Franklin Graham, one of the world’s best-known Christian evangelists and the head of the nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse, said in a Wednesday morning Fox & Friends interview the “folks in Garland were wrong” to hold their “Draw Muhammad” event. ”
As a Christian, I don’t like it when people mock my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “What this event was doing in Texas was mocking Islam. I disagree with [them].” Graham said today’s society is lacking in civility and the “folks in Garland were wrong” to further that tone. “I think we need to show respect and civility,” he said.
“We need to respect one another … and those that believe differently [from my faith], I’m not going to mock them.”
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Graham then condemned the radicalized element of Islam for attacking those outside their faith, and doubled down on remarks made earlier – reported by WND – that the United States should put a hold on allowing anyone into this country who’s coming from a nation with known terrorist cells.
“It’s wrong to prefer violence, period,” he said. “The Muslims have no right to go around shooting people because someone mocks them. … We should not be allowing immigration into this country from any countries that have active terrorist cells.”
Just Tuesday, Graham weighed in on the Texas shootings with a Facebook post saying the god of Islam is not the “God of the Bible,” or of Christianity.
“One of the Muslim gunmen in Garland, Texas, said he had come there to die, believing that this pleases his god and he would go to heaven,” Graham wrote. “The god of Islam and the God of the Bible are not the same.” One key difference? “The god of Islam wants you to die for him,” he said.
“The God of the Bible sent His Son to die for us.” Graham then wrote: “Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ Only if we put our faith and trust in Him, can we spend eternity in Heaven. I wish all Muslims could know the truth. They can find what their hearts are searching for only through Jesus Christ.” Graham has said in previous interviews he wanted Muslims to hear the new that “God loves them and he will accept them through faith and through his son, Jesus Christ,” Christianity Today reported.
On Wednesday on Fox & Friends, Graham called for more prayer for the nation, and for the nation’s leaders. “We need to pray for this country,” he said, “that it turns back to the God of our fathers. We need God today in this country and we need His help. And we need to love one another … love them and respect them.”
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Franklin Graham: ‘Folks in Garland were wrong’
Related columns:
Yes — mock Islam at every opportunity by Erik Rush
Muhammad cartoons and ‘P-ss Christ’ by Michael Brown
