“I’ve found that my beliefs are essentially the
same as those of orthodox Roman Catholics.”
– Billy Graham
BILLY GRAHAM AND ROME
by Chris Pinto
“I’ve found that my beliefs are essentially the
same as those of orthodox Roman Catholics.”
– Billy Graham 1
To understand Billy Graham, his involvement in the Ecumenical Movement, and why he would accept something like the Templeton Award, we must understand his relationship with Rome. While the principles of ecumenism can be traced back for centuries (through the Gnostics, Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and of course the Parliament of World Religions) it was Rome’s Vatican II that “officially” launched the modern ecumenical movement. Vatican II opened the doors of Roman Catholicism (which the world largely views as the oldest form of Christianity) to all other religions of the world. This is why Vatican II is often referred to as “the ecumenical council.” As such, as the relationship of Billy Graham developed with the Vatican and the popes, his views became increasingly ecumenical. This has confused many people because they don’t make the Rome-connection. Graham, like many other Protestant Evangelicals, seems to be working to fulfill – not the Great Commission – but the mandate of Vatican II. Once this is understood, the rest of what Billy Graham has done begins to make sense.
The subject of Graham and Rome has been handled by many Christian writers, not the least of which is Ewin Wilson in his book, The Assimilation of Evangelist Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic Church. Wilson writes:
"For some unexplainable or even mysterious
reason, Billy Graham is unable to discern the
theological, moral, and spiritual soul of Roman
Catholicism. Likewise, he has failed to grasp,
or worse still, has chosen to ignore the historical
character of the entire Vatican system. Instead,
he has chosen to become attracted, impressed,
and finally to honor and follow the Holy See.
The result has been a tragic failure on his part
to understand the difference between the truth
of God's Word and the utter blackness of
Roman Catholicism …” 5
A Catholic Agenda
Among the chief agents of the papacy are the Knights of Malta. It was two very powerful Knights of Malta, William Randolph Hearst and Henry Luce that made “Billy Graham” a household name. Hearst was the founder and president of a newspaper empire, and was openly known as a liar and manipulator of information. Perhaps the most notorious example of his dishonesty comes from the story of a reporter who was sent to cover a war story. “When the reporter cabled back that there was no war in progress and that he was ready to come home, Hearst reportedly wired back, ‘Please remain. You supply the pictures, and I'll supply the war.’”1 The term “yellow journalism” was originally coined to describe his journalistic practices. This same Hearst ordered his editors to “Puff Graham,” something that Graham himself acknowledged. In a later on-camera interview, the famous evangelist appeared bewildered when describing how certain reporters had told him, “You’ve just been kissed by William Randolph Hearst.” Meanwhile, Henry Luce was the founder of TIME, LIFE, and Fortune magazines, not to mention Sports Illustrated, who in 1961 was called “the giant of twentieth-century American journalism …” by Current Biography. He was also a Yale graduate, and member of the Skull & Bones Society. Henry Luce had articles specifically written about Billy Graham, and put him on the cover of TIME magazine in 1954. The rest, as we know, is history.
It was Luce, along with Hearst who are said to be most influential in making Graham the chief spokesman of Protestant Christianity. This is odd when one considers that both Hearst and Luce were members of a devout Catholic order that openly declares its purpose is “service to … the Holy Father (i.e. the pope).”2 Was it their intent to create a kind of “Protestant Pope” to guide the beliefs of non-Catholics? Whether they intended this or not, that is exactly what Billy Graham would become.
The Gospel according to Antichrist
“There was a pause in the conversation; suddenly the Pope's arm shot out and he grabbed the lapels of my coat, he pulled me forward within inches of his own face. He fixed his eyes on me and said, 'Listen Graham, we are brothers'" – Billy Graham, on his meeting with Pope John Paul II, (6/8/89, Today).8
"Shouldest thou help the wicked, and
love them who hate the Lord?"
