Popular evangelist Billy Graham made some disturbing remarks in a recent issue of Newsweek. When asked by managing editor Jon Meacham whether secularists and adherents of religions that reject Christ as Saviour will go to heaven, Graham replied, “Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there (in heaven) and who won’t. ... I don’t want to speculate about that.”

Not surprisingly, Meacham hailed Graham’s rejection of what has long been standard Christian doctrine, calling Graham “a resolute Christian who declines to render absolute verdicts about who will get to heaven and who will not.” That may sound good to Meacham, but Graham, a revered evangelist and teacher of Scripture, should know better. What was there to keep him from pointing to Acts 4:12, or John 14:6? What room did John the Baptist leave for speculation when he said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Graham doesn’t need to speculate if he believes the Bible.

For a more involved discussion of Graham’s disturbing statement, check out this page.