With American elections looming in less than three weeks (I know, it seems like they’ve been going on forever!), Billy Graham offers his sage advice (and some helpful resources) to voters:
Here’s a look at what he’s touting as leading voting concerns this fall:
And, in a variation on the same theme:
Knowing that you think as highly of Mr. Graham as I do, I must ask: which biblical values will guide your voting decisions next month? I’m leaning toward polygamy, Old Testament style…
– the chaplain
vinnyjh57
October 19, 2012 at 8:48 am
I think I’ll go with females as chattel. I particularly like it when when Lot offers to let the men of Sodom and Gomorrah rape his virgin daughters. America needs that kind of parenting.
the chaplain
October 19, 2012 at 10:22 am
Yeah, the Bible’s full of great parenting tips: beat your kids with sticks is another good one.
ubi dubium
October 19, 2012 at 9:17 am
How about prohibiting divorce and stoning adulterers? I hope Dinesh D’Souza will support those old-fashioned biblical values.
the chaplain
October 19, 2012 at 10:24 am
If Dinesh takes up my suggestion of polygamy, he can keep his current wife and get the new one too! Moreover, he won’t be guilty of adultery if he calls #2 his concubine.
ubi dubium
October 19, 2012 at 10:26 am
But wife #2 won’t be a virgin when he marries her. Time to get out some more stones…
the chaplain
October 19, 2012 at 10:35 am
He says they’re engaged but haven’t had an affair. So she may still be a virgin.
Hey! Stop smirking at me! Surely you believe him!
Rick
October 19, 2012 at 10:19 am
I’m going with owning slaves from neighboring nations. I’ve always wanted a Canadian slave.
the chaplain
October 19, 2012 at 10:27 am
The problem with the USA is that we have so few neighbor-nations that we have very limited options for acquiring slaves.
Rick
October 19, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Yes, we are at a disadvantage in that regard. It seems that Mexican slaves are easier to acquire. Having a Canadian slave or, better yet, a French-Canadian slave would propel me up the social ladder. I’d be the first on my block to have one.
the chaplain
October 20, 2012 at 9:44 am
The Blog Fodder
October 19, 2012 at 11:24 am
I am curious how much of this is actually Billy Graham and how much is Franklin Graham. It sounds far more like the latter. Billy Graham is the ONLY evangelist I have any respect for at all. Franklin is NOT Billy Graham.
the chaplain
October 20, 2012 at 9:45 am
Franklin is not Billy, but Billy’s not the saint we grew up believing he was. I don’t think the apple fell too far from the tree.
Graham
October 19, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. Or submit themselves to one another in love. Or let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Anyone for divorce causes plenty of misery even if it is a ”right” or Plenty of modern owning of slaves too see ”Stop the traffik” ”Hope for justice” ”A21 Campaign”. Seriously its no joking matter.
the chaplain
October 20, 2012 at 9:50 am
I don’t need the Bible to tell me that fidelity between spouses matters, or that slavery is wrong….
Wait a second – the Bible didn’t tell me that slavery is wrong. It gave me instructions on how to treat my slaves if I owned any, or how to be a good slave if I was unfortunate enough to be one. I agree that modern slavery is a practice that is conveniently swept under the carpet in contemporary society, and it’s not a joke. But, as I said, I didn’t learn that from the Bible.
desertscope
October 20, 2012 at 8:59 am
I love how doddering old Billy (not to be confused with the doddering somewhat less old Franklin) considers Israel of importance. Surely the vile creatures of Likud understand that the crazed bible-thumpers only support them insofar as their interpretation of the ‘shroom nightmare of the book of Revelation insists that Israel should rise before Jeebus smites all those damned Jews that refuse to convert.
Also, I think if we asked the typical right wing voter to sum up his thoughts on the bible:
“Right Wing Voter, if you could reduce your interpretation of the Christian bible to one word, what would it be?”
RWV: “Smiting.”
the chaplain
October 20, 2012 at 9:54 am
The right wing voters I know seem to support Israel primarily because they believe that Israel fits into their god’s plans for Armageddon, etc. I honestly don’t know if they’ve thought about any other aspects of Middle East politics, culture, etc. I have no reason to think they have. I think that, for them, the biblical justification they find/create is enough.
