Franklin Graham is out of his mind.
And so are the tens of thousands of people who agree with him.
In response to the shootings at Chattanooga military recruitment offices, Graham suggested “we are under attack by Muslims at home and abroad. We should stop all immigration of Muslims to the U.S. until this threat with Islam has been settled.”
Matthew Paul Turner, a better Christian than I, suggests that goodhearted Christians contact Graham and:
“Tell him that he’s a part of the problem. Tell him that this isn’t love or mercy or compassion or peacemaking. Let him know that this is hatred. This is divisive. This is ungodly. Please make your voice heard. Be kind. But be emphatic. Please tell him to stop vocalizing his vile messaging under the guise of Christianity.”
I can’t be kind, because evil poison pouring out of people like Franklin Graham is destroying the message of Christ and the spirit of the United States.
Graham is so insane, or so ignorant of U.S. history, that he points out that “during World War 2, we didn’t allow Japanese to immigrate to America.”
He’s right. Not only that, the U.S. government rounded up all Americans of Japanese descent and put them into camps. Our nation violated the dignity and human rights of thousands of citizens for the sake of national security. Evidently something Graham would have no problem with, today.
Evacuees of Japanese descent among the first 664 to be removed from San Francisco, California. April 16, 1942.
One person’s forced relocation is another person’s ‘security.’
In fact, some of the internment camps are still around, 60 years later.
Japanese Relocation Center barracks, now used as furnishing housing for farm labor on Bryant Williams farm in Klamath County, Oregon.
Perhaps Graham would like Americans of Muslim faith to be rounded up and sent to the same camps?
Franklin Graham before an interview at the Associated Press office on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)
Perhaps Graham forgets that the Lord told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 10:18-19 this is what we’re suppose to do:
“He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. ‘So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.'”
People entering the United States seeking freedom and opportunity are given the same legal protections extended to all natural born citizens. This includes the basic rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution:
U.S. Constitution – Amendment 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Graham has a twisted and distorted understanding of scripture – He demonstrates this nearly every time he opens his mouth.
With this ridiculous suggestion, he’s not only fanning the flames of bigotry and hatred, he demonstrates an astonishing ignorance of American history.
Graham would violate the Constitutional rights of legal residents of the United States rather than address the issue of why anyone in this country should have easy access to an assault rifle and 30 round clips.
In the bubble of willful ignorance that Graham and his followers inhabit, they seem to think that Islam – Muslims – is something that can be marginalized.
After a white supremacist murdered black Christian ministers in a church, should there have been demands that white supremacists be exiled from the United States? Or relocated to camps? Or not allowed to enter the country? When an extremist shoots an abortion doctor, should anti-abortion protestors praying outside clinics be rounded up?
Extremists can shoot up offices or churches and they can fly planes into buildings or blow up federal buildings.
They can also discriminate on the basis of religion or gender or sexual orientation.
But the danger, the evil in the soul of our culture, the insidious poison in our hearts is the wiliness to shred our Constitution and trample the rights of average Americans.
But as a so-called Christian leader, the true evil that Franklin Graham represents is his casual willingness to ignore the teaching of Jesus. He and other so-called Christians just don’t get it.
Jesus says, “a new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
“Love one another.”
“Love one another.”
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
What Bible are they reading, that they willfully miss the whole message of Jesus?
Maybe this small sample of scripture will help Franklin Graham and his followers understand what the Bible teaches about loving others:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I …
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor …
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us…
1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, …
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write to you: …
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brothers, as it is meet, …
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through …
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion one of another, …
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity …
1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love …
Franklin Graham isn’t out of his mind.
He’s evil. And he’s destroying the message of Jesus.
Faith on the Fringe 
Every time I hear this [Franklin’s] line of reasoning, I can’t help but be reminded of the fact that not only have mass shooters killed far more American citizens than Islamic terrorists, but 99+% of those shooters have been white males. So, if Graham is SINCERELY as concerned about the safety of American citizens as he says he is, then he should address the more proven and immediate threat first. I.e., round up all the white males he knows and ask the police to confine them pending interrogation.
Oh — waitaminnit…….
