In all this talk about Rob Bell’s theology…I find it fascinating in this 2006 interview by Newsweek that Billy Graham sounds like he’d agree with Bell’s book!
“A unifying theme of Graham’s new thinking is humility. He is sure and certain of his faith in Jesus as the way to salvation. When asked whether he believes heaven will be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or secular people, though, Graham says: “Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won’t … I don’t want to speculate about all that. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have.” Such an ecumenical spirit may upset some Christian hard-liners, but in Graham’s view, only God knows who is going to be saved: “As an evangelist for more than six decades, Mr. Graham has faithfully proclaimed the Bible’s Gospel message that Jesus is the only way to Heaven,” says Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross. “However, salvation is the work of Almighty God, and only he knows what is in each human heart.””
What do you do with that? Is Billy Graham a heretic?
If he is, than so am I. And if he is, he is one of the most endearing, universally-respected heretics modern Christianity has ever “produced.”
Saying Graham is a heretic is a nice way of putting it.
Graham has been on national TV interviews saying he no longer believes that Jesus is the only way. Graham says he has “mellowed.”
Jesus not the only way?
That is not even Christianity.
Billy Graham is one more example of men exalted by men over the Word of God.