whites and Blacks/African Americans or the areas with deep poverty - the inner cities - Hispanics and Blacks/African Americans see such faith as their only hope and their only hope for a better life is in their Christian and more conservative or Fundamentalist faith. Their is an adage that 'desperate people do desperate things' and often it is these people who seek forgiveness for a sin or intervention for a sickness. Life for myself is meant to be fully enjoyed each day and what lies ahead after death really doesn't matter and I am a Catholic - dismayed at the Church at this time for it's hypocritical teachings after the abuse by the priest' within. My wife believes just the opposite from me and that is her choice. One turning point for myself about God was my two years of combat in VN when I saw the atrocities and abuse of a people and culture by both the military and myself; it was hard to imagine a loving God who would tolerate this. A priest would later say to me that it is not God who creates war but rather mankind - especially those of the Christian belief who see their way of life and religion as better than the others - be it Islam, Hindu, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. As such the thought of a heaven is but a fantasy that many create and thus those esp within a Fundamentalist church as with the Palins, and others seek to force this religion as the one for all Americans. And as with heaven I certainly don't agree with this movement.

What a sad point of view. The Jesus-only version of Christianity leaves so many people out.

I wish I thought I could know the mind of God as certainly as Rev. Graham seems to think he can. My own approach is just to do what Jesus said--Love God and love your neighbor, and then to leave the rest to God.

It is all a matter of faith (a spiritual opinion) anyway.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

John 11:24-27

It's hard to explain this, but yeah there is a heaven. Accept Christ into your heart and repent. You will at that moment actually feel him come into your life, sort of a warm peaceful feeling. I've felt it, it's real.

Eternity? Your version sounds like a psychotic's worst nightmare. Oblivion would be preferable. Maybe it grows on you after you've gone insane the first thousand times or so.

Possibly, you missed the comment that one third of the world - despite the many choices - has opted to believe in the teachings of Jesus. What explains this amazing phenomena?

what "many choices" does a woman in Afghanistan have regarding her religion? A teenage boy in Iran? To take your own ability to choose a religion in the western world and promote this choice as being common on our planet, well, what do you make of that?

The only cultures where you can choose your religion happen to be the ones where you can also choose to not be religious.

In general people take on the religion of their parents, their culture. I'm sure you're aware of that. They speak the language, wear the clothes, eat the foods, and all those other things coming under "enculturation".

That all these people see their own religion as the only way, and all others as false, says more about the nature of religious belief itself, far above and beyond the dogma or doctrine of any of them.

As you wonder why so many people "pick" christianity, maybe you can also wonder why so many do not.

Heaven sounds just awful. First of all, it lasts an eternity. As much as I love her, I doubt I could stand an eternity with my mother. Next, wouldn't all those sunny, cloudless days get a bit old? A dark and cold rain provides us with a little balance and the ability to appreciate the sun.

Look up into the sky and contemplate the stars. We are a part of something much more grand than a pearly-gated fool's paradise.

very good, SKEALH, I write from the black sea coast in Bulgaria, does that make me more of a world traveler than you?

No, it does not. Not on the face of it.

People, humans, have been believing all those things I mentioned. Long before christianity existed. I view it as the believing existed before the current set of common beliefs existed.

Almost as many people believe islam is the answer, some billion of them. And how many hindus are there on the planet?

Arguing from arithmetic, or popularity (Ad Populum) is nothing less than another logical fallacy.

There is a fascinating series, Byzantium: The Lost Empire, you can find it on the torrents.

An examination of the political usefulness of christianity in a barbaric, primitive time in our common human ancestry. I find this a more useful and reasonable explanation and example of why so many people have swallowed christianity, as opposed to being hindus for example.

Will there also be gum drops and lolipops and fairies dancing in our heads!!!!!!!!!!!

The world is indeed a big place, with many, many cultures and worldviews. I have lived in a good number of them (and by the way, I write from England and believe in an ancient cosmos).

Possibly, you missed the comment that one third of the world - despite the many choices - has opted to believe in the teachings of Jesus. What explains this amazing phenomena?

