Note to Franklin Graham: Ministry should unite, not divide
Published June 12, 2015
Editorial by Winston-Salem Journal, June 11, 2015.
We’ve long praised Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization. But his aggressive forays into “culture wars” have left us baffled and sad. They’re a sharp departure from the warm welcome his father, Billy Graham, offered to everyone.
Franklin Graham has called on Christians to boycott “gay-friendly” corporations, specifically Wells Fargo and Tiffany & Co., McClatchy Tribune reported Tuesday. He announced that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which he leads, would move all of its Wells Fargo accounts to another bank in response to a Wells Fargo advertisement that featured a gay couple.
“Let’s just stop doing business with those who promote sin and stand against Almighty God’s laws and His standards,” he wrote on his Facebook account. “Maybe if enough of us do this, it will get their attention.”
It got Wells Fargo’s attention. A spokesperson for the bank, Christina Kolbjornsen, responded that Wells Fargo values the diversity of its customer and employees and has proudly supported the LGBT community for a long time, the McClatchy Tribune news service reported.
As the leader of Samaritan’s Purse, based in Boone, Franklin Graham has ministered to thousands in the midst of disaster with shelter, food and medicine. This has afforded him the opportunity to spread the Gospel. His ministry, along with his family heritage, has put him on a world stage, where he has the power to inspire and unite. Instead, he seems to be trying to use his influence to divide and bully.
Wells Fargo is a business, as is the new bank he’s selected for his organization’s accounts, Winston-Salem based BB&T, which has sponsored LGBT events. By featuring a gay couple in a commercial, Wells Fargo was likely trying to appeal to a public that is more accepting of gays. The business community as a whole is generally more accepting of gays, perhaps realizing that discriminating against them is not good for the bottom line, perhaps realizing that it’s simply wrong. There’s nothing illegal about such families, and most, including many Christians, would argue that there’s nothing immoral about them, either. Even those who disagree must acknowledge that discriminating against same-sex families is more harmful to the children in those families than accepting them.
Yet Graham seems to advocate for a world that would simply turn its back on such families and deny that they even exist.
Billy Graham’s own ministry was faced with social challenges. It began in a time when audiences – even Christian audiences – were typically segregated as a matter of course. He rejected that standard, integrating his audiences even before civil rights legislation passed. He spent his ministry showing people acceptance rather than condemnation.
The world is changing, and many would say it’s for the better. Graham is certainly entitled to voice his opinion. But stressing his most strident views is likely to damage his father’s legacy and his ability to help others. Perhaps he should consider that.
June 12, 2015 at 9:46 am
Norm Kelly says:
'he seems to be trying to use his influence to divide and bully'. Interesting. When radical gay activists attempt to bully the rest of us into not just allowing their bizarre lifestyle, but want us to enjoy, endorse, support, their activity. And when they can't embarrass us into full-on endorsement and participation in their activity, they take us to court and FORCE us by the power of central planners to participate or pay the price. And Franklin is accused of divide & bully!? Wow, the world of leftist, socialist, radical activists is quite warped. There is no longer ANY tolerance from the left wing of the radical activist groups that make up the demoncrat party!
Franklin has ASKED others to join him in making a statement. What does the left do? They FORCE others into their warped world by force of central planners and courts. Radical gay activists, which is an extremely small minority of people, have even said outright that they will take churches to court in order to force participation in their sin lifestyle should a church attempt to refuse to endorse, support, participate in gay 'marriage'. Not my interpretation of their words. Do your own research for a change and you will find this also. They believe first that churches should NOT get tax exempt status from central planners. They believe everyone should enjoy, endorse, support, participate in their lifestyle. Any church that chooses not to participate they believe should no longer be allowed tax exempt status. Therefore, they will use the courts and central planners to force churches to endorse their sin lifestyle. That is, of course, all CHRISTIAN churches. These gay activists will side with the current unqualified, socialist, lying, community organizer occupant and NOT force muslim houses of worship to participate in their sin lifestyle. After all, they are of the same mindset and partners in the destruction of everything American.
What's the difference between us being forced to participate in your sin lifestyle, and Franklin ASKING that others participate in gentle pushback? One is considered unacceptable the other is considered required. One is endorsed by socialist politicians the other is demonized. One is supported by media type allies of the socialist party. The other is demonized as abhorrent behavior.
Shame on Franklin for asking me to participate in his activity. Cudos to extremist gay activists for forcing me to endorse and participate in their sin lifestyle. If the family unit is destroyed, the best medical system in the world is destroyed, working for a living is considered old-fashioned, what's next for socialist radical anarchists? Do I HAVE to participate in ALL your radical behavior? Will you attempt to use the courts and power of the central planners to force me to participate in all your radical ideas? Will I have ANY freedoms left when you are done with me?
