As they lurched through a blinding snowstorm over Tokyo, the Rev. Billy Graham watched as the nervous pilot focused single-mindedly on his cockpit instruments.<\/p>\n\n
When it came time to land that plane, the pilot and the air-traffic controllers followed a dogmatic set of rules. They were intolerant of errors, and Graham was thankful for that.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI did not want these men to be broad-minded,\u201d he said, in a sermon that is currently circulating on the Internet. \u201cI knew that our lives depended on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
There are times, said the evangelist, when tolerance is bad. For centuries, Christians have proclaimed that the journey from earth to heaven is like any other difficult journey. It is crucial to have accurate directions and a trustworthy pilot, when souls are at stake. Thus, Jesus said: \u201cI am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Jesus is intolerant, said Graham, when it comes to matters of salvation.<\/p>\n\n
Try defending that stance on CNN. By the end of 1999, pundits and politicos were starting to suggest that evangelism equals hate speech.<\/p>\n\n
The anonymous person who launched this text into cyberspace, with the title \u201cJesus was not tolerant,\u201d has a good memory and a nose for news. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association\u2019s records indicate that this sermon was delivered in 1956, before being published as an evangelistic tract in 1957, 1984 and 1996.<\/p>\n\n
The bottom line: If the world\u2019s most famous evangelist preached the same sermon today, it would make headlines and draw flack on the evening news. It would be hard to imagine anyone making a more inflammatory statement than the one attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John: \u201cHe who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Questions about heaven, hell and salvation have been lurking between the lines of many news stories. Politicians want to bless new ties binding the government and \u201cfaith-based charities,\u201d so long as workers don\u2019t proselytize. GOP frontrunner George W. Bush said Jesus saved his soul and that other people may not understand what that means. Evangelical military chaplains have said they are being told to preach safe, non-judgmental sermons \u2013 or else.<\/p>\n\n
While visiting India, Pope John Paul II said \u201cthere can be no true evangelization without the explicit proclamation of Jesus as Lord.\u201d The heir to Graham\u2019s pulpit \u2013 his son Franklin \u2013 angered many non-evangelicals when he urged non-Christians at the Columbine High School memorial service to turn to Jesus, before it was too late. The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n\n
Leaders of the 15.8 million-member Southern Baptist Convention have repeatedly refused to cease their efforts to evangelize all non-Christians \u2013 including Jews, Muslims and Hindus. The interfaith Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago cried \u201cfoul\u201d and said an upcoming Southern Baptist evangelistic push \u201ccould contribute to a climate conducive to hate crimes\u201d in the city.<\/p>\n\n
Asked about President Clinton\u2019s view of this controversy, press secretary Joe Lockhart said the Southern Baptist in the White House is convinced that one of the new century\u2019s major challenges will be \u201cdealing with intolerance and coming to grips with the long-held resentments between religions. So I think he\u2019s been very clear in his opposition to whatever organizations, including the Southern Baptists, that perpetuate ancient religious hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Southern Baptist leaders immediately cried \u201cfoul,\u201d accused Lockhart of being hateful and called for his resignation. The Rev. Morris Chapman, president of the SBC\u2019s executive committee, said: \u201cIt is the right of every person to agree or disagree with the internal doctrines of Christianity, but we believe for any governmental office to endeavor to pressure Christians to change their doctrines or practices is improper and reprehensible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
This conflict will not fade away.<\/p>\n\n
There is no question that the First Amendment protects the free speech of non-Christians and others who are offended by intolerant, narrow-minded Christians who proclaim that Jesus is the only savior for all of humankind. Right now, the question appears to be whether Christian evangelists will retain their right to preach that message in the public square.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As they lurched through a blinding snowstorm over Tokyo, the Rev. Billy Graham watched as the nervous pilot focused single-mindedly on his cockpit instruments. When it came time to land that plane, the pilot and the air-traffic controllers followed a dogmatic set of rules. They were intolerant of errors, and Graham was thankful for that. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":610,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n