“I’m no better than a gay person,” said Franklin Graham in an Easter Sunday interview, before going on to add that he is, in fact, better than gay people because he has repented for his sins.
And what exactly are his sins? Well, he doesn’t say, so let’s just assume that he uses live garter snakes to sound himself while delivering sermons. (The aristocrats!)
In all seriousness, Franklin’s sins are all too obvious. He’s an outright monster in his treatment of LGBTs, accusing gay parents of “recruiting” in the very same interview and supporting Russia’s human rights abuses. Franklin’s no backwoods rube, surely he must know that the “recruiting” thing is a terrible lie. So, there’s a sin right there. How Christlike.
His statements about Russia are even more appalling. “Putin is going to make these decisions that he thinks (are) right for the Russian people — he thinks taking advantage of children, exploiting children, is wrong.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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What’s so infuriating about this is that if anyone is recruiting and exploiting, it’s Franklin Graham and his lunatic fringe evangelist cult.
It is hard to believe that a man as educated as Franklin could actually believe that gay people exploit children. He must know that that’s an ignorant, bigoted lie, right? Surely he’s only saying it because he knows it plays well with his base, to whom he’s been lying for years. We just do not understand how a godly man could live with himself, spouting falsehoods and attacking innocent people all over the world.
But maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he’s actually an idiot. Maybe he actually believes the nonsense about “recruiting” and “exploiting.” Maybe he really feels that the best way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus is to lead an international attack on gay men and women who just want to live their lives in peace. Maybe he’s had both nipples surgically removed from his chest and attached to his scrotum. Anything’s possible!
Ogre Magi
I utterly despise christians
revjimbrooking
The problem with Christianity is idiots like Graham!
Ann Mason
When people say what others want to hear, they can be as circular and as bullshitty as they want. Most of the time, their claims are scrutinized only by those who disagree with them.
Franklin Graham is wrong, but that’s obvious only to people who already know better. Evangelists have an edge with their followers. The followers want to believe there’s a direct line to God, and they like easy answers which make them feel safe.
The preoccupation with easy answers is universal. We all think that way when we’re children, but if we’re realistic and learn from experience we come to terms with the fact that easy answers are fantasy.
There’s a weird irony in groups who want to be led. On some level they really do feel safe believing an entire segment of the population is trying to recruit their kids, and Franklin Graham knows how to exploit that mentality. Right wing evangelists lie about perceived threats, and followers literally thank God someone is looking out for them. Governments do the same thing to build support for going into questionable wars. Tell people they’re under attack, and then the majority will go along with anything.
There’s a good reason the stronger and smarter people are more likely than others to be tolerant. They ask questions and they refuse to live in a small world.
Alan down in Florida
And his sister is as lunatic as he is.
TampaBayTed
Consider the ignorant hill billy source. Perhaps he’s the spiritual counselor to the Duck Dynasty clan. His family is probably pissed that he, as an heir to the Graham religious empire no long has any sway in the White House of today.
yousir75
Unfortunately, evangelical Christianity in America isn’t fringe. A large percentage of Americans subscribe to it.
GlitterKidder
Just because you call yourself a Christian doesn’t mean that you are. Most so called Christians don’t know the meaning of the word. In the end the joke joke will be on them. Believe in it or not Karma is for real, and what you put out in the world will come back to you ten fold, good & bad.
Mezaien
Rather be HOMOSEXUAL then a Christian. The IDIOT is a mentally ill just like all Christian.
bmwblonde
Listen up. Franklin Graham is a PK (that’s “preacher’s kid.”) And a big, celebrity, ego-maniac Preacher “daddy” was, at that. So at the risk of making a walking cliché obvious, that often means several things are going on with the son:
1. Billy Graham was likely a stupendous son-of-a-bitch to his family,
while doing the “Holier-Than-Thou” (and Speaking-in-Tongues) dance
elsewhere. Only psychiatrists’ sons are as frequently a disaster
area as much as preacher’s kids. I’ve known SO many totally two-
faced, abusive monster-dads, who put on the opposite front in
public. THAT’s the “cliché” part of this.
2. Since he likely got no love or attention from Mr. Holier-than-Thou,
the son has made up his own custom-tailored delusion to live inside.
