Talk:William M. Branham
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[edit] Branham a Mason?
I have taken this out of the first section, until someone can produce evidence that Branham was a Mason. I cannot find any evidence of it in his transcribed sermons, and I am pretty sure that he was not associated with the Masons in any way --Malachi456 02:16, 6 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] POV
I tagged this article as POV because much of it simply repeats Branham's own claims uncritically. David L Rattigan 10:21, 10 May 2006 (UTC)
Branham was most definatly not a mason.
Flagged NPOV again, someone is unflagging, sigh. Worst offender: "The true followers of William Branham distance themselves ..."
[edit] Current Followers and Main Belief
This section doesn't exactly make sense about what is being said. Some may believe that but that isn't the view shared by all Message Believers. This seriously needs a better NPOV. 67.142.130.23 19:11, 31 December 2005 (UTC) JCP
- This section is evidently related to a particular faction and not really applicable here and should probably be put as a separate entry or deleted.
- I agree. Strawberry Island 04:08, 17 January 2006 (UTC)
- I have had a look at this section, and also find it somewhat unusual - A lot (maybe all?) the followers believe this interpretation of scripture, but to call it the main belief?? I have added a preface to this section. See what you think. Maybe we should remove this section altogether. Malachi456 03:04, 19 January 2006 (UTC)
In the absence of any message to the contrary, I have removed this section. Malachi456 10:16, 16 April 2006 (UTC)
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- It should be a seperate entry and removed from this page It has a very highly charged POV.
[edit] Branham and King George VI
From a number of Branham’s comments, particularly in his later sermons the definite impression is given that Branham had personally gone to the palace to pray for King George and that this resulted in a instantaneous healing:
King George of England with multiple sclerosis, when I went over and prayed for him. Couldn't even set but just a few minutes at a time. Next day, played twenty-eight holes of golf. (‘Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By’, 24/5/58)
And I been in king's palaces, went to prayed for King George of England. I was with the Gustavus up in Swi--Sweden. And I been in many king's palaces, and King Farouk, and--and many other places, and great potentates and monarchs. Some of the greatest the world has today, I've had the privilege of going in and talk with them, interview. I've been in lovely homes. (‘Seal of God’, 16/2/61)
And as you know that when I went there and prayed for King George when he had multiple sclerosis and he was healed instantly; the next day he played eighteen holes of golf, and he couldn't even set up for just a few minutes at a time. (‘Why’, 13/4/61)
I've been in kings' palaces. I prayed for King George of England, you know, when he was healed from multiple sclerosis. I prayed for other kings, potentates, monarchs. (‘Uncertain Sound’.14/7/62)
Oh, my. I've been in Hollywood, and I've prayed for King George in the palace, and Gustav up in Sweden, and different places. (‘God Hinding Himself in Simplicity’, 12/4/63)
However earlier he had been more specific in claiming that he had actually prayed for King George without traveling to him, though he did claim that he went to England later to see him (on his way to Finland in April 1950):
And he was a friend to the king's private secretary, and through there King George of England sent word to me. I have his statements and have his letters of his fields and every... To come pray for him of multiple sclerosis, and so I couldn't go up that time. So I just wired back and told the king that I would pray for him here, that God would hear here just the same as he would over there. And so, then another telegram come through and wanted me to come on over immediately. Later when I went to England, over there, to see him, and the Lord healed him. He was--couldn't even stand up over five minutes at a time, and he... I believe the second day he played eighteen holes of golf, and never was bothered with it no more until the very day he died. And I was in Africa when he died. They found a little tumor here on his lung. They started to cut it open and air got to it some way, I don't know, and caused a blood clot to go to his brain and killed him instantly. So very fine man... (‘Testimony’, 29/11/53)
In other accounts of his visit to London he would refer to going off to Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, however on at least one occasion (‘Testimony’, 29/11/53) he admitted that "The king wasn't in at the time". It is sometimes claimed that Branham prayed for King George in person on some other occasion, however it does not seem that Branham ever described an actual meeting with the King. The visit to London was mentioned in ‘A Man Sent from God’ (p208) however no mention was made of any royal visit. The probability that no such meeting occurred is reinforced by the fact that when the topic of the Royalty came up he would often remark about having seen the King and Queen as they were driven past in a carriage when they were visiting Canada, rather than any face to face meeting.
