Sunday Dispatch.456

[the iron horse]

Sorry! I put the wrong number on the post name. Help Moderator I could not find the way to rename in Sunday Dispatch.646

Sunday Dispatch.646

Charles Templeton, in the 1940s, was a young famous Canadian evangelist. He founded the Youth for Christ Ministry and soon invited, the also young, but unknown, Billy Graham to join him. The two preached together in North America and across Europe during the later part of the decade. They became friends.

During this postwar period the death and suffering of World War Two began to trouble Templeton. The horrific images from the Holocaust caused him to begin to question how a God of love could allow such death and suffering. He recounted years later how he once saw a cover picture on Look magazine of a young African mother holding her dead child in her hand. The death caused by a severe drought. Why did God not send these people something as simple as rain?

Templeton discussed his increasing doubt in God and the Christian faith with his friend. He soon told Graham he was leaving God and abandoning his faith. He became an agnostic.

This troubled Graham and caused him also to go through a period of questioning and doubt. Templeton said later that Graham resolved this issue after spending a night in though and prayer. Graham held to his faith in God.

The 2008 film Billy: The Early Years of Billy Graham highlights their relationship.

The two parted ways. Graham continued in evangelism. Templeton went on to careers as a cartoonist, newspaper editor, broadcaster and author. His most famous was his 1995 book A Farewell to God: My Reason for Rejecting the Christian Faith.

Despite the issue that divided them the two remained friends through the years.

"Billy is the most honorable man. I would say he is the most honorable man I have ever met. He is the only mass evangelist I would trust." ~Templeton, PBS interview 1995.

"We remain friends. I can call Chuck anytime and our friendship just takes off where it left off. I have great admiration for him. He is the most talented person I have ever known." ~Graham, PBS interview 1995

"A friend loves at all times."
~Proverbs 17