An Interview with Franklin Graham

This article was published in the May 17, 2010 edition of Newsweek (U.S Edition).

For those of you are not aware of who Franklin Graham is, I ask if you have heard of Billy Graham?  Billy Graham is a very successful Southern Baptist Evangelist, who has been the spiritual advisor to 12 American Presidents.  Franklin Graham is his son, and the president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

Franklin Graham was originally invited to the Pentagon National Day of Prayer, as a representative of the Christian community, but was then told that he had been disinvited due to his comments about Islam (see interview below).  After complaints about Reverend Graham's comments, by the muslim participants, he was barred from attending the event by the Pentagon's Chaplain's Office.

Reverend Graham was interviewed by Jon Meacham and Lisa Miller regarding this event at the Pentagon.  The full interview is reproduced below:


MEACHAM: Would your sense of Christian humilty not lead you to see the point of critics who say, because of the things you've said [calling Islam "wicked,""evil"], you could possibly be divisive than unifying at a state-sponsored occasion?

GRAHAM:  Someone could try to make that argument. Eighty percent of America claims to be of the Christian faith. So there may be 20 percent who may be offended.

MEACHAM:  I'm in the 80 percent, and I'm offended.

GRAHAM:  That I mention Jesus Christ [in prayer]?

MEACHAM:  No, sir, by what you said about Islam, because I think it's more divisive than unifying

GRAHAM:  Nine years ago I said it was wicked

MEACHAM:  But you still believe ?

GRAHAM:  Sure.  But, again , I don't go out and speak about it.  I just have to ask you:  what they do to women, is that wicked or evil?  

MEACHAM:  I would go to the cross for your right to preach in almost any forum.  But I also understand the argument that the point of a public religious service is to be as unifying as possible.

GRAHAM:  I am who I am.  I don't believe that you can get to heaven through being a Buddhist or Hindu. I think Muhammad only leads to the grave.  Now, that's what I beleive, and I don't apologize for my faith.

MEACHAM:  We are an incredibly hospitable country to all faiths.  I think that's a good thing.  I don't know that you do.

GRAHAM:  Of course I think it's a good thing. And when the Muslims wanted to celebrate Ramadan at the Pentagon, I didn't write a letter and voice objections. And when they wanted to have their prayer service on Capitol Hill, on public property, supported by the Obama administration, I didn't write a letter to my Senators and congressmen.  But why can't we as Christians have our own program?

MILLER:  Forgive me, but you're not being disinvited because you're a Christian.

GRAHAM:  I'm being disinvited because of my faith and what I believe.

MEACHAM:  I understand the principle.  You're urging religious freedom - that your liberties have been abridged.

GRAHAM:  The Obama administration better be careful.  Millions of evangelical Christians voted for him in the last election. 

MEACHAM:  Are you suggesting that the Obama administration has been soft on Islam?

GRAHAM:  I think the whole nation is soft on it.  No question.  And there's still the concern with many people about what Obama really believes.  Obama's father was a Muslim, so the Islamic world sees him as a Muslim.  Now, he has told me personally that he believes in Jesus Christ and he is a Christian.  He said that again to me last week.  And I said, "Mr. President, thank you for sharing that with me.  I appreciate that."  So I believe what he says.  The Islamic world, though, they see him as one of their own.  So if the the president and his administration want to cut guys like myself out, that's fine.  But it's just sending a signal to the evangelical community that our people aren't important to him.

Now, we as nationalists have experienced a similar situation when our Chairman was disinvited from the Queen's garden party during July, because he took part in some interviews with the MSM.  He was already on his way down to London from Wales when he was informed that the invitation had been cancelled.