(2 Chronicles 19:2)
In John’s second epistle, he specifically warned against endorsing those who reject or compromise the gospel. Such deceivers are called “antichrist” and not coincidentally, they teach doctrines that will ultimately usher in the reign of Antichrist. John wrote:
“For many deceivers are entered into the
world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and
an antichrist …. He that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father
and the Son. If there come any unto you,
and bring not this doctrine, receive him not
into your house, neither bid him God speed:
For he that biddeth him God speed is
partaker of his evil deeds.”
(2 John 7, 9-11)
The “doctrine of Christ” that John refers to includes the entire gospel message. It means the “all things whatsoever I have commanded” from the Great Commission (Matt. 28:20). Receiving someone in the biblical sense refers to accepting them as a fellow believer in Christ. Obviously, John was not suggesting that non-Christians should be thrust out of the church simply because they had not yet come to salvation. But his reference is to those who reject the gospel, and preach a deceptive doctrine. Despite this warning, Billy Graham has gone out of his way to endorse nearly every major antichrist teacher of the 20th century. He has, if you will, bid “God speed” to many deceivers and deniers of Christ.
We earlier documented Graham’s acceptance of the Templeton Award. Dave Hunt had this to say about evangelicals who accept the award:
“Obviously, it would be dishonest for anyone to accept the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion who was not in complete sympathy with its purpose and the beliefs behind it. The very acceptance of the prize constitutes an endorsement of all that the prize represents. Nor can any evangelical recipient claim ignorance, for Templeton’s neopagan views have been widely published for years.” (Hunt, Occult Invasion p. 534)
The same can be said for the views of those Billy Graham has supported throughout his career. These are teachers and leaders that impact people all over the world, and their beliefs are almost always well known.
Dr. Cathy Burns dedicated some 800 pages (200 of which are footnotes) to exposing Graham’s antichrist endorsements in her book, Billy Graham and His Friends. The “friends” that the title refers to are an assortment of new age and occult practitioners that have routinely led millions of people into spiritual darkness. One such friend was Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. Hammarskjold was once invited to speak at the World Council of Churches (another one-world group openly supported by Graham), and personally designed one of the most occult epicenters anywhere in the world: the United Nations Meditation Room.
The following quotes come from the official U.N. website. They tell us about Hammarskjold’s original concept for the room, and where the financing for it came from:
In the original plan for the new Headquarters, a
tinyroom had been provided as a place dedicated
to silence, where people could withdraw into
themselves, regardless of their faith, creed or religion,
but Dag Hammarskjöld wanted something more dignified.
In his efforts he was supported by a group, composed
of Christians, Jews, and Moslems, the ‘Friends of the
UN Meditation Room’, who combined their efforts and
provided the money for a room worthy of a world organization.” (UN.org article, “A Room of Quiet, The Meditation Room,
United Nations Headquarters”)
Next, the U.N. goes on to make certain we understand that Hammarskjold “personally planned and supervised in every detail the creation of the ‘Meditation Room,’” and his desire was that this room should be “the center of the United Nations.” In the middle of the room, Hammarskjold place a gift from the King of Sweden, “a six and half-ton block of iron ore, polished on the top and illuminated from above by a single spotlight.” Hammarskjold refers to this block of iron as “a stone” in his written text “to be distributed to the visitors of the room.” Among many other new age sounding declarations, he says the following:
“… the stone in the middle of the room has
more
to tell us. We may see it as an altar, empty not because
there is no God, not because it is an altar to an unknown god,
but because it is dedicated to the God whom man worships
under many names and in many forms.”