Branham's claim to have seen the King and Queen in Vancouver Canada is also dubious. On a number of occasions he claimed to have seen the King and Queen whilst in the company of Ern Baxter:
It was the Queen of England. Why, you would've felt honored, because she's a great woman. I got to see her once. I saw the old mother queen. I got to see them when King George just when he still had his multiple sclerosis, 'fore he sent for me come pray for him. And when we passed down the street in Canada, and standing there, there was the queen in her beautiful blue dress, and King George with his, setting up, great suffering with ulcers in his stomach and multiple sclerosis, which they said he was suffering tremendously that day. But you'd have never knowed it: sit just as straight. Why? He was a king, and he conducted himself like a king. And I noticed Mr. Baxter, which used to be my campaign manager; he just wept when he seen them pass. And I said, ‘Ernie, what you weeping about?’ He said, ‘Billy, there goes the king and the queen.’ Said, ‘Oh, aren't they lovely?’ I said, ‘Yes, Mr. Baxter, they are.’(Jesus at the Door, 29/5/58)
Sometime ago I was standing in Vancouver, British Colombia, and the King George of England had come over to visit Canada. And he was making his way down along the street in the carriage, and his beautiful queen setting by him... And Mr. Baxter, one of my associates, he was weeping, because he said, "Just think, Brother Branham, our king passes by. (Message to the Laodicean Church, 9/6/58)
King George's only visit to Vancouver occurred in May 1939. There is no record of Branham visiting Canada prior to 1947 and significantly it was only around this time that Branham met Ern Baxter who subsequently became a campaign manager for him. From Branham's accounts it is apparent that he considered Ern Baxter a reasonably close acquaintance, not just someone he might have met once, who would have subsequently have forgotten the meeting. While it might be conceivable that Branham could have made a trip to Vancouver in 1939, unrecorded apart from these comment about seeing the King and Queen, his claimed association with Ern Baxter at the time is rather less plausible. A close association between Ern Baxter and Branham in 1939 is not likely to be something that Ern Baxter would have forgotten or failed to have mentioned. Aside from these implausibilities, there are major inconsistencies in his various accounts. On some occasions he said that rather than actually seeing the King and Queen, he and Ern Baxter were listening to a radio broadcast:
And a good friend of mine, Brother Ern Baxter, as we were listening to it on the broadcast as it came through, him and his lovely queen setting there... And we were setting in the room and I'll never forget it. Ern got so overcome that he jumped up out of the chair and threw his arms around me and started weeping. And I said, "What's the excitement all about, Brother Baxter?" He said, "Brother Branham, that's my king.(Door in a Door, 23/2/63).
The likely explanation is that Branham was repeating a story told by Ern Baxter of seeing the King and Queen and over time began to believe he had witnessed it himself.
Aside from the rather misleading statements regarding the circumstances of Branham praying for King George there is also the questions of whether he was actually cured and whether it had anything to do with Branham. Firstly it should be noted that King George never had multiple sclerosis. In 1948 King George was diagnosed with arterio-sclerosis (‘hardening of the arteries’) which was probably a consequence of his heavy smoking. This is a quite different condition to multiple sclerosis (presumably Branham did not use the discernment of the ‘angel’ to make a diagnosis on this case). By the end of 1948 the blood circulation in King George’s legs had deteriorated to the point that he was significantly incapacitated. On 12 March 1949 a operation was performed to improve the circulation in his legs. This proved successful and he improved significantly, however this was not a cure but a partial relief for some of his symptoms and King George continued to suffer from arterio-scleroris up until his death. Branham evidently heard reports of King George’s improved health following the operation and attributed it to his prayers. It is true that answer to prayer can come in the form of a successful operation, however it is somewhat presumptuous of Branham to claim the credit for it, considering the many other Christians that would have been praying for him (prayers for the health and wellbeing of the monarch is a common feature of liturgy in the Anglican Church and numerous other Christians would have been praying without prompting). The only thing that appears to connect Branham with the King is a claimed telegram requesting prayer, though it is more probable that it was actually from his private secretary on his behalf, whom Branham claimed was a friend of someone he healed. In summary Branham’s claims to have healed King George are inaccurate and show signs of embellishment. Rather than providing evidence of his healing ministry, the idea he had anything to do with King George’s state of health is reliant upon his reputation. The rather shameless name dropping, in repeatedly mentioning the King, should be considered when claims are made for Branham’s humility.
[edit] Branham the prize fighter?
One of the more dubious claims that Branham made regarding his life story was that he had been a professional boxer including the claims "I won fifty-two straight professional fights. And I lost my fifty-three to Billy Pritchard" (Faith Without Works Is Dead, Aug. 22, 1950) "I had the undefeated title of bantam weight championship of the three states" (Expectation, Feb. 20, 1954) and "I'd won the Bantam Weight Championship in the Golden Gloves." (Results Of Decision, Oct. 08, 1955). With contemporary boxers typically not having much more than ten professional fights a year (often rather less) 53 fights would have taken a few years, typically 4-5 years or more yet there appears to be no point in his life in which to fit this career as a prize fighter (which is puzzling even to Branham's supporters who accept his claim that he was one). Furthermore attempts to find any mention of Branham in contemporary Boxing records, including the Golden Gloves championship shows no mention of him. Winning 52 straight professional fights would certainly be a noteworthy achievement. Branham did remark that as a boy he had ambitions of being a prize fighter: "I finally got me a little girlfriend, and like all little boys, about fifteen years old, I guess. …I wanted to be a prize fighter; that was my idea of life." (Life Story, Apr. 19, 1959). Quite possibly the boyhood fantasy of being a prize fighter became blurred with reality in his mind (there are several other examples of this, including meeting King George VI).
- I don't believe that meeting King George VI was a fantasy. It would seem quite incredible that someone of Branham's calibre would imagine something like this. What makes you think he is imagining it?
