Billy Crystal vs. Billy Graham

It's common to imagine that "purity" (defined as avoiding trouble and mostly avoiding relationship) is the goal of behaviors/attitudes between men/women (other than one's spouse). Instead, life which is comfortable in the goodness of God's Kingdom will be much more even-handed. (Some may not be able to get there, at least easily, given past struggles, but that *is* the goal.)

Helpful thoughts from today's CT email on the Billy Crystal vs. the Billy Graham rules...

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In the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, Billy Crystal’s character dismisses the possibility of ordinary, platonic friendships between men and women. “The sex part,” he insists, “always gets in the way.”

In Why Can’t We Be Friends?: Avoidance Is Not Purity, writer and theology blogger Aimee Byrd draws a parallel between this “Billy Crystal Rule” and the more familiar “Billy Graham Rule,” which forbids one-on-one time between men and women who aren’t married to each other. (Although Graham instituted this practice for reasons that went beyond guarding against personal sexual temptation.)

Reviewing the book for CT, Gina Dalfonzo points out how widespread observance of the Billy Graham Rule can undermine the gospel imperative of treating each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

In a word, it’s not about fear or avoidance. ‘We should model sibling solidarity, in which siblings honor one another, have affection for one another, live in harmony, promote familial unity, mature together, and treasure our special sibling relationship. Ancient siblings lived by this ideal, and they were tied only by a narrow bloodline...But ours is the bloodline of Christ, which carries with it victory over sin, grace that abounds, transformative sanctification, and life everlasting.’”