It takes little imagination to realize from this quote, (and many others) that Hammarskjold viewed the United Nations as a vehicle for bringing forth the one world religion of Antichrist. The full description of Hammarskjold’s designing process reads like some obsessed witchdoctor planning an incantation; detailing the paint, the benches, etc. Nevertheless, here is what Billy Graham had to say about this new age occultist in his autobiography, Just As I Am:
“In the 1950’s, when I was in New York City,
I would occasionally slip by to visit Dag Hammarskjold,
secretary-general of the United Nations, and
have prayer with him. He was … trying to make
a difference for world peace, in large part
because of his Christian convictions.” 15
Graham deceives millions into thinking that men like Dag Hammarskjold represent “Christianity,” and in doing so, changes the world’s definition of what the Christian faith is truly about.
Graham & Schuller
Another of Graham’s chief endorsements is Robert Schuller, perhaps the greatest anti-Christ wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing of them all. Schuller, who has repeatedly denied the Gospel and pushed new age self-empowerment principles for years, has “the largest TV audience of all the televangelists …” 16 His theology of “self esteem” has reached blasphemous levels as he suggests re-directing the Lord’s Prayer. In his book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, he writes:
“And we can pray, ‘Our Father in heaven,
honorable is our name.’” 17
This same principle of exalting self in place of God is the declaration of Lucifer in Isaiah 14:14, and is directly preached by new age adherents. In a document called “A Course in Miracles,” the opening lines state: “God’s Name is holy, but no holier than yours. To call upon His Name is but to call upon your own.” (A Course in Miracles, Workbook Lesson 183, I call upon God’s Name and on my own). Schuller also redefines “sin.” The Bible defines sin as any disobedience to God; but Schuller, again, re-directs the focus to self:
“Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or
another human being of his or her self-esteem.”
(Burns, p. 114)
Schuller’s delusions are colossal and repetitive. It’s truly amazing that any professing Christian would have anything to do with him. He writes:
“Christianity with its doctrine of salvation is a
faith by God for the glory of the human being
for the greater glory of God. Because of this we
can pray, ‘O God, I am great.’” 19
Meanwhile, the Scriptures warn us that “… in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves …” (2 Tim. 3:1-2) Jesus clearly said that if any man would follow Him, he must “deny himself” (Matt. 16:24), not spend his life worrying about his own self-esteem.
Robert Schuller has pushed the Ecumenical movement as much, if not more, than any leader in the world. Some even report that Schuller “no longer wants to be called a ‘Christian’ because it cuts him off from Hindus and Muslims …” 18 Dr. Cathy Burns exposes Schuller’s agenda to embrace the teachings of Islam – a religion that openly denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Bible tells us:
“He is antichrist, that denieth the Father
and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son,
the same hath not the Father …”
(1 John 2:22-23)
Written upon the Islamic Dome of the Rock (the Al Aqsa Mosque) in Jerusalem is the declaration of the Koran that, “God has no son.” Muslims today have little hesitation about informing people that Jesus is not really God’s Son, and that Christians are engaged in “idolatry” to worship Him. Yet Robert Schuller, who should know better, openly embraces Islam and its anti-Christ doctrine, deceiving millions. Dr. Burns writes:
“Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral actually houses the
offices for a group called ‘Christians and Muslims
for Peace’ (CAMP). Schuller told Imam Alfred
Mohammed of the Muslim American Society he
wouldn’t be bothered if he came back in 100 years
and found that his descendants were Muslims. In
fact, Schuller has recommended and written a
forward to the book More in Common Than You
Think, which ‘declares that Christians and
Muslims are all one in our true worship of God.’