And of course, there are plenty other stupendously damaged (and
totally unskillful, fear-based) people will eat up everything
this Type spews from his “word-hole.”
3. All the comments about Franklin being “educated” are a laugh-riot.
Being “educated” doesn’t mean having a sheepskin from some
Christian-Vomit “University.” Rather, it means having your mind
TRAINED to be impartial, to look at, you know, FACTS, all resulting
in becoming being an independent, critical thinker. Yet many Ph.D.s
are uneducated, doctrinaire, stuck in weird, unattached-to-reality
“Belief Systems” and are as oblivious to facts as the worst bible-
thumper.
4. Daddy (Billy-boy) was NIXON’s preacher. Thereby alone, Bill Graham
showed his ass-kissing, total IGNORANCE and out-of-touchness with
reality, since to any sane person Nixon was a meglomaniac, mentally-
deranged monster. Looks like the kid has the same ego-maniac
moron gene.
So who’s surprised really? The poor guy is just really SAD. Yikes. So let’s move on.
theomorton
@Ogre Magi:
Please don’t lump all Christians together. If you cannot nuance your thinking, you’ve got just as serious a problem as those who are bigoted and ignorant.
theomorton
@revjimbrooking: Bad apples spoil the bunch.
MMDD
@Ogre Magi: Please do not judge us all by the actions of one asshole. I certainly wouldn’t judge all GLBT people as despicable just based on the actions of the few jerks I’ve encountered over the years.
blondeboyz
@MMDD: yes but did those few jerks hold a lot of power and influence over thousands of people and politicians?
revjimbrooking
That same narrow logic about the apple would also apply to gay people.
wooly101
I bet he masturbates to gay porn when nobody is looking.
DickieJohnson
@Ogre Magi: One more back atya: All Christians DO NOT believe the same way, that’s why there’s so many denominations, running the gamut from Roman Catholic, varios Orthodox (the oldest, despite what the RCs think), Episcopalian (a good & loving God, no Skymonster), thru the many Protestants, all the way to the hillbilly poison-drinking snake-handlers (WTF?) Many denoms welcome & accept LGBTs, in varying degrees. I’ve never been threatened with “Hell”. All you Christian-haters should educate yourselves, or be quiet. Your hopping on that hatewagon is the same as the religious right nitwits! Really, you are quite offensive in your own bigoted ignorance.
Cyn
The Aristocrats!
gaym50ish
You’ve heard of “Haggard’s Law,” haven’t you? It was named for Rev. Ted Haggard and it states:
“The louder and more frequent one’s objections to homosexuality are, the more likely one is to be a homosexual.”
Larry Craig, George Rekers, Mark Foley, Bishop Eddie Long and of course Haggard himself have joined thousands of guys (we’ve all met them) who epitomize Haggard’s Law — but these particular guys also violated the 11th Commandment, “Thous shalt not get caught.”
Makes you wonder about Franklin Graham. Maybe one day he, too, will run afoul of the 11th Commandment.
NJjoe
His son is just a scab of his father. They have nothing else to talk about so, they go after the gays…they, TV preachers, are becoming more and more less visible and “important.” With times shifting, the hope is we won’t see these creeps of the cloth in 5 years. Personally,
I don’t pay much attention to them, which is why they continue to make
comments, they need press and they use the gay card to get the crumbs.
MMDD
@blondeboyz: That’s still not a reason to paint all Christians with one broad stroke. And for the record, I was discriminated against by an allegedly gay man in power.
1EqualityUSA
“Haggard’s Law”… love it. Fear-generated dollars line their pockets, because they haven’t the Spiritual depth to feed their flocks.
xossroads
“With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil — that takes religion.” – Steven Weinberg
Franklin Graham is prime example of this (with the caveat of him thinking hes a good person). Personally I think hes a complete piece of shit.
jmmartin
@Ogre Magi: The English (and Roman Catholic) social critic G. K. Chesterton said that there was nothing wrong with Christianity, “it’s just never been tried.” Graham is just another huckster trying to make a buck. He knew his father was a suck and that the ritual of the Graham Night at the White House was not going to happen for Franklin, he had a Pauline moment and stepped into his father’s shoe. (Singular.)