Billy Graham statue scheduled to be unveiled at US Capitol next week: 'Great honor'

[Michie]

Faith leader's life to be highlighted by 7-foot bronze statue​

FIRST ON FOX: A new Billy Graham statue is going to be placed at the U.S. Capitol building next week, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shared with Fox News Digital on Monday afternoon.

Continued below.

Billy Graham statue scheduled to be unveiled at US Capitol next week: 'Great honor'

A new statue of faith leader Billy Graham is to be unveiled at the U.S. Capitol building on May 16, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association told Fox News Digital on Monday.

www.foxnews.com

 

[AlexB23]

Faith leader's life to be highlighted by 7-foot bronze statue​

FIRST ON FOX: A new Billy Graham statue is going to be placed at the U.S. Capitol building next week, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shared with Fox News Digital on Monday afternoon.

Continued below.

Billy Graham statue scheduled to be unveiled at US Capitol next week: 'Great honor'

A new statue of faith leader Billy Graham is to be unveiled at the U.S. Capitol building on May 16, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association told Fox News Digital on Monday.

www.foxnews.com

I am a Christian, and I feel that statues are a form of idolatry, as stated in the 10 commandments. Yes, statues can be works of art, especially Greek and Roman ones, but idolizing a figure, nah... Instead, why not put up a statue of Jesus?

 

[FireDragon76]

I don't think a statue of Graham belongs in the nation's capitol in that manner, in the US capitol building. Graham is a figure too obviously tied to religious sectarianism, in a country that is increasingly religiously diverse.

 

[AlexB23]

I don't think a statue of Graham belongs in the nation's capitol in that manner, in the US capitol building. Graham is a figure too obviously tied to religious sectarianism, in a country that is increasingly religiously diverse.

I agree 100%. In fact, no religious statues should be present in a government building.

Exodus 20:4-6 states "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

 

[Vambram]

As far as I know, nobody is worshipping any of the various statues in government buildings. The purpose of those statues is to honor someone and the importance of that person in American history.

 

[AlexB23]

As far as I know, nobody is worshipping any of the various statues in government buildings. The purpose of those statues is to honor someone and the importance of that person in American history.

That is understandable, but we must be careful that no one begins to start praising him.

 

[Joseph G]

I don't think he would be happy about it at all. You'd think his Evangelic Association had never listened to any of his sermons.

 

[Vambram]

I don't think he would be happy about it at all. You'd think his Evangelic Association had never listened to any of his sermons.

I believe that his son, Franklin Graham, is better able to determine than any of the rest of us as to whether or not Billy Graham would be happy about this statue.

 

[Tuur]

When I saw the topic, I thought it was the Billy Graham statue that was in front of Lifeway in Nashville.` A check turned up that this statue is now in North Carolina at a Lifeway conference center.

 

[FireDragon76]

I don't think he would be happy about it at all. You'd think his Evangelic Association had never listened to any of his sermons.

I don't think the "canonization" of Billy Graham is a good thing, especially in a public building dedicated to performing the role of government. He preached a sectarian message based on fundamentalist Christianity, he criticized the civil rights movement when Martin Luther King appealed to the consciences of white pastors, and was an enthusiastic supporter of war in Vietnam and Iraq.

 

[Vambram]

Billy Graham statue to be unveiled in US Capitol: 'Great honor'

The late evangelist Billy Graham will take his place next week among 200 Americans honored with a statue in the U S Capitol in Washington, D C

www.christianpost.com

The late evangelist Billy Graham will take his place next week among 200 Americans honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Graham's statue will be unveiled next Thursday during an 11 a.m. ceremony that will be attended by musician Michael W. Smith, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. and other congressional representatives, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced.
The bronze sculpture, designed by an artist from Graham's birthplace of Charlotte, North Carolina, will stand seven feet tall on a pedestal and depict him gesturing toward an open Bible in his hand as a symbol of his life's work.
The pedestal will be engraved with John 3:16 and John 14:6, and Graham will be proclaimed as a "Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., who played a role in the bipartisan effort to place the statue in the Capitol, praised Graham's ministry in a statement.
"The legacy of Rev. Billy Graham is based on his simple message of forgiveness based on John 3:16. His lifelong commitment to preaching the Gospel, his fight for civil rights, his opposition to communism, and his spiritual guidance provided hope to hundreds of millions," he said.
"He was the first private citizen from North Carolina to lie in honor in the United States Capitol and his likeness should stand in the U.S. Capitol forever," Budd added.

In his last message to Americans, released on his 95th birthday in 2013, Graham expressed grief over the spiritual state of the U.S., saying, "There have been times when I've wept, as I've gone from city to city and I've seen how far people have wandered from God."
When he died in 2018 at 99, Graham became the fourth American citizen to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Over his ministry spanning eight decades, he counseled 12 U.S. presidents and preached in person to nearly 215 million people in 185 countries and territories, more than anyone in history.

 

[iluvatar5150]

I believe that his son, Franklin Graham, is better able to determine than any of the rest of us as to whether or not Billy Graham would be happy about this statue.

Franklin lost that ability a long time ago.

 

[Vambram]

Franklin lost that ability a long time ago.

Don't you think that you are being more than just a little presumptuous and judgmental?

