Credibility: Difference between revisions

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    [[Image:Credibility.png|thumb|right|250px]]
    [[Image:Credibility.png|thumb|right|250px]]
    In our search to find out the truth and to separate fact from fiction as it relates to William Branham's ministry, the biggest issue that we have run across is whether William Branham was credible with respect to the various stories he relates describing his supernatural experiences.
    In our search to find the truth and to separate fact from fiction as it relates to William Branham's ministry, the biggest issue that we have run across is whether William Branham was credible with respect to the various stories he relates describing his supernatural experiences.


    ''To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful.'' — Edward R. Murrow
    ''To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful.'' — Edward R. Murrow
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    =Was William Branham credible?=
    =Was William Branham credible?=


    '''''If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.''''' - Mark Twain
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    |'''''If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.''''' - Mark Twain


    Because William Branham was a minister of the Gospel, one starts off with the assumption that he was credible.  But that assumption must be discarded if it can be demonstrated that, at times, he did not tell the truth.  
    '''''In order to thoroughly deceive others, it is necessary to also deceive oneself'''. The actor playing Hamlet must indeed believe in the moment that he is the Prince of Denmark, though when he leaves the stage he will usually remember who he really is.''
     
    ''On the other hand, '''when someone's entire life is based on such pretense, they seldom if ever return to reality. That is the secret of many successful politicians, evangelists and confidence tricksters alike–they believe they are telling the truth, even when it seems sure they must have known that they faked the evidence.''' Sincerity, my dear Julia, is a quality not to be trusted.'' – Sarah Caudwell from 'The Sibyl in Her Grave'
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    Because William Branham was a minister of the Gospel, one starts off with the assumption that he generally told the truth, that he was credible.  But that assumption must be discarded if it can be demonstrated that he regularly strayed from telling the truth.  


    William Branham portrayed himself as a simple, honest, uneducated man who was sent from God as a prophet to forerun the second coming of Christ.  However, many of the stories that he told have been proven to be untrue and many of the doctrines that he said he received directly from God were, in fact, [[Plagiarism|plagiarized]] from other ministers.  Another significant issue is that many of [[Different Stories|William Branham's stories changed dramatically over time]].  Why did this happen?
    William Branham portrayed himself as a simple, honest, uneducated man who was sent from God as a prophet to forerun the second coming of Christ.  However, many of the stories that he told have been proven to be untrue and many of the doctrines that he said he received directly from God were, in fact, [[Plagiarism|plagiarized]] from other ministers.  Another significant issue is that many of [[Different Stories|William Branham's stories changed dramatically over time]].  Why did this happen?

    Revision as of 06:03, 26 August 2016

    Click on headings to expand them, or links to go to specific articles.
    I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you. - Friedrich Nietzsche
    Credibility.png

    In our search to find the truth and to separate fact from fiction as it relates to William Branham's ministry, the biggest issue that we have run across is whether William Branham was credible with respect to the various stories he relates describing his supernatural experiences.

    To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful. — Edward R. Murrow

    Credibility refers to the believability, trustworthiness and reliability of a person or message.

    Was William Branham credible?

    If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. - Mark Twain

    In order to thoroughly deceive others, it is necessary to also deceive oneself. The actor playing Hamlet must indeed believe in the moment that he is the Prince of Denmark, though when he leaves the stage he will usually remember who he really is.

    On the other hand, when someone's entire life is based on such pretense, they seldom if ever return to reality. That is the secret of many successful politicians, evangelists and confidence tricksters alike–they believe they are telling the truth, even when it seems sure they must have known that they faked the evidence. Sincerity, my dear Julia, is a quality not to be trusted. – Sarah Caudwell from 'The Sibyl in Her Grave'

    Because William Branham was a minister of the Gospel, one starts off with the assumption that he generally told the truth, that he was credible. But that assumption must be discarded if it can be demonstrated that he regularly strayed from telling the truth.

    William Branham portrayed himself as a simple, honest, uneducated man who was sent from God as a prophet to forerun the second coming of Christ. However, many of the stories that he told have been proven to be untrue and many of the doctrines that he said he received directly from God were, in fact, plagiarized from other ministers. Another significant issue is that many of William Branham's stories changed dramatically over time. Why did this happen?