Graham
October 20, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Maybe too because Israel since its inception has been surrounded by hostile states,some of whom wish for its annihilation and who have attacked its borders and committed acts of terrorism within it. It is recognised as a nation state and has some duty to protect its citizens. America for instance felt it was justified in going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan on the basis of the twin tower attacks. Israel of course have not always helped in the process of trying to resolve the conflict in the way they have dealt with the Palestinians. I think if the attacks stopped and the integrity of Israel was respected then Jews and Palestinians would begin to live peaceably side by side as they always did in the past though that may take time. It is important both for peace in that region and biblical revelation.
Graham
October 20, 2012 at 1:37 pm
The bible didn’t condone slavery i think it was used as a reference point to explain something else. Slavery was just a reality in the middle east at that time. It was though different in nature to that which emerged much later in the Caribbean. Jesus didn’t come to abolish slavery but to show us how to relate to one another in whatever circumstance we find ourselves , even in adversity. How we could love in adversity, even our enemies. No you don’t need the bible to learn those things ( even if you think they are valid ) The bible though should be seen as no less valid a place to reference these ideas than wherever you learnt your human values. I am still waiting to see a Christian of my knowing smite somebody (and i know hundreds ) There is a clue here !!!!!!
the chaplain
October 20, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Nor did the Bible, or even Jesus, condemn slavery. Major fails for an allegedly divinely inspired holy book and, even worse, an alleged deity himself.
Graham
October 21, 2012 at 9:43 am
Slavery comes in many forms. There is an undercurrent here in the bible about what we can become slaves to as human beings. It talks about being bound in the bible. We can think of countless modern examples but the one that is in most keeping with the bible is money and material things which are often the root cause of much discontentment and inequality. Following Jesus is one way in which we can begin to address the misery this can cause. Of course you don’t have to believe in the bible to believe this( that is if you do ) but the spirit of Jesus i have found vital in dealing with consumer pressures in my own life and i know others who have too. I hope you found time to check out the web sites i mentioned earlier. We must applaud people who act to minimise modern slavery whether of faith or no faith. Its so easy to condemn but harder to contribute something to stopping it. but of course slavery is driven most often by money and power which Jesus spoke of quite a lot.
J. Randall Stewart
October 31, 2012 at 9:52 am
Concerning polygamy, slavery, and sin. It’s interesting to see those who point to all the colorful characters in the Bible as evidence of a corrupt God. The Bible contains all kinds of questionable characters, who often did less than honorable things. The truth is, the Bible shows the history of certain individuals, cultures, and societies for what they were. It does not gloss over the bad parts, or simply leave them out. The first thing we can say concerning the Bible is that it is honest in it’s display of corrupt humanity. Even the most Godly men in the Bible made mistakes, and sometimes followed the practices of their culture instead of Godly truth. Polygamy is clearly practiced, but never condoned in Scripture. The very concept of marriage between one man and one woman comes from the New Testament. As for slavery, most today make the mistake of transferring their own cultural ideas into a very different period in history. Slavery in the Roman world was very different than Western slavery. There was a huge slave class in Rome, but they were more like indentured servants; never considered mere property, or less than human. Any Roman slave had the opportunity to work their way out of slavery, and most had chosen slavery as a means of work, though reluctantly. Slavery in Rome was more vocational, and it is from that perspective that the New Testament speaks. Scripture recognized the socio-cultural status of slavery, but never condoned it. Since Roman law forbid slave revolts, no one in the New Testament spoke directly against it, but scripture indirectly speaks clearly against it. The Apostle Paul spoke to masters and slaves, teaching each to treat the other as brothers, and he even wrote a letter to Philemon on behalf of his slave, Onesimus, convincing him that Onesimus should go free. Here is a specific example of Paul actually freeing a slave. It is no wonder that the entire European slave trade was brought to it’s knees by Christian men, who understood clearly the stance Scripture took against slavery. For some to assert that the Bible condones polygamy, slavery, or any other sin, only proves their desire to twist Scripture to fit their own ideology. Anyone can use a selective reading of Scripture to prove whatever they want. It’s clear what Biblical values Billy Graham is espousing in his statement. They are the very values our culture was based on, and which some are foolishly using as a basis to condemn the very book they came from.
ubi dubium
October 31, 2012 at 1:44 pm
J. Randall, we’re reading what the bible actually says, and judging it on that basis. And it definitely condones polygamy, slavery, genocide, and a horde of other atrocities. You are using the old “ancient slavery wasn’t the same thing at all” claim. Well, ancient slavery in the OT included the right to buy and sell human beings, rape women, and to beat slaves as much as you want (as long as they don’t die from it right away). In ancient Rome, the testimony of a slave was not admissible in court unless the slave had been tortured. That’s not benevolent, it’s horrible, no matter what the norms of the society were.
