Who, God help us, will step into the breach when this dear saint departs?

David, thank you for the kind mention and for posting the link to Billy Graham’s address on our country’s 9/11 Day of Mourning. The address transcript was posted to Graham’s website by popular demand. I wish to offer the following excerpts without comment: We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious, or political background may be. But how do we understand something like this? Why does God allow evil like this to take place? Perhaps that is what you are asking now. You may even be angry at God. I want to assure you that God understands these feelings that you may have. But now we have a choice: Whether to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually as a people, and a nation, or, whether we choose to become stronger through all of the struggle to rebuild on a solid foundation.

As many of us have said here, Graham is a good man for any time. Remembering his speech reminds me of the fine one the President gave. And the fine one he gave after the Sikh was murdered in Arizona soon thereafter. I was very proud of him both days.

yes, i admire this man for His humility before God.

David, In Graham quote number one, (that you use) it is saying that the mastermnds of 9-11 and those that carried it out, were following “diabolical” schemes.Diabolical menas Satanic or demonic. In quote number two, Graham is talking about the Gospel he preached to milions and millions and millions, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. To Muslims, that would be blasphemous statements condemning Graham to beheading, as Osama Bin Laden has taken responsibility for the 9-11 attacks in the name of Islam/Allah.To Liberals and Progressives, Graham is a right-wing fundamentalist hate crimes perpetrator. \ You got the coffee brewing David?

Ooops, I meant to add: Is that not right David?

Doug and Chris in NY, I could not agree with you more. Billy Graham very positively touched the lives of millions, including many who were not Christians. I recall reading somewhere, perhaps here on Beliefnet IIRC, one time at a public appearance in which Graham took questions. A man, (a Christian of a certain genre), asked him about his trip to Sri Lanka (IIRC) and had asked a question (or even a remark) that the Buddhists were going to hell because they did not accept Jesus as their savior. He clearly expected Graham to agree with him. No doubt the late Falwell and his ilk would have been happy to oblige. But not Graham. Instead, Graham said he met many Buddhists who acted like better Christians than Christians. The man apparently had a look on his face of supreme disappointment. And yet, here for the world to see Billy Graham living the best that his religion has to offer:We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious, or political background may be. In sad contrast, we need not go far to see the worst that Christianity has to offer.Hate is easy. Haters are a nickel a dozen. Compassion, on the other hand, can be quite difficult. Graham had the latter in abundance and I deeply respect him.

Donny, you do know that Muslims venerate Jesus as a prophet, right? Their religion, like Judaism, doesn’t have a “savior” in the way Christianity means it.