They say the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree, but they weren't talking about Franklin Graham.
The son of Charlotte native Billy Graham was on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" this morning and talked about his perception of the presidential candidates' faiths. He had a different standard for President Obama than all the other candidates.
Graham, CEO of the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and head of Boone-based Samaritan's Purse, said Obama seemed to care more about Muslims than about Christians. "Under President Obama ... the Muslims of the world, he seems to be more concerned about them, than about the Christians who are being murdered in Muslims' countries."
Graham went on: "Islam sees him as a son of Islam because his father was a Muslim, his grandfather was a Muslim, great grandfather was a Muslim and so under Islamic law, the Muslim world sees Barack Obama as a Muslim." So is Obama secretly a Muslim? "I can't say categorically (that he isn't) because Islam has gotten a free pass under Obama."
Asked whether he thought Obama is a Christian, Graham said: "You have to ask him. I cannot answer that question for anybody." He also said: "He has said he's a Christian, so I just have to assume that he is."
Asked the same question about Republican Rick Santorum, Graham did not say "you have to ask him." He said he thought Santorum was. Asked how he could be sure when he wasn't on Obama, Graham said: "Well, because his values are so clear on moral issues. No question about it. ... I think he's a man of faith."
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that a man who admires Donald Trump as presidential timber says these things about Obama. But will voters have to endure a year of innuendo and sowing seeds of doubt about whether Obama is a Muslim? Obama says he is a Christian, he has attended Christian church for decades and he practices none of the tenets specific to Islam.
Besides, who is Franklin Graham or anyone else to judge another's faith? We'll leave that judging to a higher power. How about Graham, and the crew at Morning Joe, getting off this topic and digging into who is best suited to turn the economy around?
-- Taylor Batten
Franklin is GARBAGE. His "church" should have it's tax exempt status torn away TODAY! When the slow witted such as this guy start to preach his hate for his fellow man to his congregation, it stops being a church and becomes a fascist rally.
ReplyDeleteNobody cares how Graham spins his disdain for Obama. Franklin loves Santorum and does not like Obama. What a shock!!
ReplyDeleteLook no further than Egypt to prove Graham's point. Since Obama approved brotherhood took control the christian population declines daily.
ReplyDeleteSo, someone from the CO editorial board asked a few questions to Franklin Graham just to find fault with him? Nah, couldn't happen.
ReplyDeleteReligion in any form has NO place in U.S. politics.
ReplyDeleteThe people of this Country deserve freedom from religion. Should be added to the Bill of Rights.
DeleteActions speak louder than words. Just watch the O man and you will see that Graham speaks the truth.
ReplyDeleteOur country was born based on religion and the lack of it (TRUE christianity and a love for GOD)will be the demise of our country and our world.
ReplyDeleteAnd why wouldn't barrack hussein obama care more about his relatives. I like mine better than his. Personally I don't have a problem with it. Good of Mr. Graham to speak out on it though...
ReplyDeleteTaylor - why don't you and the crew at the CO at least pretend to be non-biased every once in a while, it would be so much more interesting for the reader. You could start with an article on the foundation and priciples of the Muslim brotherhood.
ReplyDeleteWell lets see, what did the Coward President call the Ft Hood shooting done at the hands of a MUSLIM terroris? Terrorism perhaps? Nah, he called it "workplace violence"? That's what coward appeasors do and turning NASA into a Muslim outreach program after gutting it of course.
ReplyDeleteFacts suck don't they libs?
Besides this pales into comparison to what the said abouit GW.
Get over it kids.
Muslim or Christian doesn really matter to me.....all I know is the man is complete garbage and incapable of being a true leader.
ReplyDeleteWhen Franklin used Samaritan Purse money to fly Sarah Palin to North Carolina he lost my support for what is otherwise a good ministry. He has become an embarrassment to the Billy Graham Association, and the fact that as of late he's been generating more publicity promoting his partisan politics than he has in ministering the Gospel of Christ is deeply disappointing.
ReplyDeleteA few things - first, does the original person who posted @ 11:11 apply that rationale to the church Obama attended for so many years? What was preached there sounded much more hateful to me. Graham doubted Obama's faith and sincerity whereas Rev. Wright preached hatred and violence. I like how Taylor questions Graham's objectivity as if his own is beyond reproach. I'd personally love for anyone in the media to ask Obama the same questions they pose to Republican candidates. Noone in the press has publicly asked him for specifics of any of his claims or proposals yet. The press just offers blind support despite the broken promises and failed policies. All that said, I'm not a fan of Graham. What did you think he'd say when asked leading questions? Of course you knew the answer before you did it. It sure is convenient to have the debate center around media generated "controversies" s/a this and the contraception thing. God knows Obama can't win the race based on issues or his record.