    The following items have caused us to question William Branham's credibility (click on the links to read a detailed explanation of the issue):

    1. Did anyone hear the voice on the Ohio River in 1933?
    2. Why did William Branham say that he was under the cloud when they took its picture, when he clearly wasn't?
    3. Why did the story of the man from Windsor change so drastically over time?
    4. Why did William Branham say that he received his revelations from God when he took many of his doctrines from other men?
    5. Why did William Branham change the story of Congressman Upshaw's healing?
    6. When did William Branham embrace Pentecostalism?
    7. Was Donny Morton really healed?
    8. Did William Branham speak in an unknown tongue that a Finnish woman understood?
    9. Was it reasonable for William Branham to blame his poor grammar on his dad?
    10. Did William Branham prayer for King George VI and was he really healed?
    11. Did William Branham raise a boy from the dead in Finland?
    12. Who was Hope Branham's Nurse?
    13. Was Florence Nightingale the granddaughter of the original Florence Nightingale?
    14. Did the Pillar of Fire really appear above William Branham's head in Houston? Why did other pictures from that evening appear in the newspaper, when he said his picture was the only one that turned out?
    15. Was William Branham truthful about asking Hope's parents for her hand in marriage?
    16. If only sissies wear shorts, why did William Branham wear them?
    17. How could William Branham have allowed Leo Mercer to be part of his ministry?
    18. Did William Branham claim to be a prophet?
    19. Was William Branham born under a Nazarite Vow?
    20. Was William Branham's discernment 100% accurate?
    21. Was William Branham's ministry always 100%?
    22. What was in the cornerstone of Branham Tabernacle?
    23. Did William Branham travel around the world seven times?
    24. Why was William Branham dishonest about his son's first marriage?
    25. Why was the vision of the five angels changed to a vision of seven angels?
    26. Why did William Branham say that he was at Sunset Mountain when he was actually at Rattlesnake Mesa?
    27. Why did William Branham make up the story of the Pyramid Box?
    28. Why did William Branham's stories change so radically over time?
    29. Was William Branham really the first fruits of spiritual maturity? The perfect man?
    30. Was the photo from Houston supernatural or just the out of focus picture of a flood light?
    31. Did William Branham see an amber light?
    32. Did William Branham help to launch the ministry of Jim Jones?
    33. Was Marshal Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke a real person?
    34. Is Joseph Branham a prophet?
    35. Was there a Mormon prophecy about William Branham?
    36. Danny Henry message
    37. How did William Branham view himself?
    38. Was William Branham a wealthy man when he died?
    39. If God spoke through William Branham, why did he mess up?
    40. If it was wrong to kill animals for sport, why did William Branham do it?
    41. Why did William Branham deny that he went to movies 3 weeks after admitting that he did?
    42. Why did William Branham criticize those who drove Cadillac's when he owned one?
    43. Why did William Branham criticize women that cut their hair and wore short skirts, when his own family did?
    44. What actually happened to Hattie Wright's boys?

    But didn't Abraham lie?

    This should be considered as a response out of Cognitive Dissonance (if you don't know what this is, please click on the link).

    Many message believers, when confronted with the clear facts that William Branham lied repeatedly state, "Abramham lied and he was the father of faith." This is effectively admitting that William Branham lied but that it is not a big deal if he lied.

    The problem with this argument is that it is a red herring.

    Why did Abraham lie? Because he feared that his life was in danger.

    William Branham, on the other hand, appeared to have lied to uphold the claim that God spoke to him and that his prophesies were authentic. William Branham lied to make himself look like a prophet so that people would follow him.

    Under the new covenant that we find in the New Testament, lying is not acceptable behaviour because the Bible plainly tells us what is expected of Christian leaders:

    Therefore an overseer must be above reproach...[1]
    An elder must be blameless...[2]
    For the overseer must be blameless as one entrusted with God’s work...[3]
    Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.[4]

    Also, because many of William Branham's prophecies failed, we must also deal with Deuteronomy 18:20-22.


    Footnotes

    1. ↑ The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Ti 3:2–3.
    2. ↑ Titus 1:6 (NET)
    3. ↑ Titus 1:7 (NET)
    4. ↑ The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Ti 1:8–11.


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