Certainly cultural chauvanism and imperialism had some influence, but they wear off (especially if people resent the foreign power)and do not adequately explain the deep roots of Chrisitianity in many cultural basins.

Something much deeper is going on. And it will continue to go on - whether you approve of it or not.

Religion is not the opiate of the masses, religion is the placebo of the masses -- Gregory House

And hey, some of the greatest minds in history believed in the Greek or the Roman gods. Having these beliefs and having a great mind are neither mutually exclusive nor proof of the validity of believing this nonsense.

In fact your mentioning these great minds is a complete non sequitur, a logical fallacy of defective induction, AKA argumentum ad verecundiam

The world is a big place, full of lots of different cultures and peoples, and we've been around for a lot longer than the few thousand years your bible claims. There are and have been innumerable afterlife utopias promised and threatened, with a different set of gods for each.

That you believe the set you've been handed as a child here in America, and believe all others are not only wrong but dangerous, speaks poorly of this loving god of yours - damning to eternal torture all those raised as you in a different god-set. You were unable to deny this enculturation in your life, do you think the other believers in other heavens are going to be able to do any differently?

"It is easy to mock, and dismiss, people who have faith.
However, let's be honest. To say 'there is no God' is as much a faith statement as saying there is. Both have been unprovable statements for thousands of years of human history."
--------------------------------------
What you say is true. The only objection I have to this line of thinking is when someone leaps from 'there may be a god/gods/what-have-you, for all we know thus far' to 'and if there is it would be the one Billy Graham or whoever is talking about'. Maybe. Just as likely, maybe not.

It is easy to mock, and dismiss, people who have faith.

However, let's be honest. To say 'there is no God' is as much a faith statement as saying there is. Both have been unprovable statements for thousands of years of human history.

Both sides can marshal their well worn logic - whose chain of arguments ultimately lead back to a faith statement: there is, or is not, a God.

A better question might be, 'Why do Christians believe in God?' To dismiss their belief, as the media often does, as an intellectual deficiency is disingenuous and uninformed. Some of the greatest minds in history have held a conviction of, a belief in God - and the revelation of the Bible.

Many Christians believe in God and the Bible because they have experienced the Power and Person behind these beliefs, and find in the revelation of the Bible an insightful and useful guide to understanding realities of the existance they find themselves in.

This is a transcultural phenomena - one third of the world today would call itself Christian.

Something in the story of the Jews and teaching of Jesus meets a deep, fundamental human need at the very heart of the common human condition.

Belief in, and speculation about heaven is just an extension of much deeper convictions and beliefs which must be understood first.

So is Anne Frank in Hell?
Is Anwar Sadat in Hell?
Is Gandhi in Hell?

When you put a human face on it, it seems ridiculous.

There is no "Heaven", Billy; only "now:. No "past"; no "future"; just "now".

Savor each moment to its fullest. You might not get another ...

Gratitude and humility can be expressed, in the course of aging by a continued heartfelt embrace of the sense that "this life I enjoy is a precious gift" held in the mind at the same time as a growing realization that the time approaches when I will be gone. Within a few months of my passing I will hardly be missed and within a few generations I will not even be remembered - a world filled with people who enjoy the same precious gift that I enjoy will do perfectly well without me.

It may not seem like "cue up Handel's Messiah" stuff, but to me at this point, that's pretty near to the core of my evolving sense of what's important in acts of valuation that can't be resolved by reason, or, if you prefer, "religion".

If there is a god, can I spit in his face.

If there is a god, can I spit in his face for creating these religious morons.