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It seems to me from watching the news more on this Muslim guy who went nuts and killed 5 people at a National Guard Recruiting Center (and please bear in mind this is pure speculation based on a few salient facts) that this guy was not acting on behalf of ANY MUSLIM ORGANIZATION but was actually just some Muslim guy WHO HAPPENED TO GO NUTS. It seems from what I can gather that the guy suffered from depression for awhile, happened to tell a friend that ISIS was bullshit, and may (and I am saying may here) have wanted to join the U.S. Armed Forces and actually fight AGAINST MUSLIM EXTREMISM. I’m not sure of this but his friend says he loved America, loved our military and that he taught him how to shoot an automatic rifle he owned. Is it possible this guy went to the recruiting office at some point, tried to enlist, was turned down for mental issues related to his treatment for mental illness, felt that the recruiters had demeaned him in some way, either as a mentally ill man, a Muslim, or both and just reacted wildly and insanely to that. I’m not saying the recruiters really did anything at all to bring this on themselves, What I am saying is that this appears to be the act of a crazy man who just so happens to be Muslim and the actual attack was precipitated by some external or internal event (probably both) having nothing whatosever to do with the faith he practiced or was raised in. The “fact” this guy was Muslim appears to be little more than a coincidence in this case. His religion had no bearing on why he killed those people at the recruiting office. This, for now at least, is my opinion on this matter.
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There are those who claim to be Christians that have killed in Gods’ name, but please understand that those who are “peaceful” Muslims will kill in the name of Allah if they are called to do so. If you read the Koran and the Hadith, you will find that they are not to live in peace. They are called to eventually conquer every part of the earth. Right now, there are satellites set up through out the U.S. This is not a conspiracy theory. It is a fact! Graham is trying to warn non-believers as well as those who don’t believe in Christ. Please watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mllMkm8pcVU . There are ex-jihadist who became Christians sharing what Islam is all about it.
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Thanks for your comment. You’re obviously very sincere.
Aren’t there some Christians who claim that they kill others, in God’s name? Solders, for example? Aren’t there some Christians who would resort to violence, because they think that’s what God wants? “Christian Soldiers, marching as to war?” For more than 1,000 years, Christians invaded countries and ‘converted’ non-Christians to Christianity. The Crusades, in the Middle East, for example. Some of us who follow Christ take very seriously the call to follow the “Prince of Peace.” And that means no violence, ever. Different types of Christians, with different beliefs.
There are also different types of Muslims, with different beliefs.
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I don’t think setting up a strawman is helpful. You state that internment camps are “evidently something Graham would have no problem with, today.” But he never stated that. Is that the loving thing to do?
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Thanks for your comment, and your concern.
I don’t think expanding a view or philosophy to the logical next step is a strawman, or even hyperbolic.
It’s cautionary.
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Jim, I was thinking about how Billy Graham was not like this … and that I thought I remembered his son not being like this either, and then, lo and behold, I found this, confirming my memory. How sad and awful. >>> http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/franklin-grahams-turn-toward-intolerance/398924/.
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Franklin Graham isn’t evil. He’s just a very stupid person.
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Scripture says we’ll know people by the fruit. . . . what’s the message he’s trying to send? The love of Christ or cowardly hate of strangers?
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He’s like every other inerrantist/fundamentalist and that is the crowd he caters to as well. As the son of a famous preacher he could’ve gone the way of Frank Schaeffer and been more the rebellious sort (he says he was for awhile – too bad he “grew” out of it). Some P.K’s having seen how much their parents are taken advantage of by parishioners and worshippers really run the other way from the faith they were raised in and really want to think for themselves. Thinking for yourself would presuppose the person has a brain in there to think with though, doesn’t it? I have to give Frank Schaeffer some credit. He has tried to distance himself from his earlier “mistakes” and errors in judgement – I think this is much to his credit in the end.
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I truly don’t believe Franklin Graham is evil. i just think the man is really really stupid.
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What really needs to happen is get rid of religion all together. It is what has started wars and hate since the beginning of time.
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“Religion” is an abstract, human-made concept.
Failing to connect and see ourselves in others is what leads to wars and hatred.
Thanks for the comment.
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I don’t believe that Graham is evil, but the vitriol he’s spewing is. Very good blog post.
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Thanks for your comment. You may be right.
