Franklin Graham Chats with Bill O'Reilly – Respects Obama, Thinks Rob Bell is a Heretic Because 'Hell is Real'

Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham sat down with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly to discuss his recent remarks about President Obama and to talk about hell.

In answering O'Reilly's question about whether he respected Obama, the evangelist said that he liked the man, respected him, but disagreed with his policies.  He said his disagreement was as a citizen but not as a preacher.

O'Reilly said that Billy Graham did not get involved in politics, but Franklin said that his father actually did get into politics to a degree because he was friends with presidents on both side of the aisle.  The younger Graham said he does not got out and campaign but merely answers questions.

Graham told O'Reilly that Republicans and Democrats are guilty of overspending.

As to Rob Bell's book questioning hell, Graham thinks that Bell is a heretic and false teacher 'because the bible is very clear that there is a hell.'  When asked by OReilly whether eternal damnation in hell is cruel, Graham responded,

What's cruel is a person who rejects Almighty God and slams the door in God's face.  The bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His only son."

In order to get to heaven and avoid hell, people must believe in Jesus Christ, Graham said, quoting scripture.

O'Reilly asked about people who do not know about the bible or who are not born again through Jesus Christ,  but Graham responded that God has made Himself known to all of humanity and that all who seriously seek will be aware of Jesus because God will reveal Him.  O'Reilly did not understand Graham's logic that Jews who died in the Holocaust should be denied heaven, particularly children who were never taught about Jesus being the savior.  Graham insisted that everyone was accountable to God when they die, skirting the issue and saying that God is the judge.

"God gives every human being free will," O'Reilly concluded, saying the God will hold everyone accountable for their choices.

Earlier, O'Reilly questioned Bell's theology, talking with Pastoral Counselor Jack McKinney of Raleigh, North Carolina. According to O'Reilly, if Bell is right, it's great news for Hitler, Stalin and other villains who slaughtered millions of people.

McKinney noted that Christian churches teach that in addition to mass murderers, people like Ghandi go to hell for not accepting Jesus. He said that there has been a lot of misinterpretation of scripture.

O'Reilly talked about his Catholic faith, saying that people who sincerely seek God are not condemned to hell. He says that by saying there is no hell, it takes away any regulation of behavior.

McKinney says that the concept of eternal damnation is psychologically damaging, particularly for committed Christians who are gay who approach him for counseling. O'Reilly countered that McKinney was taking an extreme position in the Christian community and using it as a barometer.  Judgment is best left in the hands of God, but by teaching a literal, eternal hell, we turn God into a monster, McKinney answered. He does not believe in a literal hell, saying it is a historical and theological mistake but believes in heaven.

"So that means you're going to see Adolf up there. Say hello to him for me," O'Reilly countered. "I don't want to be anywhere near him."

D. Beeksma

One of the growing crowd of American "nones" herself, Deborah is a prolific writer who finds religion, spirituality and the impact of belief (and non-belief) on culture inspiring, fascinating and at times, disturbing. She hosts the God Discussion show and handles the site's technical work. Her education and background is in business, ecommerce and law.

More Posts - Website - Twitter

  • http://www.goddiscussion.com Dakota O'Leary

    He has exhibited he DOES disagree with Obama even as a preacher by questioning the man's relationship with God. Good article!

    • http://www.goddiscussion.com admin

      Excellent point!

  • jake671

    THERE ARE MILLIONS OF JEWISH HOLOCAUST VICTIMS WAITING IN HEAVEN TO WATCH FRANKLIN GRAHAM DENIED ENTRY BECAUSE OF HIS BIGOTRY, PRESUMPTION AND STUPIDITY. JESUS, THE JEW WHO NEVER HEARD OF CHRISTIANITY, WAS THE LEADER OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, WHO GOD CHOSE TO FOLLOW THEIR PROPHETS TO HEAVEN WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A 'BY YOUR LEAVE' FROM A MORON LIKE GRAHAM. THE MAN HAS NO IDEA WHAT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTIANITY IS, NO MATTER WHAT ORDINATION HE HAS INVENTED FOR HIMSELF.

  • http://johnthomasdidymus.blogspot.com johnthomas didymus

    The Christian logic about the God who "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son" that we may avoid the roast pits of hell which he (the loving God himself)didst design for those who will not accept his only begotten son sounds more like a viciously cyclical Charlie Chaplin-like strategy for a sub-zero IQ creator of the universe…

  • Reuel

    Hell is real.
    Bill O'Reilly, Oprah, McKinney & non-christans will ALL be there.

    Those who reject Christ's redemption will go to hell – for "without shedding of blood is no remission of sins".

    e.g Mixing a clean water with any type of dirty water will produce dirty water.

    Tolerance? Hell will be intolerable!!

  • Carey

    Satan got Eve to question what God had clearly said in the garden. She was emboldened to take what God had forbidden by the devil's clever insinuation and paid for it. It astounds me that in a book about heaven and hell that supposedly is teaching what the Bible says that Rob Bell would never even quote the clearest OT passages about the resurrection of the dead and the eternal damnation of sinners- Isaiah 66:22-24 and Daniel 12:2. And even more so, key NT passages like Luke 13:23-28, Mark 9:43-48, Romans 2:4-5, Romans 10:14-17, Luke 12:58-13:9, etc. These passages and others so perfectly refute the writer's conjectures that if he merely quoted them without explaining them away he would then have nothing to write about.

    The good news of the gospel is necessary because there is bad news, as Paul shows in Roman 1:18-3:20- our guilt before God and righteous condemnation of us on the day of judgment- if we're not made new creatures and forgiven in Christ. The Bible says "Flee from the wrath to come" and to bring forth fruits meet (fit) for repentance (Matthew 3:7-10). That is the response we must make to God's generous offer of mercy and grace through the death and resurrection of Christ.

    When we consider that Jesus himself warned his hearers to turn from sin or be punished in hell forever; and that he left a responsibility for us to do so in the limited time of our lives in this world in Mark 9:43-48, Luke 12:58-13:9, then anyone who claims to speak for Jesus and denies that warning and that urgency must be treated as a false teacher/prophet. Jesus loves us more than anyone else, and to deny and leave out what he has clearly said is to oppose him.

    What "Love Wins" does is give false comfort to those who have not turned from all sin and let Christ take his rightful hold on their lives (Psalm 2:10-12, Hebrews 5:9). The same type of false comfort the Serpent gave Eve in the garden.

    "Love Wins" also doesn't take into account that it is often more pleasurable SHORT-TERM to disobey God than to follow Christ. There is a pleasure to sin that is very uncomfortable to forsake to the point it can be called suffering to do so (See Hebrews 11:25, Romans 8:17). That goes against Bell's premise that hell is what we create for ourselves by disobeying God. Truly obeying God can be unpleasant and only those who are totally convinced by Christ's total faithfulness and the sureness of his promises will actually be his disciples and walk the narrow way that leads to life. That is when God really does get glory. We have the privilege that we can go straight to the Bible to see those promises, the truth about heaven and hell, and the entire counsel of God regarding salvation. May all who read this not be deceived by preachers who say what appeals to the itching ears of people.