So no evil ever touching anyone again makes up for children being tortured and raped? That's supposed to comfort us, a belief in a mystical Disneyland where everyone is happy, simply because we may envision its existence? Women in Darfur having their breasts cut off, 50,000+ children going missing in the US every year, girls and kids being sold into a debauched sex trade around the world, children in foster care being abused... all these things are ok because through the divine love of a mythic figure 2000 years ago we'll never be hurt again?
Delusional. Utterly delusional. Things don't get fixed here on earth because clowns like this sell preposterous ideas to get rich. Notice none of these yahoos adopts Francis of Assisi's view on worldly possessions. If everything is so grand in the afterlife, and Earth is just an irrelevant stopover, then how can they continue to condone their vast accumulation of wealth?

the historic jesus is recorded as having wept.

we are all humans upon this flying orb in the vast universe of time immemorial and infinite.

let us love one another.

ok, this is a lot of crap. I am not a natural hater. But this sounds almost new age. I mean. Sounds good. But aren't we supposed to do something at some point? It's a fever dream.

The "Sacrafice" of Jesus and its idea that he ment to have died for our sins in a continuation of the idea of human sacrifice, animal sacrifice and then finally the need to sacrifice the holy man. Its an ancient rite based in the ancient need to have someone or something to be sacrificed.

The real sacrifice is not that someone or thing is a substitute sacrifice for you, but that you are a sacrifice in God. In other words you transcend yourself, your ego and become Bright in the Light.

There is no substitute.

The only certainty I will ever know is the love in my children's eyes, the tumbling of a rock down a mountain stream, and that every day brings changes that excite my very existance in this planet.

In his address to Stanford's graduating class, Steve Jobs said, "Nobody wants to die. Even the people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there." Good point Steve! If heaven is such a swell place, why wait around going through the pain in the butt process of aging, disease and suffering? Why not drink the cool aid today and get on with with the gig in heaven. After all, God's been working on the place for a long time - it's gotta be sharp!

As critters who enjoy the use of reason (to a lesser extent than we enjoy more ancient inheritances), we cannot avoid making moral choices, yet reason cannot tell us what to value most highly.

And in the absence of a reasonably chosen highest value, all talk about morals and value choices devolves into a power struggle.

Among human activities, religion seems to be distinguished by a claim to know based on authority what is the highest value.

Unfortunately, this just displaces the power struggle from the "what is the highest value" question to the "which religion is authoritative" question, without producing results more satisfactory to reason or humane feeling.

I wish Mr. Graham well, though I don't mind saying that claims like "Heaven is like the most perfect and beautiful place we can possibly conceive - only more so" strike me as wishful thinking which has selected an authority capable of making it seem reasonable to believe that it's true.

Religion could be more, or other, than a claim to be able to settle moral disputes based on authoritative knowledge not subject to review by sceptics. Perhaps in the cases of the founders of the great religions it was.

In the case of their followers, however, I'm afraid I've aptly described it.

I see all the haters are out.

This is one man that is beyond reproach.

Listen to him- he shows the the way to God.

Amazing the venom spewed here, much like what you will experience if you continue to deny the love Jesus Christ has for you. The alternative is a place or existence no one would want if they would just confront their sin.

Over my lifetime I've visited many different churches across the Christianity spectrum: Catholic, Episcopal, Southern Baptist, Baptist, Church of Christ, Methodist, Pentecostal, Church of England, Lutheran and so on.

I am no less amazed at how different each denomination interprets the Bible. One believes alcohol is okay, another believes alcohol is a burning sin; another believes redemption from hell lies at the confession booth; and those who believe in the Trinity and those in the non-Trinity. And lastly, the one who believes in the singularity of god for us AND extraterrestrial life, should it exist.

Mr. Graham is certainly entitled to his beliefs and those that follow him can accept his interpretations of the Bible.

But I would challenge Mr. Graham to think outside the box and put into context Christianity in the history of other world religions.

Somewhere along the way I was told that, "if you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart, you will burn in hell."

Wow. Bad news for the other 3/4's of the world's population who are not Christian--those who were born into Islam, Hinduism, or say Buddhism who have never known any other religion than that of their upbringing or geographical circumstances. Sort of like Mr. Graham of North Carolina, himself.

One thing Marx got right- religion is the opiate of the masses. If Billy's pipe dream were true ,Billy would have a lot of explaining to do for the totally materialistic and phony life he led. What a krock...

