If there is no real HEAVEN
to which the
"ever-virgin"
Mary, "mother
of God" has
ascended, then |
 |
quite a few of
age-old RC
beliefs and
traditions are
groundless...... |
1a ......and Protestants, who doubted that this was true
since Martin Luther's days, and
before...have been
right, after all!
2a..........However, Protestant Evangelists, especially
Baptists, depend on Heaven and
Hell,
especially HELL, to win converts
and keep
their churches full......Which
may be why Billy
Graham disagreed heartily with
the Pope....
at least as interviewed by the
"SUN" of
August 17, 1999!
"BILLY GRAHAM: Known as 'America's
minister' for decades....
3a....Billy Graham has discussed his views on the afterlife
in hundreds of
sermons, lectures and books.
4a...."There are certainly cases, including that
of my own mother, when
a dying person may be given a glimpse
of Heaven,' he says. 'The
5a....experience of death is but a gateway to an eternity
of conscious life
after death."
6a....."The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of
the best-attested facts of
history, and demonstrates that
there is life beyond the grave."
7a....."To the repentant thief on the cross, Jesus
said; 'Today shall thou
be with me in paradise.' This would
indicate that the soul of a
Christian at death goes immediately
to be with the Lord in glory."
8a......"At the same time, that is not the final state
of the believer, for
at the resurrection, the bodies
and souls of believers will be
reunited and will be given a glorified
body which will live
forever in God's presence."
9a.........For Graham, the afterlife is a place of unfolding
knowledge,
but also of cherishing our memories
of life on earth....The main
10a.....torment of Hell, he says, is the regrets of what
we know we
should have done.
11a........Heaven's rewards include the joy of faithfulness
and being
reunited with those who have passed
on before us.
12a......"We will recognize our loved ones in Heaven,
and they will
recognize us....Furthermore, the
Bible indicates that we will
13a......know them in a far deeper and closer way than was
ever
14a.......possible on earth -- and without the imperfections
and sins
that mar our human relationships
on Earth."
15a..........Graham points to the Bible verse...1 Corinthians
13:12 --
which reads: "Now we see but
a poor reflection; then we
16a.........shall see face to face...Now I know in part; then
I shall
know fully, even as I am fully
known."
Note that superficially, Billy
Graham seems to be agreeing
with the Jesuits and Pope John
Paul II, but actually he is not,
saying that Heaven and Hell are
REAL PLACES, and the torments
of Hell are REAL, and one
supposes, ongoing and eternal.....To
support these ideas, that are CRITICAL
to the ongoing success
and continued support of Evangelical
Evangelism, Pastor Graham
refers to certain Bible texts and
ideas long held to be true by not
only Protestants of all denominations,
but also Roman Catholics!
What ever has possessed the Jesuits
and this present Pope to
DENY even PARTIALLY, what for 2000 years MOST of
the religious world has held to
be uniquivocally true!?!!
This will be our first subject of the
"Saints" series, in which I will defend
the Jesuits and the Pope on at least this
issue, since their decision to make a
change here is based on logic, study,
and 2000 years of experience, as well
as some concern for the future of the
world's population, while
Pastor Graham
is only parroting what he has always believed,
and what his
fellow preachers NEED to continue to manipulate
people's
lives for a profit!
The numbers [1a, 2a, etc] on the left are so we
can easily refer
back to Pastor Billy Graham's statements or beliefs,
as reported
in the Sun Tabloid as we examine each of these long-held
and cherished traditions critically!
Billy Graham's Rebuttal......................Quit
for now