Free Will

[Marina]

Be nice if you'd quote me in context Stranger.

I reread the article and wondered about

"a death-oriented philosophy"!?!?

The article says:-

*** g85 3/8 p. 14 “Mission England”—A Missed Opportunity ***
“Everyone who responds is referred back to a church,” explained one of Dr. Graham’s aides. “If a person comes forward who has no church background we try to find a church he can identify with.” Evidently the doctrine of the church did not matter.

Let's say that churches/Billy Graham movement/Jehovah's Witnesses etc all possess a measure of genuine Christian teachings and do some good. Where their teachings depart from the Bible they do harm. One way the churches depart from Christ's teachings is by encouraging soldiers to drop bombs on their enemies. (Romans 12:20-21) Soldiers die in war and it is a comforting message to take to the departed's family that their loved one is now in heaven. Is that what is meant by the 'death-oriented philosophy'?

There is another aspect to this. When people view Jesus as God and not a separate person to Jehovah, the issue arises 'who resurrected Jesus?' One answer is no one. Jesus is dead. Because he is dead, God is dead. There is no hope. Embrace 'no hope', 'the abyss' and you become Superman (man is God - Gnosticism/Zoroastrianism). These are the teaching of Nietzsche. After World War II (and presumably before), many soldiers returned home believing God was dead. There was no hope, God seemed to have abandoned them to horror. They could not reconcile it in their minds. Their faith was damaged.

I knew one soldier who killed himself because his faith had been destroyed. At that point I was not one of Jehovah's Witnesses but this man, although he had a good knowledge of the Bible, did not understand certain scriptures which I know would have helped him to make sense of what he went through. He did not understand the scriptures because the churches did not teach them. Just as WTBS teaches according to its agenda, the churches likewise have an agenda.

WTBS teaches about Christian unity, a peaceful new world, the dead being resurrected, you'll never grow old in this system of things (er well kind of). It is a very different message from 'get out there and fight for your country and go to heaven when you die on the battle field.'

According to the article Billy Graham funnelled people into churches. The date of the article is 1985. Of those who responded to Billy Graham, how many became soldiers and went to war and saw horrific things which destroyed their faith?

*** g85 3/8 p. 14 “Mission England”—A Missed Opportunity ***
“Everyone who responds is referred back to a church,” explained one of Dr. Graham’s aides. “If a person comes forward who has no church background we try to find a church he can identify with.” Evidently the doctrine of the church did not matter.

Now if he had funnelled them into WTBS such ones would not have gone to war. All the same, they would still have been given misinformation.

But its interesting isn't it. WTBS puts itself on the side of youth, life and peace. The churches on the side of nationalism and death.

*** g85 3/8 p. 15 “Mission England”—A Missed Opportunity ***
I want you to say to yourselves ‘I want to know that if I died tonight, I would go to heaven.’ This might be your last chance, the closest you will ever be to God’s Kingdom.” This was Billy Graham’s commitment appeal. But such a death-oriented philosophy answers no questions. “Young people are searching for something to believe in,” declared Graham. But young people need hope and a reason to live, to be convinced that life has a purpose and that God will act to safeguard their future.

In fact, God’s Kingdom is what young people—and their elders—badly need to hear about. This Kingdom is humanity’s only hope, a real government by means of which peace, along with everlasting life, will be restored to mankind.

It sounds like Billy Graham was trying to appeal to established society which was not looking for a better world but ways to maintain the current one. Whereas WTBS was appealing to peace-movement followers. You can criticise either side, you can commend either side.

[Stranger]

Marina wrote,

Hi Marina,

Be nice if you'd quote me in context Stranger.

That's fair enough, thank you for the friendly reminder.

BTW, I read the article that you posted on Gustave Le Bon, very interesting type of guy he was.

That picture of him in 1914 was interesting as well, especially the curtains he was standing in front of.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, nothing but love coming from this way.


Stranger,

[Stranger]

Hi Bruno,

You know thinking back, I did put the trigger on this "still hot smoking gun"...... here is where the trigger got cocked


Stranger wrote,

If you take a close look at that picture it appears that Billy is adjusting his microphone. (But I could be wrong)

Here is when the gun got aimed and the trigger pulled.


Amos wrote,

No folks, Billy is giving a secret Freemason sign to other Freemasons. Billy was one of the highest ranking Protestant Freemasons.

It would be a good one for Sherlock to investigate, he probably wouldn't even need Watson on this one.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gQEDwjhaDE


Stranger, (Acts 4:10)

[AmosAu2]

Hi Marina,

I must support your thoughts in your last post.