- See above
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- William Branham never did claim to have won 52 professional fights. He mentioned that he won 15 professional fights in 7 different sermons over a 19 year period. The claim of 52 comes from an early transcription error in one of those sermons when his recorded sermons were used to create a searchable text InfoBase of his sermons in the early 90s. You can find this database with the correct quote at the branham.org web site under “Message Search.” The sermon in question was preached in 1950 and the audio quality is poor resulting in a transcription error. If you listen closely to the audio it is plain that the number he actually says is also 15. I find it incredible that a competent researcher would only find the one place where it seemed William Branham “claimed” 52 professional fights and not find the 6 other places where the number was stated as 15. Especially since this other information is so easy to obtain. (William Branham’s entire collection of sermons has been on the Internet in a searchable InfoBase for 10 years.)
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Removed this portion of text from the bottom of the article to clean it up a bit so that it is more NPOV. Might add it later (after it is edited).
[edit] Prophecy or not.
I found
"that by 1977 all denominations would be consumed by the World Council of Churches under the control of the Roman Catholics, that the rapture would take place, and that the world would be destroyed." (Burgess and McGee, Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, 96)
However this is quite a jump from what the article pages says! It's also the only _source_ I could find. The transcripts of (at least some of) his sermons are online, the one I found (http://www.nathan.co.za/message.asp?sermonum=1074) mentions WCC in a negative biblical context but that's about it (although I didn't read the whole thing).
I think we need a more authoratiative reference to say that he made the statemnt, and that he claimed it was divinly inspired prophecy.
I have removed this text until we have an authority.
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- I agree, as far as I can see Branham never made such a statement as prophecy Malachi456 03:05, 19 January 2006 (UTC)
At least one of his prophecies - that all Christian denominations would be controlled by the World Council of Churches by 1977 - has not come to fruition.[1]
Rich Farmbrough 19:15, 27 Sep 2004 (UTC)
Brother Branham said is several documented places that he "predicted" this, not prophesied. He specifically made that distinction. 8 Times between 1960 and 1961 he spoke about this and clarified it as a personal prediction.
--Hesaias 02:31, 6 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Copyrighted Material?
http://www.bibleway.org/wmb/ is a page I found where the text appears very similar (almost verbatim) to the original article. We may have clean the article up a lot more fully One Salient Oversight 04:47, 13 Oct 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Where to find information
You can find information about William Branham at The Voice of God Recordings. They are involved in the translation and distribution of his sermons and books (free of charge). On the website you can search all 1,179 of his known recorded sermons transcribed directly from the tapes. Voice of God Recordings is run by William Branham's sons Joseph and Billy Paul Branham.
I should mention Voice of God Recordings is a nonprofit organization, however there is a charge of $1.00 per book and $4.00 per tape for the people in the US and Canada. They use this money along with other contributions to distribute William Branham's message in book, tape, mp3, and DVD format to the rest of the world free of charge.
William Branham’s entire collection of sermons is on the Internet in a searchable InfoBase at the branham.org web site under “Message Search.”
[edit] Photo claims
The article states:
On the night of January 24, 1950, an unusual photograph was taken during a speaking engagement in the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas. As Branham stood at the podium, an apparent halo of fire appeared above his head. A photograph of this phenomenon was produced, the only one of its film roll that developed an image. George J. Lacy, an investigator of questioned documents, subjected the negative to testing [1] and declared at a news conference that, "To my knowledge, this is the first time in all the world's history that a supernatural being has been photographed and scientifically vindicated." The original of the photograph is in the archives of the Religious Department of the Smithsonian Institution.
However, a search of the Smithsonian's archives returns no results. I'm having a little trouble seeing anything especially extraordinary about the photo (as a photographer, it looks like a light on the ceiling to me).
The claims about the photo being housed at the Smithsonian are untrue (it seems to be an urban legend that follows the photo around - I've heard it before) and the only sites I can find that reference George J. Lacy are Branhamist.
I don't think the claims belong here as fact, as a statement of myth surrounding Branham, maybe. But it's not fact.
Wisco 22:32, 4 October 2006 (UTC)
- It is not an urban legend. The individual that posted the original comment regarding the Smithsonian simply had the facts mixed up. The original of the photograph is not in the Smithsonian but rather in the Library of Congress. I personally inspected the original photograph in Washington, DC about 10 years ago. I have changed the article to refer to the Library of Congress. - Taxee 13:51, 5 October 2006 (UTC)
I do not know where the writer of the article about the photograph got his or her facts from. George J Lacy did not, as far as I can ascertain mention anything about 'a supernatural being' and 'scientifically vindicated'. It would pay people to read the actual words of his report on http://biblebelievers.org/gjlacy.htm It is indeed unfortunate that some, both those who agree and disagree with the ministry of William Branham will misconstrue and misquote facts. This does nobody any good, and certainly doesn't help the article have a NPOV. I have now changed this part of the article to more accurately reflect what Mr Lacy actually wrote.Malachi456 09:10, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
