Billy Graham

Billy Graham (William Franklin Graham, Jr.) is a prominent American Christian televangelist who, since the 1950s, has served as a religious consultant to a number of U.S. presidents including George W. Bush.

"Recognitions include the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award (2000) for contributions to the cause of freedom; the Congressional Gold Medal (1996); the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion (1982); and the Big Brother Award for his work on behalf of the welfare of children (1966). In 1964 he received the Speaker of the Year Award and was cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations. He was recognized by the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai B’rith in 1969 and the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1971 for his efforts to foster a better understanding among all faiths. In December 2001 he was presented with an honorary knighthood, Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), for his international contribution to civic and religious life over 60 years."


 * Chair, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
 * Co-founded Youth for Christ with evangelist Charles Templeton
 * Winner of the 1982 Templeton Prize

Billy Graham and tobacco issues
A 1974 Tobacco Institute newsletter reported the following information regarding Billy Graham's stance on smoking issues: "In his syndicated column, Billy Graham quoted the view of the U. S. Public Health Service about smoking. He concluded that the custom is "a sin against one's self."

Selected Books

 * Billy Graham, Malcolm Muggeridge and John R. Stott, Christ and the Media (Regent College Publishing, 2003).

Criticism

 * Alexander Cockburn, "When Billy Graham Planned To Kill One Million People", Counterpunch, March 12, 2002.
 * Marshall Frady, Billy Graham: A Parable of American Righteousness (Simon & Schuster, 2006). Review
 * Cecil Bothwell, The Prince of War: Billy Graham's Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire (Asheville, NC, 2007). (MRZine Review)
 * William Hughes, "A Prince of War Exposed: The Dark Side of Rev. Billy Graham", Counterpunch, September 27, 2007.
 * Michael Barker, "The Religious Right And World Vision's "Charitable" Evangelism", Swans Commentary, December 28, 2009.

Other

 * A Startling Exposure: Billy Graham and the Church of Rome by Ian R. K. Paisley
 * Billy Graham Reformer? Politician? Preacher? Prophet? A Chronological Record Compiled from Public Sources By the Church League of America 1951-1982.
 * The Assimilation of Evangelist Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic Church by Erwin Wilson.

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * First National Interreligious Award, American Jewish Committee, 1977
 * Religion and empire
 * Franklin Graham
 * Wheaton College (Illinois)
 * Ted Engstrom
 * Stephan Tchividijan
 * David Aikman
 * Richard D. Warren
 * William Randolph Hearst
 * Billy Graham Library
 * Billy Graham Children's Health Center