Billy Graham, 99, Dies; Pastor Filled Stadiums and Counseled Presidents

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times

The Rev. Billy Graham, a North Carolina farmers son who preached to millions in stadium events he called crusades, becoming a pastor to presidents and the nations best-known Christian evangelist for more than 60 years, died on Wednesday at his home. He was 99.

Mr. Graham had dealt with a number of illnesses in his last years, including prostate cancer, hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid in the brain) and symptoms of Parkinsons disease.

Mr. Graham spread his influence across the country and around the world through a combination of religious conviction, commanding stage presence and shrewd use of radio, television and advanced communication technologies.

A central achievement was his encouraging evangelical Protestants to regain the social influence they had once wielded, reversing a retreat from public life that had begun when their efforts to challenge evolution theory were defeated in the Scopes trial in 1925.



Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/obituaries/billy-graham-dead.html

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NYT whipped out their read-made obit so have included that above. Previously -

Evangelist Billy Graham dies at 99

Billy Graham, one of the world's most famous Christian evangelists, has died, a family spokesman said today. He was 99.

Graham died at his home this morning, the spokesman said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/evangelist-billy-graham-dies-99/story?id53241650

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JUST IN: Christian evangelist Rev. Billy Graham has died at age 99

Link to tweet

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MSNBC
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@MSNBC

JUST IN: Christian evangelist Rev. Billy Graham has died at age 99

"He was an extraordinary man." - Joe
8:18 AM - Feb 21, 2018

[KG]

1. !

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Cue tRump making a big show and paroxysms of grief among the evangelical tRump supporters. . . nt

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Now he will know the truth.

[Grins]

16. Bwahhahahahaha! (N/M)

[hueymahl]

33. Or not

If there is nothing to know then he is just dead.

[KWR65]

36. Well he is dead regardless if there is an afterlife or not.

[mobeau69]

4. He scared the shit out of a lot of people for a long time.

[dalton99a]

5. Opportunistic self-righteous self-promoting Bible-thumping hypocrite

He should have aborted the piece of shit son

[lastlib]

18. at the very least, let him run down his leg......

THAT is an obituary I will read with great satisfaction.

[Butterflylady]

6. Yeah, "he was an extraordinary man"

Sure was extraordinary at fleecing people.

[dalton99a]

8. Tsk, tsk. The Lord accepts love offerings

Adultery is optional, but strongly encouraged

[Dr Hobbitstein]

7. About fucking time. Nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. "Joe"? The average one, I presume, to be quoted without any other name (nt)

[liberal N proud]

10. Meh!

[stonecutter357]

11. .

[MANative]

12. Buh bye

"Counseled presidents" infuriates me to near irrationality.

[alarimer]

13. I didn't know he was still alive.

I thought he died years ago.

[PatSeg]

30. So I'm not the only one

I really thought he had died already.

[spike jones]

14. At the time of the JFK murder,

and the whole country was crying, Billy Graham was on the radio saying, “This is a wonderful opportunity. People who have not been to church in years will be in church now. This is a wonderful opportunity.” Fuck Billy Graham.

[Javaman]

15. good riddance to bad rubbish. nt

[deminks]

17. Flimflam man. Flimflammery. Flimflam artist. To flimflam.

I know, ma, I am not supposed to speak ill of the dead...

[LittleGirl]

19. The leader of the conservative evangelicals.

and the reason why we can't have anything nice in our country. He turned a generation into idiots for Jesus.
He helped to bring us where we are now.
I will celebrate his death but not his life.
so be it.

[Grins]

20. Now he can meet his old friend Nixon and talk about "the Jews..."

Nixon tapes, after a prayer breakfast (of all things) on Jews and their perceived media influence, Feb. 1, 1972:

Graham: "This stranglehold has got to be broken or the country's going down the drain."

Nixon: "You believe that?"

Graham: "Yes, sir."

Nixon: "Oh, boy. So do I. I can't ever say that, but I believe it."

Graham: "No, but if you get elected a second time, then we might be able to do something."


Graham, always ready to buck-up the bigots and tell 'em what they wanted to hear.

[edbermac]

21. If you can't say something nice about people, don't say anything at all.

I have nothing to say about Billy Graham.

[Aristus]

28. "If you can't say something nice about someone,

come sit right here next to me!" - Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

Say whatever you want...

[Danmel]

45. I thought that was Mae West.

But you can definitely sit next to me to badmouth Billy Graham.

[tenderfoot]

22. He's all yours Beelzebub

Evil bastard.

[bullwinkle428]

23. I'm so old, I can remember when he was the most embarrassing

preacher in his own family!

[erpowers]

34. Please Explain

When was he the most embarrassing preacher in his own family and why was he the most embarrassing preacher in his own family? Was that before Franklin Graham?

[NurseJackie]

24. I can't think of anything nice to say. So...

[old guy]

25. 99 huh. Well you know the old saying;

"Only the good die young".

[RKP5637]

26. Good Riddance!!!

[Pope George Ringo II]

27. There's a phrase which now applies to him

"Late and unlamented." I will try not to smile too much about his death.

[jb5150]

29. Who was it who said ...

"I've never killed anyone, but I have read a few obituaries with great satisfaction".

[Iggo]

31. Every time I can't think of who said it, I say it was Winston Churchill.

[DavidDvorkin]

32. Mark Twain, I think.

[kimbutgar]

35. Satan is happy his son returned home today.

[Leftofinsane]

37. Snake Oil

He was a very good snake oil salesman. His son, not so much.

[LovingA2andMI]

38. Who Cares??

Seriously, who cares?

[gay texan]

39. Why God, WHY!!

Why didn't you take Pat Robertson as well?????

[UpInArms]

40. All people bring joy

Some when they walk in

Some when they go out

[pwb]

41. Got nothing good to say so?

That is his legacy with me.

[jmowreader]

42. The gates of Hell have opened and the demons are singing

Seriously, guys...since transcendence is one of those nice stories we tell our children to get them past the idea that death means you’re here in all your glory one second and a lump of meat on the ground the next, your heaven or hell consists of the memories we leave behind us.

I remember he convinced thousands of people to send him money they really couldn’t spare so Billy Graham could run around the world glorifying Billy Graham.

[Yonnie3]

43. I have not followed what Billy Graham has been doing for many years.

For what it is worth.

He refused to segregate his religious services and he put black preachers in the pulpit. He pissed off many white segregationists in the south.

He was a friend of MLK and bailed him out of jail.

At some point he seemed to get to a 'my country right or wrong' stance. Perhaps this was regarding the Vietnam "police action," I guess. I tuned him out 30+ years ago.

[Behind the Aegis]

44. To paraphrase Bette Davis...

"You should never say bad things about the dead, only good… Billy Graham is dead. Good.”

[dchill]

46. Going home to be with Supply Side Jesus.