Billy, Hillary, Sin, and America

Last updated on: January 30, 2013 at 1:01 pm by tmatt

Billy, Hillary, Sin, and America 2013-01-30T13:01:16-05:00 tmatt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Two very symbolic Americans — Billy Graham and Hillary Rodham Clinton — recently preached very different sermons on the state of nation’s soul and what should be done to heal it.

As a rule, politicians receive more media attention than clergy. However, this time Graham was preaching in the U.S. Capitol and he used that pulpit to deliver a sobering call for Americans to repent before it’s too late.

Soon, the world “will enter the third millennium,” said the elderly evangelist, during May 2 rites in which he and his wife, Ruth, received a Congressional Gold Medal. “Will it be a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity? Or will it be a continuation of our descent into new depths of crime, oppression, sexual immorality and evil? … We have confused liberty with license and we are paying the awful price. We are a society poised on the brink of self-destruction.”

The first lady’s April 24 message to the United Methodist General Conference, meeting in Denver, received less attention. While addressing the same topic — national renewal — her message was radically different.

Graham stressed that “America has gone a long way down the wrong road” and now must “turn around and go back and change roads.” However, Hillary Clinton argued that Americans must continue to “have courage in the face of change, to be willing to struggle forward doing what we can,” seeking unity amid diversity.

“It is easy to complain about the problems that we face,” she said. “It is harder — but far more rewarding — to roll up our sleeves and work together to solve them.”

These were not political speeches, but they offered different answers to a crucial question that looms over national politics in 1996: Is America on the right moral road, or not?

It would be wrong to pin a “Republican” label on Graham’s message, or to say that the first lady on this occasion spoke as a Democrat. Still, a kind of party politics was involved. For decades, historians have argued that American Protestantism is a two-party system, with one party emphasizing personal sin and evangelism and the other emphasizing the sins of society and, thus, social activism.

Through the decades, Graham’s approach has broadened to include appeals for listeners to carry personal faith into public efforts to fight racism, hunger, poverty and other social problems. Nevertheless, this recent sermon began with the story of his own revival-meeting conversion and stopped just short of offering the assembled politicians, journalists and dignitaries a chance to make public professions of faith in the Capitol Rotunda.

Clinton described her “faith journey” with images familiar to her fellow United Methodists and others raised in oldline flocks, beginning with her christening in an historic sanctuary and continuing through years of church-supported social crusades. She never mentioned “sin” or “repentance.” The key, she said, was for people of all religions to cooperate in efforts to help families and strengthen public institutions, schools and social programs.

“We know we need to strengthen the spiritual and moral context of our lives and we know that we need a new sense of caring about one another in which every segment of society, every institution, fulfills it’s responsibility to the larger community,” she said. “As adults, we have to start thinking and believing that there isn’t really any such thing as someone else’s child.”

Meanwhile, Graham has grave doubts about the ability of “consultations” and “diplomacy” to solve the problems that most plague humanity. A century ago, he noted, optimistic theologians and intellectuals predicted that the “steady march of scientific and social progress” would bring justice and peace. Instead, the 20th century has “been ravaged by … devastating wars, genocides and tyrannies. During this century we have witnessed the outer limits of human evil.”

It is appropriate, said the evangelist, to ask, “Why?”

“The fundamental crisis of our time is a crisis of the spirit,” he said. “We have lost sight of the moral and spiritual principles on which this nation was established — principles drawn largely from the Judeo-Christian tradition as found in the Bible.”

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 1, 1996

Looking For News at the Evangelical Press Association

Next Post

May 15, 1996 No Doctrine? Call the Lawers

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Academia Anglicanism Announcements books Catholics doctrine evangelicals family life First person Godbeat Islam Judaism Mainline churches Marriage mass media movies Orthodox Politics popular culture religion sex Social issues Uncategorized Web/tech World World religions worship young people

Select a Month July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 May 1998 April 1998 March 1998 February 1998 January 1998 December 1997 November 1997 October 1997 September 1997 August 1997 July 1997 June 1997 May 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 November 1996 October 1996 September 1996 August 1996 July 1996 June 1996 May 1996 April 1996 March 1996 February 1996 January 1996 December 1995 November 1995 October 1995 September 1995

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

"My Father's _ has many ; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go there to prepare a place for you?"

Select your answer to see how you score.

House/Rooms Church/Pews Table/Dishes Field/Crops

Billy, Hillary, Sin, and America

"My Father's _____ has many ____; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go there to prepare a place for you?"

"My Father's _ has many ; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go there to prepare a place for you?"