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| Franklin Graham Still Thinks Islam ‘Wicked’ |
| 2004-12-02 |
| Not everyone is proud of their youth. Sometimes we do and say things we come to regret later in life. So it is with Franklin Graham, the 53-year-old son of legendary Christian evangelist Billy Graham. "He was kicked out of school, hooked on cigarettes and alcohol, and [was] a self-proclaimed thrill seeker," said one news release, describing the motorcycle-riding "Rebel With a Cause" author. That was then. These days, Franklin — himself an ordained minister — is more interested in helping his father fulfill his dream of bringing the Word of God to the masses. He and those under his charge, who help support the elder Graham, "are committed to my father making sure that whatever is on his heart — for as long as it is on his heart — we're going to be there for him," Franklin told The Los Angeles Times in an interview during his father's recent crusade in Los Angeles. But time and age don't change some things. For Franklin Graham, that includes his opposition to gay marriage and the religion of Islam. The former is contrary to God's law, he said. And though many gay and lesbian couples believe their love is genuine, Franklin told the Times, "there were people who for centuries swore up and down the Earth was flat too. "God says [homosexuality is] a sin," he continued. "Yet God loves sinners." And God, he stressed, is willing to forgive. As to Islam, right after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Franklin was quoted on "NBC Nightly News" as saying it was "an evil and wicked religion." And he still feels that way. "I haven't changed my mind," he told the paper. "When people's heads get chopped off and throats are cut and innocent people are murdered and slaughtered, my mind hasn't changed." He added: "I don't believe we should be declaring a war on Muslims. Not at all. We have millions in this country who follow Islam and are good citizens and make their home here and [want] to live in freedom just like anyone else. "But unfortunately, you don't have that in Saudi Arabia," he said. "You don't have that in any country where Muslims have a majority. Christians, Jews are persecuted and in Saudi Arabia, Christians and Jews predated Muslims." |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #11 I stand with Franklin Graham. Same thing, hated the Faith, then later came back. I know wherof he speaks, and after my own scrapes with islam, I agree: it is the most destructive "religion" on earth, and the best thing to do is to wipe them out before they wipe out everybody else. |
| Posted by: graduate flyboy 2004-12-02 7:55:42 PM |
| #10 people are people and to a certain extent - we are dealt a religion in much the same way we are dealt family, wealth and fortune. But, in terms of providing a healthy community - Islam has a proven track record of complete and total failure. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-02 6:19:40 PM |
| #9 Mt 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? If you look at the "fruits" of Islam - war, pestilence, disease, murder, rape, stoning, beheading, and all the rest, Franklin is being nice. Islam is a cult of personality with a diety thrown in to convince the stupid. There is no other religion that is as intolerant as Islam - of just about everything but the power of males over females, and the exhaltation of the priesthood. Even Catholocism at its worst wasn't as bad as Islam at its best. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-12-02 5:35:49 PM |
| #8 Franklin has brass ones and he is so right. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-12-02 4:34:01 PM |
| #7 Don - In those days the Pope had a nasty habit of making "crispy critters" out of those he could get his hands on who were a threat to his power. A parallel with modern day islam... George Wishart of Scotland comes to mind... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-12-02 1:14:54 PM |
| #6 Breaking News - Martin Luther and Calvin [not the boy wonder] think Roman Catholicsm is wicked. |
| Posted by: Don 2004-12-02 11:25:05 AM |
| #5 I think any religious zealot half wit is nuts . Go far left and u end up at the right . fruitloop . whether you are bible basher or a koran thumper , all the same to me . /generalize off |
| Posted by: MacNails 2004-12-02 9:13:02 AM |
| #4 Franklin Graham's got the experiences to back his beliefs up: He runs Samaritan's Purse, a rapid response/first response charitable organization that, if it doesn't fly in needed aid, gives dough to organizations that can. He's got a taste for adventure which he indulges by going to the front-lines personally on SP's tab. This sometimes translates into hiding in foxholes to avoid getting shot at by AKs. He's been there, seen Islam in action, and knows what he's talking about. Franklin Graham and Dubya share the same early life template: Kid goes wild. Nearly destroys self. Redeemed by Religion and the love of close family. Life since then centered on extending redemption and aid to others in similar circumstances. Seems to me LLLs have a problem with the Christian version of forgiveness and redemption, which involves demanding that people regard the slate as wiped clean, with the offender proving repentance by following God's call on their life. The LLL version has the offenders proving repentance by following LLL demands on their life, and to hell with that "following the beat of a different drummer" crap! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-12-02 8:38:54 AM |
| #3 Franklin Graham Still Thinks Islam ‘Wicked’ So does JerseyMike. |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-12-02 8:19:42 AM |
| #2 "Franklin Graham Still Thinks Islam ‘Wicked’" Why would he do that? Is he a Racist, or (worse) a Jooo? |
| Posted by: gromgorru 2004-12-02 4:32:22 AM |
| #1 those views are not PC. He should be jailed and sent to a reeducation camp. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-02 1:59:25 AM |