Every society requires some reverence and respect for its elders. To think that some of you who denigrade Billy Graham's belief would do so openly says a lot about what America has become. This is a 91-year-old man of God who has served God and the United States with respect and dignity and some of you are just heaping curses upon yourselves for disparaging him as if you are disparaging a kid. The millions of lives that Billy Graham has changed in his over 6 decades of evangelism, you scoffers cannot even fathom in your sullied minds.

You better repent of your iniquities, may be God in His infinite mercy and grace will change His mind and save your souls from damnation.

I have always thought Graham pieces to be poignant. I don't expect to see my Father again in Heaven one day...but I would certainly like that. May G-d protect and guard you Mr. Graham.

AMEN!

Oh Billy, how the puck do you know? You don't.

Tell us some more about your wondrous missionary work amongst the whites in South Africa during the '60s, while blacks were being slaughtered all around you.

Must have been harrowing.

Then tell us about your hatred for Jews. We've got it on tape, you and Tricky Dick.

Then go crawl under a rock somewhere, bigotted hypocrite. You have zero relevance and no credibility.

No vote before 18, no religion before 18. Billy Graham please stay shut, do not advocate lies.

I thought u could speak to god? Just ask him. Or maybe u cant and its all just a scam.

Option B seems more realistic

Finally, after a long, pathetic parade of heretics from Spong to Sinead, WaPo finally allows someone to share the gospel.

sounds boreing to me. nothing to strive for.

"From Exclusivism to Convergence: How We Relate to the Religions of Others; Part 1: Diversity, Exclusivism, and Inclusivism

By James M. Somerville

John Hick, a noted British philosopher of religion, estimates that 95 percent of the people of the world owe their religious affiliation to an accident of birth. The faith of the vast majority of believers depends upon where they were born and when.

Those born in Saudi Arabia will almost certainly be Moslems, and those born and raised in India will for the most part be Hindus. Nevertheless, the religion of millions of people can sometimes change abruptly in the face of major political and social upheavals.

In the middle of the sixth century ce, virtually all the people of the Near East and Northern Africa, including Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt were Christian. By the end of the following century, the people in these lands were largely Moslem, as a result of the militant spread of Islam.
"

I have always wondered how Billy Graham could explain Jesus' words, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." ... and "Don't ye know that ye are gods?"
Graham's religion is "freeze-framed" in tradition, something Jesus would never do.

How sad I feel for you naysayers in that you have no faith in a greater being. How can you look around this beautiful world and think it "just happened?" How do you explain the miracle of birth? I could go on and on, but I cannot imagine surviving in this world without the faith that there is something better. Have you ever thought "what if I'm wrong?" You had better hope that you are right. If I'm wrong, then so be it, but at least I have the faith there is a better place, and the faith that Jesus Christ died for my sins so I might live in such a place as Rev. Graham describes. If I am wrong, I already have my eternity. Your eternity, if you are wrong, I wouldn't even want to imagine.

For petes sake.
Give me a break.
Talk about imaginations.

If there is indeed heaven after this life, there must be some thing in us that will outlive our bodies. Hinduism which predates Christianity believes that we all have "souls" that outlive our physical bodies. The real question is: Does man have a soul that will be subject to divine judgment after death. I believe we not only have to believe in the existence of the soul but also in the existence of God to really buy Billy's message at this Easter time.

AMEN Brother!!

Statistics strongly suggest that:had Billy Graham been born in Saudi Arabia in a Muslim family, he would be a Muslim even now.
Had Billy Graham be born in the year 1988, instead of 1918, in a family of agnostics in Denmark, he would have been an agnosic all his life. Had he listened to someone calmly pointing to him that the Book of Genesis has contradictions, he would have realized that Genesis should not be taken literally: ergo, the entire Bible should not be taken literally.