He even had the author speak on his August
28, 1999 program.” (Burns, p. 116)
Meanwhile, Billy Graham has been an ardent supporter of Robert Schuller for many years. Graham has said: “There is no one in all the world I love in Christ more than I do Bob Schuller … He has done some of the greatest things for the kingdom of God of any man in our generation.” 20 Years later, Graham would say, “Robert Schuller is a great man of God, whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop and loose.” 22 Notice how Graham is associating his admiration for this man in the same way John the Baptist spoke about Jesus Christ. This is a pathetic endorsement, given Schuller’s antichristian views. But like Schuller, Graham refuses to speak the truth about Islam:
“On May 30, 1997, on the David Frost program,
Graham said: ‘… I think Islam is misunderstood,
too, because Mohamed has a great respect for
Jesus, and he called Jesus the greatest of the
prophets except for himself. And I think that we’re
closer to Islam than we really think we are.” 21
It seems only appropriate that Graham would choose to openly deny the Gospel of Christ in a television interview on Schuller’s Hour of Power. Robert Schuller asked him, “What do you think is the future of Christianity?” To which, Graham replied:
“Well, Christianity and being a true believer -- you know,
I think there's the Body of Christ. This comes from all
the Christian groups around the world, outside the
Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ,
or knows Christ, whether they're conscious of it or not,
they're members of the Body of Christ ... I think James
answered that, the Apostle James in the first council
in Jerusalem, when he said that God's purpose for this
age is to call out a people for His name. And that's what
God is doing today, He's calling people out of the world
for His name, whether they come from the Muslim world,
or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the
non-believing world, they are members of the Body of
Christ, because they've been called by God. They may
not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their
hearts that they need something that they don't have,
and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think
they are saved, and that they're going to be with us in heaven."
(See our documentary, “Megiddo II: The New Age” to
watch the video clip of this interview)
Despite such testimony, people continue to think of Billy Graham as “the most Christ-like” person they’ve ever seen! When Jesus preached they tried to throw Him off a cliff, stone Him, and ultimately whipped Him, beat Him, and nailed Him to a cross. When Billy Graham preaches, he gets a standing ovation.
The apostle Paul warned about false teachers, and how believers ought to deal with them:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offences contrary
to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them. For they that are such serve not
our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly;
and by good words and fair speeches deceive
the hearts of the simple.”
(Romans 16:17-18)
The Rome Connection
While there are many other examples of antichrist teachers and teachings supported by Graham, they are all like so many roads that lead to Rome. Each endorsement really furthers the Vatican’s purpose of establishing a world religion. This is something that both Billy Graham and Robert Schuller have in common. Both men had numerous “private audiences” with Pope John Paul II during his reign. Schuller specifically flew to Rome and met with the pope to get his “blessing on the building plans for his Crystal Cathedral” (Foundation, March-April, 1990), and has become notorious for saying, “It’s time for Protestants to go to the shepherd [i.e. the pope] and say, ‘what do we have to do to come home?’” (Calvary Contender, Nov. 15, 1987)
Yet the Protestant support of the papacy really begins with Billy Graham, who has supported no less than four popes in succession; John XXIII (who established Vatican II), John Paul I (who died 33 days into his pontificate), John Paul II (probably the most influential pope in a thousand years), and now, Pope Benedict XVI (former Hitler youth member, and ‘Grand Inquisitor’ for the modern Holy Office of the Inquisition). By far, the most significant of these four is Pope John Paul II.
In accordance with Vatican II, Pope John Paul II championed ecumenism like no one else in a thousand years. He kissed the Koran, took the mark of Shiva on his forehead, and allowed the Dalai Lama to remove the cross from a Catholic altar to set up an idol of the Buddha for him and his monks to worship. These things are all well documented, and widely published. It was John Paul II who met with religious leaders from all over the world at Assisi, Italy in 1986, with Muslims, Hindus, snake charmers, American Indian shaman, witchdoctors, Voodoo priests, and a whole host of pagans with whom he prayed for “peace.” At one point, he said to them, “We are all praying to the same god.”
Jesus said that “idolaters … shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8) Since Jesus is the Judge of the living and the dead (2Tim. 4:1), His words ought to be cause for concern. Nevertheless, Billy Graham refused to share this warning with either John Paul or anyone else caught up in the pope’s drive to establish a one world religion. Instead, consider what Graham said in an interview with Larry King, just after John Paul II passed away:
GRAHAM: And tonight, I have a very strange feeling of loss.
I almost feel as though one of my family members has gone.
