Franklin Graham Says US Is 'in a Mess' Because Politicians Have 'Turned Their Backs on God'
Prominent evangelical leader and son of the famous evangelist Rev. Billy Graham has stated that the United States is "in a mess" because America's politicians "have turned their backs on God."
Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told Newsmax TV on Monday about why he believes the United States is in its present situation.
"Our country is in a mess, no question, and it seems like we're just in an ever-tightening spiral downward, and it doesn't seem as if anybody is listening to what is happening," said Graham.
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"We, as a nation, we've turned our back on God. Politicians have turned their backs on God. They have taken God out of our schools, out of just about everything you can imagine, and now we find ourselves in great danger."
Also presently the head of the philanthropic organization Samaritan's Purse, Graham reiterated these remarks for CBN News on Wednesday.
In that interview, Graham saw "moral decay" and "economic decay" as being specific parts of the problem facing the U.S. due to people turning away from God.
"Our politicians don't know right from wrong. And our politicians come to this city and they fight one another and it's the greed in their hearts, the lust that's in their hearts, and they make all these rules and laws that affect the rest of us," said Graham.
"And the government spends and spends and spends, and they don't have the money to pay for it. But the politicians are trying to use that money to buy votes in favor for themselves. It is so greedy and so wicked and so wrong."
Graham's remarks come as Democrats and Republicans in the Senate look to make a deal over ending the government shutdown and avoiding a default.
Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have both expressed optimism over the deal being hammered out in the upper house.
"Under the terms they were discussing, the $16.7 trillion debt limit would be raised enough to permit the Treasury to borrow normally until mid-February if not several months longer. The government would reopen with funds sufficient to operate until mid-January at levels set previously," reported David Espo of the AP.
"Additionally, officials said there was some thought being given to repealing a $63 fee that companies must pay for each person they cover under the big health care overhaul beginning in 2014."