What sad and absolute nonsense. This is the magic kingdom that religious salesmen have used since Paul to gain control of the ignorant masses. It is a fund raiser, pure and simple. Send us your money and we will guarantee you a condo in heaven next to the golf course. Or one that comes with 72 Virgins. You name it, it will be waiting for you. And if you don't send us your money, give us your unquestioning obedience, submit to our pedophile priests... you will go to the other place. It is a despicable con game. Always has been. Sell hope to those without any. Too bad if there is not a hell. For those who shear the sheep.

Billy seems to miss that there is no evidence of the reality of Heaven (or Hell) independent of the internally-inconsistent ramblings of a 2000 year old collection of fiction, the morality tales of Dante, and the pre-Biblical folklore they were cribbed from.

"Nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll branded Revelation "the insanest of all books".[74]

Thomas Jefferson omitted it along with most of the Biblical canon, from the Jefferson Bible, and wrote that at one time, he considered it as "merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams."

[75] George Bernard Shaw described it as "a peculiar record of the visions of a drug addict".[76]

ref: Wikipedia

In 1987 Belinda Carlisle recorded the song “Heaven is a Place on Earth”. It appears then that Mr Graham is in agreement.

He quotes Revelation 21:4, which in its context reveals that heaven is now on the earth:

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:2-3).

But is Matt 23:1-3 historic?

"23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach."

This passage only appears in Matthew's gospel and being therefore a single attestation does not meet the rigors of historical proof by modern standards.

See http://www.faithfutures.org/JDB/jdb420.html

Ditto for Matt 23:4-

http://www.faithfutures.org/JDB/jdb155.html

Ditto for Matt 23:8-10

www.faithfutures.org/JDB/jdb421.html

Ditto for Matt 23:14

www.faithfutures.org/JDB/jdb263.html

But Matt 23:13 has been judged to be historic by most contemporary NT exegetes. It has a double attestation with an analogous passage appearing in Luke gospel.

www.faithfutures.org/JDB/jdb084.html

All the people who claim to "know" that Heaven doesn't exist are just adorably pathetic.

I know what heaven looks like; it looks just like being dead, no more.

WHAT JESUS OF JERUSALEM REALLY SAID:

"Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments; And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues; And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi! Rabbi!!

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in Heaven.

Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves'."

christian1941 wrote: "It's always amazing how angry non-Christians and Muslims can get with those of us who believe in Christ. If you don't believe in Jesus Christ so be it but why do you have to be so angry and say such mean things to those of us who do believe?"

christian1941,

Hey, I'm all in favor of the live-and-let-live philosophy. The problem is, Christians seem to want us to abide by this teaching in our dealings with them, but they aren't inclined to return the favor.

We aren't supposed to criticize Christian beliefs or behavior, but Christians are somehow fully justified in pressing their evangelical positions on us despite our repeated reassurances that we aren't interested. They take refuge in the language of love -- saying that they love us and want us to be saved so we'll be as happy as they are -- and thereby cheapen both language and love...not to mention religion.

They don't seem to understand -- or they willfully misunderstand -- that "no" means "no." Today, tomorrow, next month, ten years from now.

One of your most revered holy men closes his "On Faith" essay with this sentence: "May this truth become a reality in your life today."

"This truth"? It is a "truth" only to those who believe all the related theology; it is not "truth" for all people for all time.

It's this arrogance mixed with ignorance that is so confounding to non-Christians.

Who do I complain to when the 'promise' is unfulfilled? I know I'll be dead by then, so I won't be able to ask, so I'm trying to plan ahead.
Thanks

It's always amazing how angry non-Christians and Muslims can get with those of us who believe in Christ. If you don't believe in Jesus Christ so be it but why do you have to be so angry and say such mean things to those of us who do believe? Christ said non-believers would be angry and persecute us and it's happening all over the world. Look how many time Christians are persecuted for their beliefs.

"I am often asked if we will meet our loved ones there who have died in the Lord. I have no doubt that we will!"

If we're all meeting our loved ones in heaven, then since it is Paradise, I presume that we're not meeting the people that annoy us? So death is the ultimate Facebook de-friending, and Heaven is the ultimate re-friending.

A comforting thought for mortals.