But what frustrates me is Franklin Graham’s irresponsibility given his visibility. His vitriol is driving people away from Christ. And that’s inexcusable.
“What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” – Matt. 15:11
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Speaking of Samaritan’s Purse, I understand they discriminate in the distribution of the goods & gifts they bring to country only sharing with “Christian” communities. What ever happened to feeding ALL of the hungry not just the ones you like?
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I wasn’t aware of this. Thanks.
I stopped contributing to Samaritan’s Purse around the time Franklin Graham began making such hateful remarks . . . around the time President Obama was elected.
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The only thing that these people understand is Hatred and its been that way for thousands of years ! And its NEVER GOING TO CHANGE ! And this immigration thing can be summed up with one simple common sense statement .THE USA CAN ONLY HOLD SO MANY PEOPLE !!!!!
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When you say “these people,” what are you meaning?
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Muslims,the largest population of people in the Middle East.They have been fighting about religion FOREVER !!!
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Unfortunately, Christians have been fighting and killing for hundreds of years longer than Muslims.
Unfortunately, the loudest are often the most violent, or at the least the most hateful. Seldom do we hear peaceful people yelling about peace.
The peaceful Christians and the peaceful Muslims are overshadowed by the small, vocal minority.
Franklin Graham’s version of Christianity isn’t the message of Christ, and yet look at how widely it’s accepted.
The same can be said for violent people — they are a minority, but sadly they are also often the most visible.
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Your conclusion is so full of hate I am forced to doubt the sincerity of what you sat about love
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I appreciate your response. Franklin Graham has millions of followers and makes broad sweeping generalities filled with hate.
Is it hateful to point out what’s hateful?
The love of Christ can change anything — That’s a message the millions of Graham followers ought to hear, but they don’t hear it from Graham.
People who don’t know about Christ can’t hear the message of Christ, because Graham is drowning out the message with his horrible messages.
When Muslims and all other non-Christians hear Graham, they don’t hear or see Jesus, they just see Graham’s hatefulness.
Honestly, how is that not evil?
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“Is it hateful to point out what’s hateful?”
I would say yes because you are using your own opinion as to what is hateful. Where do you get the authority from to declare what is hateful and what is not?
I’m not saying Mr Graham is right or wrong, I am simply saying you are no better.
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Scripture tells us to stand up for others – “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” — Proverbs 31:8-9
When someone with Franklin Graham’s notoriety focuses on one group, because they are a group, it’s righteous to stand up for them.
Scripture tells us, repeatedly, to treat strangers in our country as though they are our own people, not strangers.
“‘When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34
“The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.” – Ex. 12:49
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” – Hebrews 13:2
The examples go on and on.
Franklin Graham is little more than a bully, and it’s important to stand up to bullies and defend people who can’t help themselves, isn’t that what scripture teaches us?
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Romans 2:24. Franklin needs to look in the mirror.
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Romans 12:9, too.
Thanks for your comment.
All of us can use more self-awareness. Some of us are better able to learn lessons than others.
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I don’t agree with Franklin Graham’s solution to the problem, but I won’t call him evil. I don’t agree with your stance on guns, but I won’t call you evil. Christians are limited by their experiences and the fact that they are still humans living in a fallen world. Let us disagree yet recognize we are brothers and sisters in Christ, the Savior whom we all love.
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Thanks for your comment. As a gun owner who’s taken a gun safety course, I believe it’s important to hold irresponsible gun owners accountable, and to demand they act responsibly. As a Christian who’s only been a Christian for less than 15 years, it’s equally important that we hold accountable irresponsible Christians. Franklin Graham does terrible damage to the Kingdom of God, both by giving cover to racists and bigots and fools, but also he drives away from the message of Christ non-Christians.
Non-Christians can’t hear the message of Jesus in the words of Franklin Graham because his bigotry and hate drowns out the message of Jesus.
You can’t be helping to grow the Kingdom of God and be destroying it, at the same time. Graham’s programs, like Samaritan’s Purse, do a great deal to help people, but what about the Muslims in the the United States, who wake up to his message of hate?
They see tens of thousands of people supporting Graham’s message of hate, demanding they be stripped of their rights.
How does this spread the Good News of Jesus?
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