Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum << Prev Page of 2
Topic: Billy Graham, 1918-2018 Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
Dale Lerette
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 24 March 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 750
Posted: 24 February 2018 at 6:06pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

I understand that others disagree, but I feel we lost a good man with this one. He was influential for me years ago when I considered joining the ministerial services. At that time I never fully followed the path. But I’ve never completely forgotten.
Back to Top profile | search | www e-mail
 
Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
Posted: 25 February 2018 at 11:27am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Brian O'Neill - what the hell? I made a comment about his passing and its treatment... and I "blew the thread"? Was this intended for just reverent comments only? It's not even your topic.

I'm sorry if I offended you by making an observation. I'm NOT sorry about my analysis of what he did, and wondering why he deserves such treatment.

Oh, and I didn't say anything about religion vs. atheism. I was specifically referring to the subject of this topic. As for me being tiresome and having my head stuck irretrievably up my ass... well, I am what I am and that's all that I am. Luckily, I can position my glasses on posterior so that I can still see to type... :)
Back to Top profile | search
 
Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4410
Posted: 25 February 2018 at 12:49pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

While he did contrubute to the blurring of your separation of church and state, he wasn't Jerry Falwell. I have some respect for things he said and stood by, such as making it clear to people all over the world that Jesus of Nazareth would not have been this white robin hood wispy bearded cat wearing pink and blue baby blankets. It also seems he admitted to some anti-Semitic moments, or at least going along with people (Nixon) when they started in with those 'jokes' and tried to repent/make up for it. For all the self-proclaimed 'saved' people though, why are things still such a mess? Or are they all eating that pie in the sky in the sweet by-and-by with the good Rev. right now while we struggle on down here? Hoo nose, even if there is a mustard seed of truth so often things get embroidered by crap we make up and then fool ourselves with over and over.

I'm sure he meant well to some extent, there were lots and lots worse, but the road to the ouchy place is paved with such good intentions, right? Jimmy Carter built houses, but he got lots of things wrong, because we all have blind spots and need each other here in midgaard where everything always ends up half-fubed. One of the most important bits in the collected writings of various times and places we call 'The Holy Bible' is against praying in public. The more of it I see the less I trust. A Christian takes up the cross (burden) and does knowing hidden things are known to 'Him' and will be revealed. If it's not a burden, not actual acts of faith, paying it forward, sowing hope and humanity, it's some kind of showing off thing and those folks have "their reward already". I leave final judgement of Rev. Graham to a creator should there be one, knowing I do not know enough. All kinds of people get aggrandized who 'don't deserve it', that's just part of middle earth being half messed up.

"Further along we'll know more about it, further along we'll understand why"?
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
David Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 2997
Posted: 03 March 2018 at 8:05am | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Trump ordered the nation's flags hang at half staff yesterday in honor of Graham. (He didn't manage to get them lowered at his DC hotel, though.) Like Marc, I agree his carcass being displayed at the Capitol is inappropriate and this latest genuflection even more so. Rational Americans have been polite enough. 

Back to Top profile | search | www e-mail
 
Shane Matlock
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 August 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 1760
Posted: 03 March 2018 at 9:02am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

My grandmother and father were huge Billy Graham fans. I never got the love. Even as a kid when I was being indoctrinated with their fairy tale nonsense I found Graham's preaching incredibly boring (though that tended to be the case with most preachers, then and now). As far as rich televangelists who got rich off of other people's superstitions (and possibly their own), Graham was one of the less odious of the bunch, possibly because he was mostly unobtrusive and never got caught in any major sex scandals. I'd never even heard about his anti-Semitism. Yikes. But the Christian religion, for something that professes to be about love, seems to instill a lot of hate in people. 

All of that said, condolences to his family.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 30833
Posted: 03 March 2018 at 9:54am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

One of my patients the other brought up Graham being displayed at the Capitol and was so excited he taped it and was going home to rewatch it as soon as he left our office. I tried to act disinterested enough that he would get the message that I didn’t give a fuck, but I must’ve done a poor job because he just kept going on about him. 
Back to Top profile | search
 
David Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 2997
Posted: 03 March 2018 at 10:17am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

People insinuated by religion often don't realize how much they take it unconsciously as a given. I was raised Catholic, or more accurately raised in a household by a mother who was raised Catholic and sometimes enforced it, and I realized the other day while I cotton to none of the teachings, I frequently invoke Catholic imagery in subtle ways, such as saying, "I won't wash my hands of this matter," or describing chronic pain in my hands, arms and shoulders in terminology from the Crucifixion.
Back to Top profile | search | www e-mail
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

<< Prev Page of 2
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login