John Adam reasoned that life after death is pleasant to believe in, and that if death is really the end [as is the case for all Other animal species - even tool using Chimpanzees?], we will not know it after we die.

To me, life after death, just doesn't sync with what we have learned and are learning about life and the universe.

What sad and hateful comments. I'm sure glad I trusted the Lord and what He did on the cross to pay the full penalty for my sins. I have a blessed hope that these sad people don't have and they will have an eternity of sorrow and pain. Thank you Lord for your word that I believe. What a great God that paid the penalty of sin for me, a debt that I could not pay. I just don't understand people who won't accept the free gift of eternal life. You have nothing to lose if it's not true, but everything to gain if it is.

So only faith get you into heaven? Ha, why is the suspension of rationality and acceptance of demonstrably absurd claims without any proof such a virtue to a just God? This vision of heaven is patently absurd but seems nice enough con to the credulous to tithe over their money to make the ministry rich.

What is heaven like?? People that ask this question are in some fantasy land. Amazing how faith skews peoples view of reality.

Like Billy Graham I too wish to arrive in heaven after my time here on earth. But I am too unsure that such a place exists. If it does I'm sure that being religious has little to do with your arrival. Incidentally it is most unfortunate that Billy's son is such a mean spirited bigot. His know it all attitude will result sooner than later in the demise of what Billy has built over these many years.

Heaven is where the Easter bunnies rut during their down time. Carrots and carnality... that's heaven, babe.

Criticism of the belief in Heaven

Atheists reject the existence of heaven. Some atheists have viewed the notion of heaven as an "opiate of the masses"—tool employed by humans to cope with their lives' misery—or "opiate for the masses"—a tool employed by authorities to bribe their subjects into a certain way of life by promising a reward after death.[32]

The anarchist Emma Goldman expressed this view when she wrote, "Consciously or unconsciously, most atheists see in gods and devils, heaven and hell; reward and punishment, a whip to lash the people into obedience, meekness and contentment."[33]

Many people consider George Orwell's use of Sugarcandy Mountain in his novel Animal Farm to be a literary expression of this view. In the book, the animals were told that after their miserable lives were over they would go to a place in which "it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges".[34][35] Fantasy author Phillip Pullman echoes this idea in the fantasy series His Dark Materials, in which the characters finally come to the conclusion that people should make life better on Earth rather than wait for heaven (this idea is known as the Republic of Heaven).

Some atheists have argued that a belief in a reward after death is poor motivation for moral behavior while alive.[36][37] Sam Harris wrote, "It is rather more noble to help people purely out of concern for their suffering than it is to help them because you think the Creator of the Universe wants you to do it, or will reward you for doing it, or will punish you for not doing it. [The] problem with this linkage between religion and morality is that it gives people bad reasons to help other human beings when good reasons are available."[38]

ref: Wikipedia

Heaven and Hell look like Earth.

Sounds nice, too bad it doesn't exist.

Amen Rev. Graham

Mr Graham, lead the way and go forth to discover what heaven is really like...then come back to earth and give us the details.

if billy graham is there, it ain't heaven.

There is nothing more negative than the result of the critical study of the life of Jesus. The Jesus of Nazareth who came forward publicly as the Messiah, who preached the Kingdom of God, who founded the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth, and died to give his work its final consecration, never had any existence.
Albert Schweitzer.1875-1965 French Physician, Philosopher and Humanitarian in "The Quest For The Historical Jesus".

Rev Graham,

Excellent article on heaven. I thank God that through the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have been cleansed of our sins. I thank God that there have been wonderful men such as yourself that has carried the torch for the Gospel throughout the world preaching the truth.

whiteflame128, the passage that I have found that shows that we will see our loved ones again that believed is:

...but why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me." (2 Samuel 12:23)

Yet we must believe because "...the wages of sin is death, but the free gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Secular I am sorry that you do not understand but the only way to heaven is through the Jesus Christ. This is not my words but His very words teaches us this.

