It never ceases to amaze me how quickly contemporary "Evangelical" Christians will get red-faced at the slightest criticism of Billy Graham. The more I think about it, though, the less surprised I should be. So many things about the man and his ministry epitomize Western Christianity (unfortunately, many of them for the worse), and it is fitting that he was as close to an official leader and spokesman as the nature of said community allows. Don't get me wrong...I've no reason to doubt Graham's salvation or that his profession of faith in Christ was genuine, but the man had some severe shortcomings in the way he conducted his ministry and the choices he made, and the message he preached on a daily basis seems often subject to compromise.

I only hope the Lord sees fit to bring a measure of revival to this nation in terms of shedding the trappings of vain human philosophy and (ironically) the anti-intellectualism that has accompanied it. This is not the only time in the history of Christ's church that sound doctrine has been scarce and the truth not proclaimed with proper boldness to a condemned world. It is sad to see that a nation which considers itself so spiritual is so spiritually adrift...