ReplyDeleteWhat Franklin said was totally anti-Christian in that it did not reflect the way that Christ looked upon people of his time and told us how we should treat people. Franklin is playing the clan game, the game equivalent to Jews of Christ's day not recognizing other people as being fully human. Moreover, this interview was on MSNBC and I watched it. Franklin played God because he judged the religion of another man, another proclaiming Christian at that. People who listen to Franklin Graham on religious issues may as well read Mao to find out out free markets work. He is an absurdity, parading as some sort of heir to something that he knows little or nothing about
ReplyDeleteGraham is a religous hypocrite by critizing President Obama. How much caring have past Republican presidents shown to minority christians in any of the third world nations. Absolutely none.
ReplyDeleteReligion and Politics is a very bad combination and it instills unnecessary hostility toward man. Let politics be politics and let religion be the one that saves the minority christians, as it should be. God is our only saviour, not the president or any other politician for that matter.
Leave it to the sorry elitist republicans to try and change the topic and defend Franklin Graham. Just a bunch of south charlotte trash thinking they own the world.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama will be re-elected. That's a fact. It made you mad before, now you'll just have to keep living mad! The rest of us will go on knowing that anything is better than having a republican in office.
May God have mercy on Franklin's lying soul. The rest of you will split hell wide open with your lies and your self righteousness.
"Besides, who is Franklin Graham or anyone else to judge another's faith? We'll leave that judging to a higher power. How about Graham, and the crew at Morning Joe, getting off this topic and digging into who is best suited to turn the economy around?"
ReplyDelete-- Taylor Batten
You're kidding me, right? The editorial author of the piece questions the topicality, and print-worthiness? If the topic is so absurd, why write an editorial on the subject?
"How about Batten, and the crew at the Charlotte Observer, getting off this topic and digging into who is best suited to turn the economy around?" - R. Check
They are mad because their teletubbie Gingrich will never see the oval office, thank God Almighty! Every Republican candidate is a fool and so there is no contest, that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteAnd Rev. Wright did NOT preach hate and violence. You will burn on the lake of fire for that comment.
Frank Graham, unlike his father, wears his white supremacy like a badge of honor... I applaud his candor...
ReplyDeleteGeorge Bush was a devil and he loved Franklin Graham. Two of a kind.
ReplyDeleteMay Grahams imaginary friend in the sky Bless President Obama!
ReplyDeleteGraham better watch what he says about our great president, or he'll spend eternity in the imaginary place of punishment down below.
It's laughable that Graham actually believes his is imaginary friend in the sky is some how better then the other religions imaginary friend in the sky.
So because someone's grandfather was something it dictates what someone is? Really? Wouldn't that make alot of us something that we wouldn't like to be? I can't even deal with the ignorance from this man anymore. As a born-again Christian I'm beyond upset, I'm sickened and embarrassed. When is this man going to stop his rants in the political realm? Stick to preaching, like your dad did. Period. And from what I remember we elect a president to represent us ALL regardless of race, color or gender - so people need to stop thinking that a president should think solely in line with one group of people. He needs to think of us all; and again, as a Christian, I think Obama has done a pretty decent job at that. Get Santorum in there and I would be afraid that it wouldn't be a "For the people" administration but a "for MY people."
ReplyDeleteeI am a muslim and I have no idea what Mr. Graham is talking about. Obama is not a muslim. He is Christian.
ReplyDeleteAs a muslim, I have no problems with Christians or Jews who practice their religion. Christians, Muslims, and Jews have lived in the same countries for over a thousand years. The problem is when you have Muslims, not practicing Islam and killing innocent people. Christians not truly following the teachings of Jesus Christ, peace and blessing be upon him, and being judgmental & practicing bigotry, and Jews not truly following the teachings of Moses, peace and blessings be upon him. If we truly practiced our religions and left the judgement to God, we would be in a better place. Innovation and manipulation of religion is prevalent in all the religions, but the truth is out there. Everyone should research the origins of their religions and study others from reputable sources. . .not hate mongerers. May God guide us all and may peace and blessings be showered on Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Let us follow their TRUE examples.
I wish everyone could stop arguing over which imaginary friend is better and get back to fixing the economy and bringing jobs back to the U.S.