[Jesus said] "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is." (John 14:6&7)

He is giving us a free will decision to make. God does not send you to hell but wants you to be in heaven with Him. But if you choose to reject Him and want nothing to do with Him then He will not violate your free will decision to be separated from Him. God has paid the price for you to go to heaven through Jesus, the decision now is whether you want to accept it or reject it. This choice is yours and yours alone to make.

I always wonder why WAPO gives these charlatan's a forum to spew their mindless, inane rubbish. This homo-phobic-anti-Semitic scoundrel should lead a life of a recluse to spare the humanity of his inanities.

He goes on to say such inanity "The most important truth about Heaven for us today, however, is that God wants us to be there! We cannot win our way into Heaven by our own goodness, because we will never be good enough; God's standard is perfection. But God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to become the final and complete sacrifice for our sins - and when we put our faith and trust in Him, all our sins are erased and Heaven's door opens before us."

This makes no logical sense that his god wants us but again one cannot be good enough to ever get in there on our own merit. However, any scoundrel and scum-bag who puts his faith the proxy expiation of sins will get in there, no problem. What a neanderthal.

A verse I expected to read in Billy Graham's explanation was I Corinthians 2:9..."Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has entered into the minds of men what God has prepared for those who love Him."

In other words, whatever heaven will be like it will by that far exceed the expectations and experiences we've had on earth. If and whenever we see or experience something beautiful and pleasurable, know that what awaits "those who love Him" will far exceed it.

Conversely, the opposite is also true...hell will be far worse than is expected. Something to think about.

The bible is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it, and some clever fables, and some blood drenched history, and some good morals, and a wealth of obscenity, and upwards of a thousand lies.
Mark Twain 1835-1910 in Letters from the Earth

You've never met a Christian who doesn't want to know what heaven will be like? Would you like to come over for tea and cookies and meet me? I make excellent cookies, and I'd love the company.

I find most descriptions of "heaven" and "hell" and even of "God" too limiting. God is omniscient and omnipotent; we are limited beings. If you truly accept these three axioms, then you must accept the corrolary: God is inscrutably and unfathomable by man. Then why try?

My faith is strong. I have momentary existential crises (doesn't everyone?), but I have never feared for my own soul's sake since I came to this realization. God is omnipotent and omniscient. Therefore, I'll leave all the divine stuff to Him and focus on living my life. Now. Part of this is trusting that heaven, such as it may or may not be, is also beyond my comprehension, so there's no point in defining it.

And the Bible backs me up here. The Bible says very little about life after death. Next to nothing, honestly. I've searched, and I've asked pastors (who were unable to point me to useful scripture as well). And I notice that Mr. Graham is unable to offer biblical evidence for his claim about reunions. But the Bible does say an awful lot about loving each other while you're alive.

So why focus on the by-and-by? I don't make any expectations; I just trust that God has it under control. And I have my life under control.

So, cookies for anyone who wants to come over and chat. That's the least I can do as a Christian. I'm sure they'll be heavenly.

Will there be finger wagging, exclusion and judgment of others? Without their favorite sports, how could Huckabee's consider it heaven. Maybe for their amusement their small and shallow god will allow a few gays in for them to persecute.

Begging for facts without questions would produce empty hats, even hats passed below the pulpit.

Outrageous gibberish from a totally deluded man of the cloth. When you die Mr Graham you will simply cease to exist. No heaven - no hell. Just death and nothingness awaits you and everybody else. For once in your life get real.

"We have heard talk enough. We have listened to all the drowsy, idealess, vapid sermons that we wish to hear. We have read your Bible and the works of your best minds. We have heard your prayers, your solemn groans and your reverential amens. All these amount to less than nothing. We want one fact. We beg at the doors of your churches for just one little fact. We pass our hats along your pews and under your pulpits and implore you for just one fact. We know all about your mouldy wonders and your stale miracles. We want a this year's fact. We ask only one. Give us one fact for charity. Your miracles are too ancient. The witnesses have been dead for nearly two thousand years." - Robert Green Ingersoll

Hilarious.