What Billy Graham did, is as you say, Point people to the church of their choice. He didn't show that they needed to "Get out of babylon." In this respect he lied to any who listened to him. Billy was part of the system that is going down into oblivion. This is just the same for any who stay a part of the false religious system, satans system.

Regards,
Amos.

[Bruno]

Amos wrote,

No folks, Billy is giving a secret Freemason sign to other Freemasons. Billy was one of the highest ranking Protestant Freemasons.

It would be a good one for Sherlock to investigate, he probably wouldn't even need Watson on this one.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gQEDwjhaDE


Stranger, (Acts 4:10)

Hi Stranger,

Normally the person making an accusation against someones character should be the one to prove his accusation is true. This is what I find most surprising about ex jws. On leaving the organisation their character is brought into question by the organisation they have left. Ex jws find this upsetting and unfair so you would expect them not to do the same thing to other people without first having the evidence to back up their claim.

Is there any evidence that Billy Graham was a 33rd degree Freemason?

https://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-evid ... -Freemason

Ed King, Owner/creator, www.masonicinfo.com - Anti-Masonry: Points of View
Answered Sep 15, 2016

Reverend Billy Graham - Sometimes referred to as 'America's Minister', Rev. Graham is frequently identified as a Mason by religious intolerants whose ideology is different from his. They feel, apparently, that connecting him with Freemasonry will smear his outstanding abilities and his life-long commitment to his faith.
In the earliest days of the world wide web (I seem to recall it was about 1994), a listing of famous Freemasons appeared on the web site of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, USA. Dr. Graham's name appeared on the list in error based on an assumption by the person who prepared it. (No, it isn't a conspiracy to hide anything! In fact, it's likely that the information may have come from the book by former Mason Jim Shaw who lied that he had received the 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite with Rev. Graham in attendance.
Since Shaw never received that honor, clearly there is nothing to his claim. Read about it here!) Since then, though, unsubstantiated claims have flown about on the internet and one of the most frequent questions we receive dealing with specific individuals concerns Dr. Graham.

The simple fact - as substantiated by his organization - is that he is FAR too involved with his ministry to devote time to any other organization. Like other recognizable leaders who are not Masons, Dr. Graham has from time to time been present at Masonic or Masonic-family events. There is a picture sometimes found on the web of him attending a DeMolay public installation of officers. Over his lifetime, Dr. Graham has attended thousands of meetings of groups. To state that Rev. Graham held Masonic membership simply based on his attendance was an assumption by that webmaster of the most absurd proportions. Regretfully, most of those who insist that Rev. Graham is a Mason are those who want to smear both him and the fraternity.

Mason Jeff Armstrong in Illinois has also noted that when Dr. Graham was a student at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, he rented the Masonic Hall for his weekly sermons. This could have easily caused many to assume that he was somehow connected with Freemasonry not realizing that many Masonic Halls in the US and elsewhere are readily available for rental purposes (although some jurisdictions prohibit it).

And there are still a couple of dozen rants left over on the web from religious intolerants who want to name every prominent religious leader as a Mason as if this were somehow a terrible thing. For the record, neither Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell, or Kenneth Copeland are Masons either. You'll note that NONE of the material making these claims can cite where these men were supposedly members but instead rely on absurd statement that they're "secret" members. No such thing exists! In fact, you'll note that the claims regarding Copeland all have similar wording. Why? They all came from the fantasy of a single anti-Masonic website created by conspiracy-obsessed Mark Flynn. It definitely proves the old saw that a lie can travel around the world while the truth is still putting on its socks!

[Marina]

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, nothing but love coming from this way.

Stranger,

What kind? Christian brotherly love or are you flirting again?

[Bobcat]

Hi Marina,

Don't worry about Stranger. We actually met and had lunch together a week or so ago. We live in the same general neck of the woods. When you think of Stranger, think of a sort of Burt Reynolds looking guy. And he can fix anything. So I can vouch for him.


Bobcat

[Marina]

Hi Bobcat

I can vouch for him.

Ok, Bobcat and thank you.

[Stranger]

Hi Marina,

It was nothing but genuine Christian love, authentically spoken. I always respect a lady's request, even if I know her mind's not made up yet.


Hi Bobcat,

When you think of Stranger, think of a sort of Burt Reynolds looking guy.

I appreciate the brownie points. That's the first time I have been likened to Burt that I can remember, it's always been George Clooney, Sean Connery or Tom Selleck.
But now that you mention him, I guess I could be sitting in between these two guys somewhere.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ4VGaSAzq8


Stranger

[Marina]

I appreciate the brownie points.

You want to check what exact time period Bobcat is referring to.