Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Franklin, you are no Billy Graham

Franklin, I knew Billy Graham, I recommitted my life to Christ under the ministry of your father. I was a counsellor at a couple of his crusades. Billy Graham was a spiritual advisor to 12 U.S. Presidents, both Republicans and Democrats—he was non-partisan. He tried not to wade into issues that would distract from his preaching of the gospel. I knew Billy Graham, Franklin, and believe me,  you are no Billy Graham.

Rev. Franklin Graham interviewed by Christiane Amanpour, ABC This Week On Easter Sunday, you gave an interview to Christian Amanpour. You said three things (or more), just kind of off the cuff, that made me question, What were you thinking? How do we recover from the embarrassment you bring on the church by such bizarre speculations? These comments just don’t strike me as what Jesus had in mind when he advised us to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Your father was good at that. He would’ve responded very differently to these questions—not in wild speculation, but focused on the gospel and non-partisan in politics, but always supportive of the president. Franklin, you would do well to consider how Bill Graham would’ve responded to these questions about the second coming, Palin and Trump, and President Obama’s birth and faith.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, ABC NEWS: So, what will the second coming look like?

Jesus iPhone cross REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM, BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION: Well, the Bible says that every eye is going to see it. And—well, how is that going to happen? There's so many phones today.

And just look at what's happening in Libya or Egypt and everybody's got their phone up and everybody's taking recordings and posting it on YouTube and whatever and sending it to you or—and it gets shown around the world.

I don't know, but he says that he'll be coming on the clouds and the world is going to moan. They're going to groan.

AMANPOUR: I don't mean to be disrespectful—

GRAHAM: Yes.

AMANPOUR: —but could there be a second coming by social media? Is that what you mean?

GRAHAM: No. I'm just saying that how the whole world will see him when he comes, and he's coming back for his people.

How is the whole world going to see him all at one time? I don't know, unless all of a sudden, everybody's taking pictures and it's on the media worldwide. I don't know. Social media could have a big part in that.

ABC This Week with Christiane Amanpour

AMANPOUR: Is [Sarah Palin]the kind of candidate you would like to see run for election? Would she be your candidate of choice?

GRAHAM: I don't think Sarah's going to — I don't think she likes politics. I think she likes speaking on the issues, and I agree with many of the issues that she brings up, but I believe — I don't see her as running for president.

AMANPOUR: If she did, would you support her? Would she be your candidate?

GRAHAM: It depends on who the other candidates are.Sarah Palin appreciates Donald Trump investiating President Obama's birth

AMANPOUR: So, that's not a yes.

GRAHAM: No. I mean, we're so early. But I do like Sarah.

AMANPOUR: Well, there are people in right now. Would you support Mitt Romney, would you support—

GRAHAM: I've met—

AMANPOUR: —Donald Trump?

GRAHAM: I've met Mitt Romney. No question he is a — he's a very capable person, he's proven himself. Donald Trump, when I first saw that he was getting in, I thought, well, this has got to be a joke. But the more you listen to him, the more you say to yourself, you know? Maybe the guy's right. So, there's a —

AMANPOUR: So, he might be your candidate of choice?

GRAHAM: Sure, yes, sure.

ABC This Week with Christiane Amanpour

AMANPOUR: President Obama has come to you and your father, you've all prayed together. How would you say he's doing?

GRAHAM: I think he's a very nice man. I think he's a very gracious person. But I think our country is in big trouble.

President Barack Obama meeting with Billy Graham and Franklin GrahamAMANPOUR: Does it bother you that people like Donald Trump for instance right now, are making another huge big deal about birth certificates and whether he's a Muslim or a Christian and where he was born?

GRAHAM: Well, the president, I know, has some issues to deal with here. He can solve this whole birth certificate issue pretty quickly. I don't — I was born in a hospital in Ashville, North Carolina, and I know that my records are there. You can probably even go and find out what room my mother was in when I was born.

I don't know why he can't produce that. So, I'm not — I don't know, but it's an issue that looks like he could answer pretty quickly.

As it relates to Muslim, there are many people that do wonder where he really stands on that. Now, he has told me that he is a Christian. But the debate comes, what is a Christian?

For him, going to church means he's a Christian. For me, the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ and are following him in faith, and we have trusted him as our Lord and Savior.

