Back in the late '60s when I was a full-time evangelical staffworker with students in Sydney, Australia, I used to engage Ormsby Wilkins in debate on 2UE (and affiliated radio stations - about 90 of 'em). He was the John Laws of those days (but much brighter, sort of like Phillip Adams). He was an atheist, and unfortunately died too young because of his smoking habit...

Anyway, Billy Graham was coming to town and he had some negative opinions about Billy Graham and mass evangelism ('emotional hype' etc.). So I asked him, on air: 'Ever been to one of these meetings?' 'No, but I've seen him on television.' 'Ormsby, you're a communicator, and you know that you really can't make a judgment about emotionalism unless you actually go to one of Billy's meetings. If I get you a ticket, how about it?' With a couple of hundred thousand people listening, what could he say? 'O.K.'

So he went on, I think, the Monday night, and Billy was preaching about heaven and hell. Next day, instead of the two news commentary spots - after the midday and 6 pm news bulletins - he had at least six (I listened to him for his whole session).

To summarize his reaction: 'I went to hear Billy Graham last night, and, yes, there was less hype than I expected. However, he was preaching about heaven and hell, and if I heard him right, he told us that only evangelical Christians who received Jesus as their personal Saviour are going to heaven, and the rest of us are destined for hell. He seemed to indicate that if any of us was run over by a bus before we made that commitment, it was hell for eternity, with no reprieve.

'Here's my first problem. We've just introduced legislation in this country to give us all a "cooling-off" period before we are talked into buying anything. Apparently Billy Graham's God isn't that compassionate. Someone hearing all this for the first time is done for unless they make a decision, there and then.

'Second, Billy described heaven as a sort of cosmic eternal party where Christians are having a wonderful time. Meanwhile some of their loved ones are in hell - *and they know it!* and *they can go on having their party*!!!

'If that's the best kind of heaven he's offering, I don't want to go there.

'Third, apparently if you don't repent, you'll suffer for ever, with no second chance. And let us theorize that some who go to hell have only had one chance - like last night - to decide. This approach to retributive punishment is not only inhumane and lacking compassion, but it's forever folks! That's on and on and on - and you're conscious... Would any of the fathers or mothers listening to me want their child punished forever for *one wrong decision* made in this life?'

So: how do you respond?

Shalom! Rowland Croucher