 

[iluvatar5150]

Don't you think that you are being more than just a little presumptuous and judgmental?

Judgmental? Of course it is.

Presumptuous? I suppose. After all, it is possible that he still retains the ability to determine what would've made his father happy and just chooses to ignore it.

 

[Vambram]

Judgmental? Of course it is.

Presumptuous? I suppose. After all, it is possible that he still retains the ability to determine what would've made his father happy and just chooses to ignore it.

Were you a close personal friend to Billy Graham? Did Billy Graham confide in you stuff which his eldest son did not know?

In my mind, your presumptuous judgmentalism against Franklin Graham and Billy Graham is no different than if I were to presume that I know more about what your own parents would feel about something than you yourself, sir.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Were you a close personal friend to Billy Graham? Did Billy Graham confide in you stuff which his eldest son did not know?

In my mind, your presumptuous judgmentalism against Franklin Graham and Billy Graham is no different than if I were to presume that I know more about what your own parents would feel about something than you yourself, sir.

I'm just going by what Billy said publicly:

Q & A: Billy Graham

The evangelist says he "sometimes crossed the line" in politics, "old age can be a lonely time," and warns evangelicals of being "victims of our own success."

www.christianitytoday.com

Q: If you could, would you go back and do anything differently?

A: ....I also would have steered clear of politics. I'm grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn't do that now.

FACT CHECK: Did Billy Graham Warn Against Mixing Religion and Politics?

The evangelical leader said in a 1981 profile that people in his position "can't be closely identified with any particular party or person."

www.snopes.com

Franklin, OTOH, hasn't just crossed that line, he's gone diving over it like it's the 0 yard line.

 

[Vambram]

Nowhere in those quotes from Billy Graham did he indicate that it would be wrong to be honored as an important person in American history. That is what those various different statues of those 200 Americans are doing.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Nowhere in those quotes from Billy Graham did he indicate that it would be wrong to be honored as an important person in American history. That is what those various different statues of those 200 Americans are doing.

In hindsight, it seems my earlier comments were less clear than I'd realized. When I said that Franklin had lost his ability to determine whether his father would be happy with something, I wasn't intending to refer to the statue specifically (though, in light of the comments to which I was responding, that would be a perfectly reasonable inferrence). I neither know nor particularly care what either of them would think of the statue. What I was trying to do was be snarky and claim that Franklin doesn't know what his father would like, given how completely he's abandoned his father's desire to separate religion and politics.

 

[Michie]

Updated: May 10, 2024

Billy Graham Statue to Be Unveiled in U.S. Capitol: He ‘Provided Hope’ to Millions

Six years after the famous evangelist’s passing, a statue of Billy Graham will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol next week as part of a ceremony and honor bestowed upon few Americans.

www.crosswalk.com

 

[Sir Joseph]

Faith leader's life to be highlighted by 7-foot bronze statue​

FIRST ON FOX: A new Billy Graham statue is going to be placed at the U.S. Capitol building next week, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shared with Fox News Digital on Monday afternoon.

Continued below.

Billy Graham statue scheduled to be unveiled at US Capitol next week: 'Great honor'

A new statue of faith leader Billy Graham is to be unveiled at the U.S. Capitol building on May 16, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association told Fox News Digital on Monday.

www.foxnews.com

Allow me to add another perspective.

Despite what's taught by our educational system today and accepted by the masses, America was founded by protestant Christians and specifically established upon Christian Biblical values. For 300+ years, the Christian faith and Bible scriptures were not only accepted universally by society, but intertwined thoroughly within the government, school system, and public laws. There are numerous books, articles, and videos proving this point - none of which are taught in our educational system today.

A tide shift started in 1947 with the first of 16 Supreme Court rulings moving America towards a secular society, not only rejecting God's hand in the nation's affairs, but betraying our founding fathers' clear and written intentions. We've seen the cultural impact over the past 75 years, but a huge representation of America's Christian heritage remains permeating throughout our society. Be it the nation's historical documents, the bases for our jurisprudence system, the presence of hundreds of thousands of churches, the names of hundreds of towns and streets, or the countless monuments and symbols we still see today, America has been and continues to be a Christian nation - though sadly less so with each passing decade.

As a Christian who recognizes and appreciates God's providential hand in the establishment and prosperity of America and who recognizes and appreciates the Christian principles that our founding fathers ingrained into the new Republic, I oppose the current cultural trend of people who wish to reject God from the public (and private) arena via the misguided notion of separation of church and state. And thus, I'm pleased to see any monument erected that glorifies God or supports the Christian heritage of this country. Can such a monument legally or appropriately be installed on the Capital grounds? Yes, as indicated already by the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials already in place that are supplemented with Christian references, as well as dozens of other symbols and sayings displayed throughout the area's government buildings.

I understand that Billy Graham had some unbiblical doctrinal views and is thus not a perfect Christian representative. But, there's no arguing the impact he had upon America through the 60's and 70's revival era. His short, simple, Gospel message reached hundreds of millions of people throughout the world - probably influencing more people to Christ than any other preacher in human history. He is thus an extraordinary, significant, influential man in America's history - deserving of a monument. I'd expect ungodly people to disdain public recognition for such a man, but not anyone who supports America's Christian heritage and respect the people who've contributed significantly to it.