Billy Graham Responds to Lingering Anger Over 1972 Remarks on Jews

AP via NY Times ^ | March 17, 2002 | AP via NY Times

[Aurelius]

I thought we were talking about Billy Graham? The only reference to him in this post is to the fact that he was being hounded by the IRS. If you wish to demean a man's character, you are not going to accomplish that by showing him to have been victimized by the IRS.

[ThreeOfSeven]

Reads like all of them to me.

Your article says "he asked to have some of them investigated". Some is not all.

[a_witness]

It didn't take long for you to stoop to personal attacks.

You did not answer the question, and it's not a personal attack to ask you the question in light of your comments on this thread. Are you an anti-semitic bigot like Richard Nixon ? Do you privately agree with him while while publicly pretending not to ? Billy Graham has since repented and apologized for this sin.

[a_witness]

I thought we were talking about Billy Graham?

Billy has repented and apologized but his supporters stand by the comments he has repudiated. I thought we might put it all in context with the saints he was fellowshipping with when he issued those bigoted remarks.

[a_witness]

If you wish to demean a man's character

I wish he had not demeaned his character.

I wish others would not demean their character by advocating the bigotry he repudiated.

[a_witness]

Your article says "he asked to have some of them investigated". Some is not all.

A day later, meeting with Haldeman and political aide Charles Colson, Nixon is quoted as asking: ``What about the rich Jews? The IRS is full of Jews, Bob.'' Later, he added: ``Go after 'em like a son of a bitch!''

[Aurelius]

"...when he issued those bigoted remarks."

It is unfortunate that you don't possess the subtlety of understanding to enable you to recognise that his remarks were not bigoted.

[boltfromblue]

If people would not be so PC, they would see there was no anti-Jewish bias in Graham's comments, only a disapproval of the fact that many Jews in the media adopt promiscuity as one of their 'values.' As it is, they tiptoe and back away in horror from his legitimate complaint of their influence here, despite his backing of a state of Israel, presumably though not necessarily a home to Jewish spiritual teachings. He may have been hypocritical in not bringing up being offended by this looseness ethic, although he may not have thought it had a place in his support of Israel advocacy.

[Stone Mountain]

It is especially repugnant that he would bear false witness. There is no excuse for what he said nor how he lied about it.

I agree. It looks like he also owes Haldeman an apology.

[a_witness]

It is unfortunate that you don't possess the subtlety of understanding to enable you to recognise that his remarks were not bigoted.

I know, I'll never be accepted into a Neo-Nazi movement. But we knew that already.

[a_witness]

He strikes me as far more bigoted than any of the people he is accusing.

I submit that is due to a character flaw on your part.

[Aurelius]

"I submit that is due to a character flaw on your part."

And I submit that, as I said before, you are crazy. And I am not the only one who thinks so.

[a_witness]

And I submit that, as I said before, you are crazy. And I am not the only one who thinks so.

I'm sure you have many friends who share your support for Mr. Graham's and Mr. Nixon's comments.

[szweig]

What a man says in a private conversation should be of little importance to anyone. It's what he DOES in public that counts for something...SSZ

[zoyd]

The People for the Un-American Way, and the ACLU,both Diamond Merchant organizations.. Both of em... Both very anti-American... Gun Grabbin, Christian Hating, communist organizations...

The ACLU a Communist organization?

You guys throw around the word 'communist' as if you had some idea what it meant. Obviously, you DON'T. The ACLU may be 'liberal', but to call it communist only shows YOUR ignorance.

It's about as accurate as calling libertarians 'socialists', or calling Republicans 'believers in limited government'. It's just not true.

Believers in personal liberty and free markets are NOT Communists, even if they believe in more freedom than you do.

[Aurelius]

Why do you keep bringing in Mr. Nixon. I have said nothing about Mr. Nixon.

As for my remarks concerning your sanity, just to show you I bear you no ill will I am going to give you a more detailed diagnosis for free. You suffer from paranoid-schizophrenia. And until a few hours ago, I didn't even believe that paranoid-schizphrenia existed as an objectively defined malady.

[Aurelius]

I believe that I am pretty tolerant of people with different views than my own. And I don't readily resort to suggesting mental instability when someone expresses views different from my own. My allegation was a response to the following quote from witness's post 75.

"How many weapons do you have at home, and how do you plan to use them to take care of the Jews you despise before the LORD God of Israel sends your soul to .... ?"