I loved him very much and had the opportunity of discussing
so many things with him. And we wrote each other several
times during the years.
KING: Did he actually say to you once, "We are brothers'"?
GRAHAM: That's correct. He certainly did. He held my hand
the first time that I met him about 1981 -- he'd just been
Pope for two years when I saw him first. Because when he
was elevated to the papacy, I was preaching in his cathedral
in Krakow that very day. And we had thousands of people
in the streets. And watching the television today of Krakow
has brought back many memories.
KING: You said that he was an Evangelist.
GRAHAM: He was, indeed. He traveled throughout the world
to bring his Christian message to the world.
The pope’s “message” about embracing all religions had been widely reported by world media. The fact that John Paul on at least four different occasions (May 13, 1982, October 16, 1983, March 25, 1984, Dec. 8, 1985) consecrated “the world” to the Virgin Mary was well known. 14 It is unconscionable that any Christian leader could endorse this high priest of pagan practices, yet many professing Christian leaders have, including: Paul & Jan Crouch, Benny Hinn, Jack Van Impe, Robert Schuller, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson – to name a few. CBN founder, Pat Robertson had this to say at Pope John Paul’s death:
“I am deeply grieved as a great man passes from this world
to his much deserved eternal reward. John Paul II has been
the most beloved religious leader of our age –
It was my great honor to meet with him at the residence
of my good friend, Cardinal O’Connor, in New York, and to
sit in the Consistory during the mass he conducted in Central Park.”
-- Pat Robertson, CBN.com article titled, Pat Robertson comments
on Pope John Paul II’s Passing
Notice how Robertson infers that the pope will end up in heaven (right before referring to his “good friend, Cardinal O’Connor”). This view of the pope’s salvation was likewise expressed by Billy Graham in the rest of his interview with Larry King. Bear in mind, that John Paul declared openly to the whole world that he dedicated his life and work to the Virgin Mary. The National Catholic Reporter tells us:
“[The pope’s] motto, Totus Tuus, (Totally yours) signified
his devotion to Mary and his belief she was with him as pope
, a conviction he saw confirmed in the assassination attempt
of May 13, 1981 - the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.”
(National Catholic Reporter Online, The Death of the Pope/
Analysis of Pope John Paul II’s Reign, by John L. Allen, Jr., 2005)
John Paul II literally had the phrase, totus tuus sum Maria (Mary I’m all yours) sewn into the lining of his robes, while a capital letter “M” (for Mary) adorned his coat of arms. The pope publicly “dedicated himself and his Pontificate to Our Lady,” 12 and not to Jesus Christ. This is idolatry in no uncertain terms. Idolatry is repeatedly condemned throughout the Scriptures, which testify that no idolater has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9, Ephesians 5:5), and that both men and angels who “preach any other gospel” are “accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
Yet, Graham unreservedly says that John Paul is “with God” because he supposedly trusted “the cross.”
KING: There is no question in your mind that he is with God now?
GRAHAM: Oh, no. There may be a question about my own,
but I don't think Cardinal Wojtyla, or the Pope -- I think he's
with the Lord, because he believed. He believed in the Cross.
That was his focus throughout his ministry, the Cross,
no matter if you were talking to him from personal issue or
an ethical problem, he felt that there was the answer to
all of our problems, the cross and the resurrection.
