Dealing with Life's Problems

Sept 28, 2006

Question:

Why do people like you say that we need to have Jesus' help in order to deal with our problems? I've had a lot of problems from time to time , but eventually I solved them, and I didn't need God to do it.

Billy Graham's Answer:

Did it ever occur to you that God may have been helping you deal with your problems.  After all, He gave you your abilities.  But can you honestly say that your life right now is perfect?  More than that, can you honestly say that your life measures up to wat God wants it to be? No matter how hard we try, we still have habits and motives that are wrong, and we can't conquer them in our ouwn strength.  As the Apostle Paul said about his own struggles, "What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)  Right now you may think you have a good life - but someday it will come to an end and you will face God.  Only if you know Christ and His forgiveness will you be ready for that day.

 Jen's Response:

Hmmm, Graham's response here bugs me on so many levels.  Ok, if there is a god and god is like what Graham conceives of it, then yes, the first part it true.  The 2nd question "can you honestly say that your life right now is perfect?" is a loaded question.  No one's life is perfect.  It can be really good, but perfect is not a word anyone, even Graham, would ascribe to his life.  So, why ask it.  Probably so he can set up a false hope that if this person becomes Christian, then their troubles will go away, which is an obvious lie.  But hey, when all you have to sell is false hope, that is what you sell.

What really bothers me about his response though is he sets Christians up in general to be very untrustworthy people.  Apparently all Christians are untrustworthy and the only thing keeping them from being evil is god.  Oh my goodness, if this is true, it explains why the jails are full of Christians.  I would prefer to be friends with an atheist who likes and wants to be good over someone who wants to be bad, but is only being good to avoid the wrath of god.  Yikes, what a horrible picture of humanity Graham paints here.  I seriously hope the majority of humans are not actually struggling with being good, because, honestly, it isn't that hard to be good.  Apparently, the only other thing Graham has to sell is fear, and that is what he is selling here.  So far, we have a false hope of a perfect life and if that doesn't work, then lets prey on your insecurity to deal with your life productively.  Spreading false hope and preying on insecurity. Way to go Graham - what a positive and helpful message. (Not)

 Finally, lets get to the statement he makes about someday your life will end and you will have to face god.  Perhaps. Lifespans are increasing and there are people out there who really believe that humans can become immortal.  Certainly lifespans are increasing.  It isn't beyond the realm of possibility.  So, yes, it is likely that someday you will die, but as time goes on, more and more of us can look forward to that perhaps not happening.  But lets assume, for the sake of argument, that yes, we all will die.  At such a time as our death, we may or may not have to face god.  And actually, it seems like a long shot.  Here is why.  First, it is entirely possible that no such being as a god or gods exist.  So, if they don't exist, you can't face them.  In all likelihood, when you die, nothing happens, you simply stop existing.  If god does exist, then it is by definition a natural being and not a supernatural being.  So, who is to say that such a being set up a system that judges each and every human on earth who has ever lived?  Highly unlikely.  If you met such a being (assuming for the sake of argument that after you die your soul lived on to meet such a creature), what gives that creature the right tojudge you?  What kind of ego would it need to think it had the right?  What would it's motivation be to do such a thing?   Also, if such a being is a natural being, then their are probably more then one of them.  Will all of them sit in judgement of us?  Wouldn't they have better things to do with their time?  Why would such beings even care about what is going on down here on earth?   I could go on but you get the point. Ok - so to recap, Graham is selling one false hope, pushing a button to trigger the reader's insecurities and if that doesn't do the trick then the fear of death should get you.  Why anyone is buying this is beyond me.