Franklin Graham Disinvited to Speak at the Pentagon

(Baptist Press) Backlash over evangelist Franklin Graham speaking at the Pentagon as part of the National Day of Prayer has prompted the U.S. Army to rescind an invitation it extended to the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Graham, son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, is being criticized for comments he had made in the past expressing his belief that Islam is a dangerous religion. Graham is this year's honorary Day of Prayer Task Force chairman this year. Mickey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates April 19 "demanding" that the Pentagon choose a more inclusive speaker for the event. According to Reuters, the Army said it didn't invite Graham to speak at the event organized through the Pentagon chaplain's office. The invitation was extended to the task force, which in turn asked Graham to speak. "Once the Army leadership became aware that Reverend Graham was speaking at this event, we immediately recognized it as problematic," Col. Tom Collins, an Army spokesman said. "The bottom line here is that his presence would be inappropriate. His past statements are not consistent with the multi-faith emphasis and inclusiveness of this event." What a turnaround our country has made in the last several years! I guarantee you if a Muslim cleric was asked to speak at the event, the media and the Army generals wouldn't have a problem with it. We've went down the road the wrong way!

In a statement released April 22, Graham regrets that the Army felt it was necessary to rescind the invitation to the task force . He expressed strong support for the U.S. military and said he would continue to pray for the troops. Graham has a son that's on his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan. During an appearance on Fox News the same day, Graham, president of the International Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, reiterated the concern for Muslim people worldwide. "I love Muslim people and I want Muslims everywhere to know what I know, that God loves us, that he sent his son Jesus Christ into this world to take our sins and he died for our sins and rose from the grave and that Christ can come into their heart and change them and they can have the hope of eternal life, salvation," Graham said on Fox. " I want them to know they don't have to die in a car bomb. They don't have to die in some kind of holy war to be accepted by God, but its through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone." The statements that Franklin Graham made about Islam was that it was a cruel religion which treated their women harshly as well as that Muslim extremists believe in strapping bombs upon themselves. Instead, our government as well as the media refuse to acknowledge that's the true nature of radical Muslim extremists. There's no freedom in these Muslim-dominated countries in the Middle East. They treat women very horridly. It's suicidal for the U.S. government to embrace the Muslims. The Muslim extremists hate Israel and hate America. America is considered the Great Satan in the Muslim world.

America was built on Judeo-Christian principles. Our founding forefathers, who were the Puritans and Pilgrims, built and dedicated this country to God. Throughout the early course of America's history, there have been great revivals that have swept our land such as the First and Second Great Awakening, the Cane Ridge Revival, and even a revival in New York under Charles Finney in the nineteenth century. God has greatly blessed America over the 233 years she's been in existence. Since the 1960's with the U.S. Supreme Court decisions on voluntary prayer and Bible reading, our contry has went on a downhill slide. Vice has become virtue in our country. Sin has become a virtue in pagan America. There was a time that homosexuals were considered queers. They weren't classified as "gay". The term "gay" originally meant a person was happy. It was a state of being. Today we've identified that term with the homosexual lifestyle. Over the last two decades, the homosexual mafia has been trying to gain special rights in America such as gay marriage. That's an abomination. Also there was a time when it was considered shameful for a couple to walk down the aisle having engaged in sexual relations. Now there are many couples that have engaged in sexual relations prior to walking down the wedding aisle, and they're not ashamed about it. At one time it was more commonplace for a young mother to stay home and raise her family. A mother that stays home to raise her children while her husband works to provide for the family is becoming a thing of the past. Our homes and our country are falling apart. Instead of the Bible being upheld and the God of the Bible being exalted, secular humanism has become the new religion in America. America's religion is all about satisfying me, myself, and nobody else. Our nation is being overrun by illegal aliens and we face nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. We better wake up! God is getting ready to judge this nation harshly!

It's a shame when our government and our military are so concerned about being politically correct. There was a time when it would've been honorable to have Billy or Franklin Graham speak before the Pentagon. However, Franklin Graham has crossed the threshold of political incorrectness. He's attacked the Muslim religion. Shame on him! It's a shame those in the highest echelons of our government along with the military brass are catering to Muslims. Graham is exactly right about the Muslim religion. He knows because he's traveled the world. Also, his son is in the military in Afghanistan. So Graham knows what he's talking about. Our country is signing its death knell by embracing Islam in America. Who would've ever thought that a minister like Franklin Graham would be disinvited to speak at the Pentagon because of his opposition to Islam? Not in America anyway! However, that's how far down the path our nation has traveled. I'm afraid we're almost at the point of no return if not already.