ReplyDeleteThe Observer has become a conservative-leaning rag for some reason ($?). It no longer reflects the opinions of Charlotte residents. I hope the money serves you well becuase your stature has certainly diminished at a time when it could have been elevated.
ReplyDeleteFRANKLIN Graham is roundly ignored by anyone with any sense.
anonymous at 1:11pm...
ReplyDeletethank you very much. my sentiments exactly.
How does Franklin Graham get this? How can he say this? If Obama were a republican I bet he would not be saying this. President Obama loves all people, all religions. Graham needs to go back and read John 3:16.
ReplyDeleteAsk Osama who Obama cares about.
ReplyDeleteFranklin Graham is an idiot.
ReplyDeleteIs Franklin Graham a Christian? Well... he "SAYS" he is... so I guess - in spite of all the evidence to the contrary one can glean from his comments today - I just have to assume he is...
ReplyDeleteBetween believing Franklin Graham or "The Lying King" Obama, I'll believe Franklin Graham any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteI hope you burn in hell for calling our President that. You and the other racists will regret saying that when he is re-elected. Just stay down in Ballantyne and rot in hell.
ReplyDeleteFranklin Graham is an agent of the devil.
ReplyDeleteSeveral months ago this guy endorsed Donald Trump for President. What a jerk.
ReplyDeleteI am a registered Republican and voted for Bush both times...but ever since Obama came on the scene something ugly and disturbing has crept into the Right's psyche...an anti-intellectual populism fueled by irrational fear and stoked by irresponsible leaders. I'm going to change my status to Independent. Today's Republicans are far more extreme than they were during Reagan and Bush Sr. And the Tea Party? A passing fad where somebody let the crazies out of the basement.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with those that think Franklin Graham is a racist. He's a ****ing idiot hate-monger piece of trash. But he appears to do that as SOP rather than on a racial bias.
ReplyDeleteIf there is a heaven and Franky gets in, please Lord send me anywhere else.
Aside from the fact that no one should really care what the half wit son of Billy Graham thinks I wonder why the CO continually attempts to further mix politics and religion. Oh right, it sells.
ReplyDeleteThat, Mr. Batten, was the most condesending, politically-biassed blog post I have ever read in my life.
ReplyDeleteWhile I completely agree that fixing the economy should dwarf the social issues in this election, let's look at some reasons why Graham might feel the way he does.
The church Obama attended for 20 years featured a pastor that DID preach hate, contrary to what anon 12:38 said. Or did you manage to miss the dozens of times news programs played the tape of Wright saying, "not God bless America, God damn America" from the pulpit? If that isn't hate, I don't know what is.
Mr. Obama said early in his presidency that "this is not a Christian nation," and listed a bunch of other religions that have American followers. America is a place where anyone can subscribe to any religion that they choose, and the government cannot interfere nor establish an "official" religion, but this nation WAS founded on Christian principles. Read any document written by a colonial/US leader in the last half of the 18th century and you'll see God all over the place. By saing "this is not a Christian nation," the President is denying those leaders and the principles upon which the nation was founded.
Again, I agree that the social issues are nowhere near of the importance of the economy (and this Republican is not going to vote for Santurum for that very reason), but since the subject was brought up, I see no reason to castigate the man just because his views disagree with yours.
Due to Franklins beliefs concerning Obama I am no longer donating to "purse". there are better places to use my charitable donations than hand it over to a man with such poor vision.
ReplyDeleteWho is Franklin Graham to be judging anybody?
ReplyDeleteI saw Franklin Graham on "Morning Joe" and I saw a man that had no respect for our president, and believe me it's not because he thinks President Obama is not a Christian, he should have been honest and said exactly why he dislikes President Obama. He's a coward and he is not a Christian. Yet, he had the nerve to say the other 3 Republican candidates are Christian, even Newt Gingrich who cheated on wives, married 3 times and lord only knows what else. Franklin Graham is a hateful man that should never speak in public again, and never ever speak about God and the Christian faith. Who is he to say whose Christian or not.
ReplyDeleteWhat is so sad is that Franklin Graham were not called to serve the Lord, he's riding the coattail of his famous father, Reverend Billy Graham. Franklin Graham is just another rich, spoiled boy and I use the term loosely, who's taking advantage of his so call birthright and trying to act like he is a man of God. What a hypocrite.
ReplyDeleteObama is a sorry president, and doesn't make a real good muslim.
ReplyDelete" Our country was born based on religion and the lack of it (TRUE christianity and a love for GOD)will be the demise of our country and our world."
