Thinking Man's Filter

"Thinking Man's Filter" was the subject of one of Billy Graham's sermons concerning an advertisement for cigarettes. In some versions of Branham's stage persona, he admits having heard the subject from Graham.

How many heard Billy Graham today? It was a wonderful sermon he preached on, how that a people could believe a lie and just keep on in that lie and—and even justify themself and think that they were doing what was right. The American public taking, he said, and saying, 'A wise man's filter, and the smoking man's cigarette,' taking one of the devil's lies, and instead of making him a fool, whatever he is, to smoke such a thing and try to make him a wise man. He's a fool to even smoke it, when the…when it's full of death and cancer and everything else, and still he puffs it down his lungs. He's a fool. Not a—not a—a wise man's filter, and there is no such a thing. A wise man don't use the stuff.[1]

In later versions of his stage persona, however, Branham claimed that an "angel" gave him the subject material. In some versions, Branham claims that he came across a pack of cigarettes with the advertisement, but did not pick it up because it was "filthy." In other versions, Branham claims that the "angel" or the "Holy Spirit" instructed him to pick up the cigarettes. 

And I picked up this certain cigarette pack, and was look…I never picked it up; I beg your pardon. I looked down at it. I didn't pick it up, 'cause I don't like the smell of the things, to begin with.[2]

Reminds me of a sermon I preached here not long ago, A Thinking Man's Filter. You might have had it. I was going, walking through the woods, I was squirrel hunting (this fall) and I looked down. And, of course, I can't call the cigarette company. You know it. And there laid a—a cigarette pack laying there. And I just passed by it, looking for…in the woods. And I seen that package laying there, and I looked back again, it said, 'A thinking man's filter, a smoking man's taste.' I just started walking on through the woods. 219 And Holy Spirit said, 'Turn and pick that up.'[3]