We wished Billy Graham a Happy 90th Birthday on Friday, his actual birth date. But he’s such an American religious institution that, today, we’re devoting our Tuesday Quiz to seeing just how much you know about the world’s most famous evangelical preacher.
If you missed it, click here to jump back and read our salute to Billy’s remarkable life. Or, you can read it after you take the quiz. Don’t worry—our earlier salute to Billy won’t give away any of today’s answers.
THE QUIZ:
1.) What’s his real name?
A. William Franklin Graham Jr.
B. Jefferson William Graham
C. Billy Graham
2.) Billy’s father famously dealt with the temptation of alcohol through an unusual lesson for his children. What was it?
A. He made them drink until they were sick.
B. He took them to a recovery mission and had them meet men struggling with alcohol.
C. He caught them sneaking a jug of moonshine into the house and fired a bullet through the jug.
3.) What’s the denomination that produced both Billy and his wife Ruth?
A. Baptist
B. Assembly of God
C. Presbyterian
4.) One of Graham’s most famous friends allowed Billy to call him by the unusual nickname “Mike.” Who was he?
A. Martin Luther King Jr.
B. Bob Hope
C. President Eisenhower
5.) On which of the following classic TV shows did Graham appear?
A. Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In
B. What’s My Line?
C. Wonderful World of Disney
6.) Graham has publicly identified his political affiliation. What is it?
A. Republican
B. Democratic
C. Libertarian
7.) Graham’s career has stretched over so many years that one president once publicly described a fond childhood memory of attending a Graham revival service — when this president was just a child. Which president was this?
A. Bill Clinton
B. George W. Bush
C. Jimmy Carter
8.) Graham famously avoided any scandals involving personal immorality. He publicly described many of his rules as a guide for other clergy. Which one of the following is a Graham rule?
A. Never carry or touch money in public.
B. Never allow himself to be alone with a woman, other than his wife.
C. Never enter any facility in which alcohol is served.
9.) Graham conducted “Campaigns” and “Crusades,” elaborately planned programs that in some cases took years to fully organize. This wasn’t barnstorming. Graham’s organization laid extensive groundwork with local congregations before the big events could be held. As Billy himself lists his “Crusades,” his second was in his home state of North Carolina. Where was the first?
A. New York City
B. San Antonio, Texas
C. Grand Rapids, Michigan
10.) Graham was a major force behind the founding of a popular American magazine. Which one?
A. Guideposts
B. Reader’s Digest
C. Christianty Today
When you think you’ve got all 10 answers, CLICK on the link below in the online version of this
quiz, and the ANSWERS will pop up!
Ready? CLICK for the ANSWERS below …
HERE are THE ANSWERS:
1.) A. William Franklin Graham Jr. Billy and his wife Ruth also named one of their sons, Franklin.
2.) A. Billy describes the day his “Daddy brought home some beer and took the two of us children into the kitchen.” This happened as soon as Prohibition ended and Billy’s father knew his children soon would encounter friends urging them to try alcohol. His force feeding of beer to his children meant that, as Billy describes it: “Both of us instantly hated the taste of the brew”—and never felt tempted to take another drink.
3.) C. In fact, Ruth’s parents were Presbyterian missionaries in China.
4.) A. Michael or “Mike” was Dr. King’s original first name, before his own father took the name “Martin” for both of them in the 1930s to honor the Reformation leader. Throughout his life, some close friends were allowed to call Dr. King “Mike.” Among white evangelicals, Graham was an early supporter of Dr. King’s work and shared the pulpit with King on a number of occasions.
5.) He appeared on all three shows. Graham always was a media innovator. His organization produced and distributed movies. He made appearances on dozens of TV shows, as well—not to mention multimedia productions of his various crusades over the years. However, Graham never became a televangelist with a regular program. One major reason was that Graham always was more interested in connecting the people who attended his rallies with local congregations.
6.) He’s officially a lifelong Democrat, which may be a shock to Americans who recall his famous friendships with Republican presidents and his support for Nixon over Kennedy at one point in his life. Graham was socially conservative on many issues, but he never lent his considerable clout to politically right-wing evangelists, like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson.
7.) A. Bill Clinton told the story about attending a revival in Little Rock, Arkansas.
8.) B. As a number of infamous televangelists were crashing and burning over revelations of sexual misconduct, the Graham organization publicly pointed out this strict rule that Billy has followed throughout his life. Graham also used strict accounting procedures, but he didn’t avoid handling money. Regarding alcohol, he didn’t drink himself but he appeared in a number of settings where alcohol was served to other people.
9.) C. Graham lists the Grand Rapids event as the first in his long career on the road.
10.) C. Graham writes in his autobiography that he was concerned about “liberal” stances taken by another magazine, The Christian Century. So, he was eager to spearhead an evangelical magazine.
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reflections—but our readers enjoy them as well. You can Email ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm.
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(Published in the ReadTheSpirit online magazine.)