ReplyDeleteThis country was based on terriost behavior. We came in removed the Native Americans from their land . Killed raped and destroyed them. The true Christianity led this country to enslave first whites then blacks for 400 years . The true Christianity was silent as rape of black women was never prosecuted . Read the story of Recy Taylor who was raped by 7 white men coming from church. Thomas Jefferson had sex with Sally Hemmings who was a teenager . Today we called it pedophile. So please spare us about your christian values
I am not Christian, but Muslim and must say that the actions mentioned above do not represent the action of a TRUE christian or Christianity. These are the actions of evil PEOPLE.
DeleteTo 'J' at 2:57pm: You are a liar and will split hell wide open for it. Nothing you said is true and is just a bunch of trash that Fox News spills out everyday.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama will be re-elected. Remember, Satan is keeping Hell hot for people like you.
the tape of Wright saying, "not God bless America, God damn America
ReplyDeleteHere is the entire speech.And the United States of America government, when it came to treating her citizens of Indian descent fairly, she failed. She put them on reservations. When it came to treating her citizens of Japanese descent fairly, she failed. She put them in internment prison camps. When it came to treating her citizens of African descent fairly, America failed. She put them in chains, the government put them on slave quarters, put them on auction blocks, put them in cotton field, put them in inferior schools, put them in substandard housing, put them in scientific experiments, put them in the lowest paying jobs, put them outside the equal protection of the law, kept them out of their racist bastions of higher education and locked them into positions of hopelessness and helplessness. The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, not God Bless America. God damn America — that's in the Bible — for killing innocent people. God damn America, for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America, as long as she tries to act like she is God, and she is supreme. The United States government has failed the vast majority of her citizens of African descent.."[
Rev . Wright SERVED this country while Rush , Hannity and Beck HAVE not. right was trained as a cardiopulmonary technician at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Wright was assigned as part of the medical team charged with care of President Lyndon B. Johnson
These trashy Ballantyne republicans love running their mouth and degrading the President. That's because they are nothing but racist trash that live in a bubble. Well, it's about to burst. Re-election is on the way, by God!
ReplyDeleteFranklin is a good man. He and I agree on many things. Mostly, I hate Obama as much as he does.
ReplyDeleteAll of the above comments remind me of one of Grandad's admonitions: "Never wrestle with a pig - you both get dirty, but the pig enjoys it."
ReplyDeleteOsama bin Laden @ 3:35 is exactly right - hate is hate is hate and no matter what cloth it's cut from, it's still hate.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite clear that Rev. Wright was talking about America's failures, not the character of its people. Any reasonable person reading or hearing those remarks knows exactly the targets of Rev. Wright's fiery sermons.
ReplyDeleteBut Conservatives, especially the evangelical Christian variety, are loathe to ever admit the United States government ever failed its people in anything. They have taken the term "exceptionalism" to mean incapable of wrongdoing. Especially when Republicans are in power.
So they decided to take Wright's words out of context and tar Obama with their deliberate misinterpretation of them - character assassination by association. Saying the President of the United States cares more about Muslims than Christians is not only morally and factually wrong, it's spiritually repulsive.
It's something no man of the cloth should ever think of a U.S. President - especially one as morally decent and above reproach as Obama has shown himself to be - let alone speak such nonsense to the press. The apple has indeed fallen far, far from the tree
Hateful liberal racists are always easy to spot since hateful liberal racists are always first to inject the hateful liberal racist word into whatever they hate and they hate everything on the planet including themselves and others plus each other.
ReplyDeleteLiberal racist haters are self loathing have extreme low self esteem low intelligence and suffer inadequate education levels plus in serious denial of their deficiencies.
Some very sick puppies for sure.
The only thing that matters is who can lead this country back to greatness. President Obama has failed. If he gets 4 more years he will be much worse. Unfortunately, with 50% of the people contributing only 3% of the tax revenue he will probably get reelected by that group and they will continue to have the wealth redistributed to them. Also unfortunately, with Obama back in for a second term there just won't be as much wealth to split up.
ReplyDeleteOh Lord, the south Charlotte soccer mom crowd is out of the cage now! That last post must have been from that psycopath Michele Bacchmann!
ReplyDeleteI hope you all rot down in that Ballantyn hellhole.
I don't agree or disagree with Graham's comments...but to all of you people who are raising hell over him having the audacity to say whether someone is a Christian or not, how about refraining from telling people they are going to hell (and one person who wished someone would go to hell simply from calling our president a "name"). I'm not a very religious person but I've read the bible enough to know that human beings don't have the ability to damn people to hell, nor should any Christian wish that upon anyone either.
