Some 30 years ago, evangelical leader Billy Graham wrote: “Either Communism must die, or Christianity must die, because it is actually a battle between Christ and anti-Christ.” Since then the militant atheist policy of the Soviet government has not changed. But when Graham returned from his recent trip to Moscow, he was singing a different tune. The church in the Soviet Union, he said, is “a free church.” Was he wearing rose-colored glasses? or blinders?

    Before accepting the invitation to attend the World Conference of Religious Workers for Saving the Sacred Gift of Life from Nuclear Catastrophe (sponsored by the Moscow Patriarchate–well-known to be controlled by the Soviet government), Graham was warned not to go not only by the Reagan administration, but by Soviet Christians themselves and letters from thousands of human rights and religious groups who were concerned that his participation in such a conference would only serve the purpose of Soviet propaganda, And their worst fears were realized. Radio Moscow is using Graham’s statements to back Soviet claims to be a nation of peace and religious freedom. Even if one tries to excuse Graham on grounds of ignorance and good intention, one cannot help wondering just whose purpose he thought he was serving when he addressed the congregation in Moscow’ s only Baptist church and encouraged them as good Christians to “obey the authorities” over them–authorities with the worst record for persecution of Christians! Graham has a commendable desire to preach the Gospel to all nations and, hoping to return to the Soviet Union on an evangelical crusade, he had no desire to offend his hosts in any way. The price he was willing to pay was the betrayal of thousands of suffering Christians.

Note: Mr. Graham may be interested to know that the caviar he so enjoyed during his trip was very likely processed by one of the women’s concentration camps on Shikotan Island in the Far East!