ABC This Week with Christiane Amanpour

I’ve told you what I think, but what do you think? Did Franklin Graham do a good job of presenting a Christian response to these questions? How would Billy Graham have answered differently? Post your opinion in the Comments below. To be fair to Franklin, I’ve posted a video of the full interview below. The full transcript is also available by clicking on an ABC logo above.

18 comments:

  1. I wish I could have written as eloquently. Good column. I think it was Gandhi who said, and I'm paraphrasing; your Christians are not very Christ-like.

    I am not Christian but know that I have more Christianity in my little finger than this hypocrit has in his entire soul. You have to live the right life in order to live the good life. And donations into the plate Sunday that finance his life is not the 'right life'.

    Sorry for my vent. You motivated me. Have a safe and happy evening.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is a simple solution to all of this. In the movie Jerry Maguire, if you recall Cuba Gooding's character said "SHOW ME THE MONEY". All the birthers want from President Obama is "SHOW US THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE". That would be one sure fire way to shut them up.

    What is he waiting for? Give the birthers what they want and shut them up and move on.

    He is the most powerful man in the world, what is he afraid of unless he has something to hide.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Franklin sounds like your typical Christian televangelist leader. Opinionated and not very convincing.

    His father on the other hand, was a giant and in a class by himself. To be fair to Franklin, Billy left shoes that were very difficult to fill.

    ReplyDelete
  4. OK, Andy, here's a link which will show you the certification of live birth which meets the legal standard. It's been publicly available for quite a while. Obama's US birth and citizenship have been confirmed by high courts and by the Governor of Hawaii.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BarackObamaCertificationOfLiveBirthHawaii.jpg

    The Wikipedia article is pretty good too.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birther

    The birthers have been shown. This movement is not about the facts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for giving it a read. Hopefully people won't take F.Graham's "endorsement" too seriously.

    ReplyDelete
  6. (I'm wken from the other post ...)

    As I said at kstreet's blog, Franklin Graham is off his topic. Granted, he was answering questions, but he should have directed them back.

    The role of a pastor is not supposed to be endorsing Republican candidates. That's a worldly focus. It's supposed to be on spiritual concerns, and on living out a life of faith and service.

    No, he's not representing anything like Christianity in this interview. What he's representing is American Evangelicalism's obsession with Republican politics.

    The idea that a pastor is seriously speaking of Donald Trump (who has said that he's a Christian because he goes to church on Christmas and Easter and "during the Sundays"), then turning around and criticizing Pres. Obama's faith, really illustrates the idea that politics count for more than orthodoxy in too many circles these days.

    You're right ... he's no Billy Graham.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! President Obama is trying to end the birther controversy. He asked the state of Hawaii to make an exception to policy and release the long form of his birth certificate. The White House has released a copy and the president is addressing the nation this morning about it. Here's a link to the release as republished by the Birther Network, Fox News:
    http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/obama-releases-birth-certificate-20110427-lgf

    ReplyDelete
  8. I find Franklin Graham's blatant biases and careless tongue an affront to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  9. And, of course, now that he's done that ... the birthers are still raving over something else.

    Taitz, Farah, and the gang are still questioning the certificate.

    That's because all birthers are nuts. They always have been. Mere evidence isn't enough to convince a birther of reality.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Uh, is he TRYING to be Billy Graham? Why does that matter?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes, Chad, I think as the new head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I do think Franklin is attempting to take up his father's mantle and carry on the work. By being so partisan, so supportive of fringe Republican candidates and so bold against the President of the United States (in what looks to be a racially-motivated way), Franklin Graham is calling into question his position as an evangelist focused first and foremost on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    He may not have been perfect, but Billy Graham certainly tried to be non-partisan, not pushing political candidates and respectful toward the President. He tried to make his public appearances about the gospel, not about this kind of crazy stuff that Franklin was talking about on Easter Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  12.  Yes, Chad, I think as the new head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I do think Franklin is attempting to take up his father's mantle and carry on the work. By being so partisan, so supportive of fringe Republican candidates and so bold against the President of the United States (in what looks to be a racially-motivated way), Franklin Graham is calling into question his position as an evangelist focused first and foremost on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    He may not have been perfect, but Billy Graham certainly tried to be non-partisan, not pushing political candidates and respectful toward the President. He tried to make his public appearances about the gospel, not about this kind of crazy stuff that Franklin was talking about on Easter Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
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