ReplyDeleteYes, he cares so much about Muslims that his administration is actually killing extremist muslim terrorists while his predecessor's administration talked a lot about killing terrorists.
ReplyDeleteFranklin Graham is a fine man and has as much right as anyone to express his opinion. I think he is bold enough to tell the truth - even if it makes people mad. I admire that about him!
ReplyDeleteIn late 2009 it came to light that Franklin Graham was receiving CEO salaries for two organizations, the Billy Graham Evangelical Association and Samaritans Purse at the same time. Experts in the field and the national group that monitors non-profits found that nobody could do both full-time jobs simultaneously. Only when it came to light did Graham resign one of the jobs. Prior to that he had been making a combined salary of $1.2 million.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Franklin's god looks remarkably similar to the Benjamin Franklin image that appears on our $100 bills.
To all the rascist ! in lost souls ! be careful what you wish for !
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Conservatives, who only discovered deficit spending was bad after Obama was elected (Dick Cheney once said "deficits don't matter". Seriously. He did.), now suddenly discover that Christians are under attack in the middle east. Who woulda' thunk it?
ReplyDeleteOne of the things those silly liberals warned about during the run-up to war in Iraq was what would likely happen to the historic and officially tolerated Christian community in that nation if the secular regime of Saddam was replaced with, well, anything else.
Baghdad itself had a thriving Christian community of over 60,000. The war completely obliterated it. There are now reported to be less than 2000 Christians remaining in Baghdad, mostly living in hiding, the rest having been killed or fled the country. The countryside has essentially been swept clean of Christian influence, churches burned or turned into mosques and Christians' property confiscated.
Again, liberals and Democrats, not the Conservatives and Christian fundamentalists who were the cheerleaders for that war, were the only ones concerned with the fate of those people. It's obscene to hear Franklin Graham now use what's happening over there to bash Obama. He sure never cared much about those people before.
I for one will NEVER give another dollar or another hour to Samaritan's Purse. This guy is an incredible weasel and is an example of why people end up hating the church as an institution. They see people like him spew a gospel of irrational hate against anyone who does not agree with THEIR theology. This country was founded on separation of church and state, and tolerance of diverse religions.
ReplyDeleteFranklin is a midget compared to his Father. Making accusations like that about the sitting President is ridiculous. No one knows what goes on inside someone else's head regarding religion.
ReplyDeleteLike anyone with a brain knows the Noah's ark story could not have literally happened but evangelicals take the bible as literally true. How do you reconcile stuff like that?
I am not exactly a fan of Franklin Graham.
ReplyDeleteBut in all fairness, Franklin Graham was responding to questions. There were four or five people surrounding him at a table and waiting to jump on anything he said.
He did not endorse anyone on MSNBC.
Thanks taylor. You jusbt confirmed why i need to drop the liberal observer. I hope others follow suit!
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:47 - Would you just make sure you drop the online Observer comment boards too? Since you want to stay true to your principles, you really want to punt all versions of this liberal rag, right? That'd be nice.
ReplyDeleteFranklin Graham is a hate-filled homophobe who doesn't have enough sense to keep his mouth shut. Franklin's admitted past with hookers, alcohol, and drugs makes him a better Christian than Obama, right?!? And since Franklin thinks that he is without sin, he's out throwing stones again. Franklin needs to pray to the God in whom he claims to believe because no real Christian would spend his time defrauding charities of double salaries, saying hateful things about people of other faiths, and speaking nasty about a God-fearing man like Barack Obama. In addition to all these truisms, it's a shame that Franklin Graham isn't smart enough to learn from daddy Billy about the need to stay out of politics IF he hopes to have any legitimate basis for a religious appeal to others. Bottom-line: Franklin Graham is so insincere and unscrupulous that nothing he thinks or says is worthy of reporting by the media or reading by consumers.
ReplyDeleteRemerthis also. Graham said the same thing about Romney being a QUAKER, was this reported??? Again, the O disturber reports what it wanted, not what was actually stated by Franklin.. Never again will I li9sten to anything Franklin Graham says. All that he has admitted to in the past,( women, alcohol etc...)and he thinks he has the right to juge ANYBODY. GET real Franklin, you better pray YOU don't wind up in hell.
ReplyDeleteMorning Joe Show. Notice how the Observer picked this up from that channel?
ReplyDelete