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The Houston Photograph: Difference between revisions
→The Role of the FBI
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==What William Branham said== | ==What William Branham said== | ||
[[Image:Debate.jpg|thumb|left|250px| | [[Image:Debate.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Proof of a lie - photograph of Rev. Best pointing his finger at F.F. Bosworth]] | ||
William Branham said that '''God would not allow a picture to be developed''' of Rev. Best pointing his finger at F.F. Bosworth | William Branham said that '''God would not allow a picture to be developed''' of Rev. Best pointing his finger at F.F. Bosworth | ||
[[Houston debate article|Click here to read a copy of the January 24th, 1950 issue of The Houston Press.]] | [[Houston debate article|Click here to read a copy of the January 24th, 1950 issue of The Houston Press.]] | ||
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There are some specific facts that do not agree with William Branham's version of the events: | There are some specific facts that do not agree with William Branham's version of the events: | ||
#'''God did allow''' developing of the picture of Rev. Best pointing his finger at F.F. Bosworth. In fact, it was published in the newspaper as shown above on the right. | #'''God did allow''' developing of the picture of Rev. Best pointing his finger at F.F. Bosworth. In fact, it was published in the newspaper as shown above on the right. This is proof that William Branham was not being honest. | ||
#There is '''no record''' of George Lacy ever referring to the photograph as supernatural. | #There is '''no record''' of George Lacy ever referring to the photograph as supernatural. | ||
#The '''FBI were never involved''' in the examination of the photograph. | #The '''FBI were never involved''' in the examination of the photograph. | ||
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==The Role of the FBI== | ==The Role of the FBI== | ||
[[ | [[Image:FBI letter to Knollwood-min.png|right|250px|Letter from the FBI]] | ||
William Branham stated many times that the FBI was somehow involved in authenticating the Houston photograph: | William Branham stated many times that the FBI was somehow involved in authenticating the Houston photograph: | ||
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George Lacy was the fifth president of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, which he helped found in 1942. He owned and operated an indepedent forensics lab in Houston, Texas. There are a number of things that William Branham was not honest about relating to Mr. Lacy's involvement with the picture: | George Lacy was the fifth president of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, which he helped found in 1942. He owned and operated an indepedent forensics lab in Houston, Texas. There are a number of things that William Branham was not honest about relating to Mr. Lacy's involvement with the picture: | ||
#Mr. Lacy was | #The FBI confirmed in a letter dated September 5, 1974 that''' Mr. Lacy was NEVER an employee of the FBI'''. He was '''NEVER''' the head of the FBI for fingerprint and documents. | ||
#The FBI had no involvement with the examination of the Houston photograph. | #The FBI had no involvement with the examination of the Houston photograph. | ||
#Mr. Lacy lived and practiced in Houston and was not brought from California to Houston to examine the photograph. | #Mr. Lacy lived and practiced in Houston and was not brought from California to Houston to examine the photograph. | ||
On August 24, 1974, Knollwood Church in Xenia, Ohio wrote to the FBI regarding claims that message followers were making about the Houston photograph. A copy of their letter and the FBI response can be found here - [[File:FBI responsel to Knollwood.pdf]]. | |||
William Branham appears to have invented all of these various stories in an attempt to hype the Houston photograph. | William Branham appears to have invented all of these various stories in an attempt to hype the Houston photograph. | ||
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==The Hall of Religious Art in Washington, D.C.== | ==The Hall of Religious Art in Washington, D.C.== | ||
William Branham | William Branham said many times that the Houston photograph was hanging in a special gallery in Washington, DC: | ||
:'' | :''How many’s ever seen the picture of that Angel of the Lord, let’s see your hands up. Of course…Sure. That’s been traced. '''It’s in the Religious Hall of Art in Washington, DC''', copyrighted. The only supernatural Being was ever scientifically proven to be photographed.<ref>William Branham, 59-0418 - A Time Of Decision, para. 72</ref> | ||
It appears that at some point in time, William Branham became aware that the "Religious Hall of Religious History" (yes, it kept changing) was not in existence and the picture was not there. Rather than admit that he was wrong, William Branham made up a story that the picture had been moved to Germany: | It appears that at some point in time, William Branham became aware that the "Religious Hall of Religious History" (yes, it kept changing) was not in existence and the picture was not there. Rather than admit that he was wrong, William Branham made up a story that the picture had been moved to Germany: | ||
:''As you all have seen, the Light (which the United States has copyrighted in the Washington, DC, hanging in the Religious Hall of—of religious history, in Washington, DC) is the only supernatural Being that was ever photographed in all the world. Hangs in the halls of Germany where | :''As you all have seen, the Light (which the United States has copyrighted in the Washington, DC, hanging in the '''Religious Hall of—of religious history, in Washington, DC''') is the only supernatural Being that was ever photographed in all the world. Hangs in the halls of Germany where they’ve taken it.<ref>William Branham, 61-0519 - Sirs, We Would See Jesus, para. 94</ref>'' | ||
And where are the "halls of Germany". Something else that William Branham invented? | And where are the "halls of Germany". Something else that William Branham invented? | ||
William Branham then went back to his story that a copy of the Houston photograph was in Washington, D.C. but now it had a note under it: | |||
:''And one of them is in Washington, DC, in '''the religious Hall of Art''', with '''a note under it, "The only supernatural being was ever photographed in the history of the world."''' And now, then, if you're ever through there, drop in, see it.<ref>63-0606 SHOW.US.THE.FATHER TUCSON.AZ</ref>''' | |||
The problem with William Branham's statement is that '''there is no Hall of Religious Art''' in Washington, D.C. The picture was never hanging in any kind of gallery there. There was never any note under it. The United States never copyrighted it (the photographer did). | |||
There is a copy of the picture that someone sent to the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation. But '''the photo does not hang on the wall and there is no caption underneath it.''' Rather, '''it sits in a filing cabinet'''. We have personally been to the Library of Congress and have seen the photo in the file folder. The Library of Congress also includes pictures of other famous people like Mother Teresa, Al Capone and Adolf Hitler.<ref>[http://catalog.loc.gov/ Library of Congress Online Catalog]</ref> | |||
There are a number of fake photographs that have been photoshopped to indicate that they were taken in the "Hall of Religious Art" but they are simply the invention of message believers that would rather create a lie than admit they are wrong. You can [[Games that message people play|see an example of one of the fake pictures here]]. | |||
==William Branham's comments about George Lacy== | ==William Branham's comments about George Lacy== | ||