CWV 101
6/28/2014
Instructor Matt Hampton
Billy Graham
Introduction
I will be writing my role model paper on Billy Graham his world view is that of an American Evangelical Christian. When deciding who I should write my paper on as my role model, that demonstrated a different view than I have, I thought that Billy Graham would be a great choice. He is a boastful Evangelical Christian and although we share similarities in being Christian, my worldview leans toward a more scientific explanation of certain aspects but I do so with faith. I will first discuss how Billy Graham dealt with social issues. I will then discuss how money and career had an effect on how people viewed him as a religious leader. Then I will then explain how Billy Graham felt about the nature of God. Finally, I will explain and give reasons as to why I believe that Billy Graham is a great role model for Christians today.
Compare/Contrast the Role Model’s Values and Actions with My Worldview Experience!!
Social Issues
Many things can be said about Billy Graham, one thing is for certain he was not without criticism for his stance on social issues. He was known to many as a man with man faces, and at times that really turned people against him. (Wacker, G. 2009) President Nixon thanked Graham publicly for encouraging him to run in his 1968 presidential campaign, you can only imagine the disappointment that left Graham with when the Watergate scandal was revealed. (Chapman, R. 2010) He also endured much criticism for his absence in the civil rights movement. This was just one example of many that Graham stated he was, “a New Testament evangelist, not an Old Testament prophet.” (Chapman, R.2010) I admire Mr. Graham’s dedication to sticking to his word and what he believes regardless of how he was perceived through his relationships with public figures. I can’t directly relate to these circumstances however I can say that I am proud that we have a Christian figure that was willing to stand for what he believes in in such a public way.
Money/Career
Billy Graham was known by more than the Evangelical world, his popularity became that of a celebrity, this lead him to be criticized by President Truman for only wanting fame and his name in the paper. Mr. Grahams “career” as an evangelical became quite the event to attend many people began to wonder if he was a simple preacher that he claimed to be or in reality a savvy CEO (Wacker, G. 2009). Billy Graham was said to have put on a great show. He had just right amount of “flashy” music, relatable stories and a voice that drew people in. This was what lead people to speak of him as an entertainer more often that a man of religion. I think in this day and age of advanced technology it is hard to grab the attention of our youth and the type of service that Billy Graham delivered would be a great approach to reach out to our youth in a “flashier” way, this may be just what our youth needs. I know that I find myself in a traditional church setting getting a bit sleepy from time to time and the message gets a bit lost but I do not think that people in attendance at Mr. Graham’s services have felt that way.
Nature of God
Billy Graham started his ministries in the Southern Baptist Church, and after becoming an Evangelical in 1944, he was said to have done this to bring new hope and significance to Evangelicals (Larsen, T. 2005). The reference list should appear at the end of a paper (see the next page). It was Billy Graham’s hope that he could unite many Christians into one family under the Evangelical movement. Along Mr. Graham’s journey to unite Christians he had the opportunity to create the journal Christianity Today, The Billy Graham Evangelical Association. He also led