It’s not at all clear what “biblical values” are, as evidenced by the number of christian sects that disagree on that very point. However I would agree with you that “Anyone can use a selective reading of Scripture to prove whatever they want”, just as you are doing now.
J. Randall Stewart
November 1, 2012 at 9:37 pm
It’s strange responding to someone without knowing their name, but I do respect your desire for anonymity. So for now I’ll just call you Jane. Hope you don’t mind.
Jane,
I realize we come from different perspectives, and that greatly influences our reading of the Christian Scriptures. I simply don’t see anywhere in the Bible where God legitimizes slavery or polygamy. I see plenty of examples where these things were practiced, but it’s a great leap from those examples to show that God himself somehow condoned this. That is not to say that there aren’t some actions of God, in the Bible, which are difficult to reconcile with the idea of a loving God. I admit, I don’t understand everything God has done in the past. There are some things at which I scratch my head. Some of your claims against the Bible are understandable. If I did not know God myself, I would have some of the same questions for His followers as you do.
It’s clear you are intelligent, and have a good understanding of what the Bible says. It’s also clear you think the Christian God is far, far from good. If you start with the premise that God is evil, and approach the Bible in that way, you will find plenty of examples with which to fortify your belief. If, however, you start with the premise that God is good, you will not find anything in the Bible to change your mind. I know it’s hard to understand why a loving God would do some of the things recorded in the Bible. I can only tell you, as I’ve walked with God through some of these difficult questions, He’s made His goodness clear in the midst of what, at times, does not seem so good on the surface. For you, some of these answers would not be adequate. I understand that. Apart from knowing God himself, there are many things that would not make sense. But I can tell you, from experience, that God is good. That probably isn’t enough of an answer for you, but it has been for me.
Accusing God from a distance is much different than asking God hard questions as a friend. He is there, ready and able to show you who He really is. It all depends on what you want. I’m not going to argue you out of what you already believe. That would impossible. Likewise, there’s no way you could ever convince me that God is evil. I know Him much better than that. But I do understand your perspective, even if I don’t agree. I pray, in time, you may come to know Him better than you do now. Until then, we’ll just have accept that you and I see God in very different ways. That doesn’t bother me. I hope that doesn’t bother you either.
J a s o n
Graham
November 1, 2012 at 6:31 pm
J Randall I think your analysis is spot on and how most Christians would read it. Teachings like The Corinthian call to love, the Beatitudes, the Golden rule, the Faith and Grace chapters’ the sacrificial death of Christ are the culmination of the ancient narrative from many to one God. The bumpy ride of human nature through the culture of that time and their relationship with God both real and perceived, eventually leading to emerging understanding in the teachings of Jesus and which provided the bedrock for western culture and systems of justice. This led Wilberforce to fight for the abolition of slavery, He understood the gospel teaching about equality of souls which we now take for granted. If slavery were central to Christian teaching we would all be keeping slaves today. There are many forms of modern day slavery, some of those reported in my local town are deeply exploitative but none have been organised by our local churches.
J. Randall Stewart
November 1, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Thanks Graham. We are all sinful people, doing everyday things which do not reflect God’s character at all. It’s unfortunate that these can, at times, become fodder for those looking to discredit God through the falible actions of His followers. Many, in this vain, like to focus only on the bad things some Christians have done, while making no attempt to consider all the good that has also come by the hands of other Christians. But we are a sorry lot, always struggling towards the good goal which Christ has set before us, and we should not fault others for a lack of grace which we also, at times, fail to give in return. Keep up the good work. Truth will out, as they say. Until then, grace and peace be yours in Christ,
J a s o n
Graham
November 4, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Hello Jason Peace -meaning wholeness and completeness. Whilst its true we are all in error its good to envisage the extraordinary good that human beings are capable of, particularly in the holy spirit. Whilst sin separates us from God faith and grace brings us home. In Christ all day long and for eternity. Graham
Ahab
November 8, 2012 at 4:58 pm
I’m a little late to the party, but rest assured I voted based on Biblical values. People who wear polyester, shave, trim their hair, or fail to destroy their houses when they find mildew in the shower are deserving of condemnation.
I’d also vote for sacrificing hefers, but it wasn’t on the ballot in my state.
Graham
November 9, 2012 at 11:48 am
Congratulations to Barack Obama on his victory. Ahab i am sure that most Americans voted on that basis.