And he was a strong believer. 13
This report from Graham is false, and repeatedly refuted by the words and deeds of John Paul himself. Certainly if the pope put faith in the cross of Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, he would be in heaven today. But there is no evidence of that from the testimony of his life. What is equally a concern are Graham’s apparent doubts about his own salvation. Notice how he said, “There may be a question about my own …” Are these the words of the man who supposedly preached the gospel to more people than any person in history? Measure them against those of the apostle Paul:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day …”
(2 Timothy 4:7-8)
Could Graham have doubts about his own redemption because, in his heart, he knows he has betrayed the Gospel? Graham likewise endorsed the idolatrous Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, calling him “the greatest communicator of the twentieth century.”10 Sheen had this to say about the role of the Virgin Mary in his eternal salvation:
“When I was ordained, I took a resolution to
offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist every
Saturday to the Blessed Mother … All this makes
me very certain that when I go before the
Judgment Seat of Christ, He will say to me in
His mercy: ‘I heard My Mother speak of you.’” 11
When such an influential person as Billy Graham gives an endorsement to a religious leader, he compels others to look to that example. Those who trust Graham will likely trust those he endorses. And when a man like Bishop Sheen tells millions that he’s trusting Mary for his salvation, this can only encourage Catholics in their idolatrous belief. Why should they repent? After all, the leaders of both Catholic and Protestant faiths have confirmed both Sheen and the pope! In the book of Ezekiel, God specifically condemns those who promise salvation to men who will not repent of wicked practices:
“Because with lies ye have … strengthened
the hands of the wicked, that he should not
turn from his wicked way, by promising him
life.” -- Ezekiel 13:22
This is what men like Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Bill Bright and Charles Colson have done by supporting the false doctrines of Rome and of the neo-pagan/ecumenical movement. By relying upon a vague understanding of who goes to heaven and who doesn’t, they keep sinners dead in their sins and confident in their false belief systems so that they will not repent. By telling them that “good people” of all faiths probably go to heaven, men are compelled to pursue “good behavior” rather than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is why so-called “Christian conservatives” in America today focus on social morality, rather than a right relationship with Jesus. This is nothing short of an open denial of the true Gospel. Jesus said:
“And this is life eternal, that they might
know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
– John 17:3
--CJP
Footnotes
1. McCall’s, January 1978, as quoted by Dave Hunt in A Woman Rides the Beast, p. 388
2. History of Newspapers, Cybercollege.com
3. Constitutional Charter of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, p. 6
4. Biblical Discernment Ministries, article: Billy Graham: General Teachings/Activities
5. The Assimilation of Evangelist Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic Church, by Ewin Wilson p. 22 – as quoted by Biblical Discernment Ministries article: Billy Graham: General Teachings/Activities
6. Biblical Discernment Ministries, article: Billy Graham: General Teachings/Activities
7. Ibid, quoting the Catholic Sentinel
8. Ibid, quoting Today magazine
9. Vatican Council II, Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations, Austin Flannery, O.P., General Editor, p. 88
10. A Woman Rides the Beast, by Dave Hunt, p. 440, quoting “numerous advertisements for videos of Fulton J. Sheen’s television shows.”
11. Ibid, p. 440 quoting Fulton J. Sheen, Treasure in Clay, p. 317
12. A Woman Rides the Beast, by Dave Hunt, p. 459 quoting The Fatima Crusader, Winter 1992, front cover and p. 3
13. Larry King interview as documented by CBN.com article, Billy Graham: Pope John Paul II Was “Most Influential Voice in 100 Years,” by Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
14. A Woman Rides the Beast, by Dave Hunt, p. 459 citing The Fatima Crusader, November/December 1986, p. 9
15. Billy Graham and His Friends: A Hidden Agenda? by Dr. Cathy Burns, p. 132, quoting Just As I Am, by Billy Graham, pgs. 685-686.
16. Burns, p. 113
17. Ibid, p. 113, quoting Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, by Robert Schuller, p. 69
18. Calvary Contender, August 1999; also recorded by Dr. Cathy Burns, Billy Graham & His Friends: A Hidden Agenda, p. 116
19. Burns, p. 115, quoting Joseph P. Gudel, “A New Reformation?: The Faulty Gospel of Robert Schuller,” Passport Magazine (January-February 1988), p.9
20. Burns, p. 116, quoting “Schuller and Rome,” Christian News (October 9, 2000, Vol. 38, No. 37), p.8
21. Burns, p. 118
22. Burns p. 121
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