FINAL WARNING: Setting the Stage for Destruction
believe in hell as a place of a literal burning fire.”In fact, Graham’s views in that regard also underwent a
metamorphosis. In the July, 1978, issue of McCall’s magazine he said:
“I used to think that pagans in far-off countries were lost– were going
to hell– if they did not have the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to
them. I no longer believe that ... I believe there are other ways of
recognizing the existence of God– through nature, for instance– and
plenty of other opportunities, therefore, of saying yes to God.” He
elaborated in the book A Prophet With Honor by saying that he “did
not automatically consign to hell all who never heard the Christian
gospel preached.”In an interview in the April 10, 1983 Orlando Sentinel, Graham said in
response to why many Americans didn’t accept the concept of hell: “I
think that hell essentially is separation from God forever. And that is
the worst hell that I can think of. But I think people have a hard time
believing God is going to allow people to burn in a literal fire forever.”
In a July, 1983 book written by Graham for distribution at his
International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in Amsterdam, he
said:“Hell is not the most popular of preaching topics. I don’t like to
preach on it. But I must if I am to proclaim the whole counsel of
God. We must not avoid warning of it. The most outspoken
messages on hell, and the most graphic references to it, came
from Jesus Himself ... Jesus used three words to describe hell ...
The third word that He used is ‘fire.’ Jesus used this symbol over
and over. This could be a literal fire, as many believe. Or it could
be symbolic ... I’ve often thought that this could possibly be a
burning thirst for God that is never quenched. What a terrible fire
that would be– never to find satisfaction, joy or fulfillment.”In the November 15, 1993 edition of Time magazine, he is quoted as
saying: “When it comes to a literal fire, I don’t preach it because I’m
not sure about it.” And finally, in a television interview in England he
said: “I do not believe in a literal hell now.”Tom Allen, a socialist from Scotland, who is a friend of Graham, said
that “Billy Graham has one of the most acute and social consciences