Franklin Graham Urges Believers to Fight 'Religious War Against Christians and Biblical Truths'
Using the recent "Duck Dynasty" incident as an example, in a statement on Monday, Franklin Graham expressed his disappointment that many Christians had avoided taking a "stand" on the issue and urged them to combat "the religious war" that has attacked and disparaged their values.
Graham, who is the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelical Assocation and chairman of humanitarian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, said while he was pleased to see how the Robertsons had stood by family patriarch Phil's comments on homosexuality and race, he was frustrated that more churches did not speak out.
"I appreciate the Robertson family's strong commitment to biblical principles and their refusal to back down under intense media pressure over Phil Robertson's comments in a recent interview," wrote Graham on the Billy Graham Evangelical Assocation website. "As the Robertson controversy winds down—at least for now—I have been amazed at how many churches have apparently "ducked" out on the issue (sin). Some were even quick to condemn Phil Robertson."
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Graham, who is a frequent guest on cable news network shows, said that it was imperative that Christians take their faith seriously in the public square and avoid becoming complicit in an agenda that does not have their interests at heart.
"If we Christians banded together and took a stand, perhaps we wouldn't be losing so much ground in what the media is calling the 'cultural war,'" wrote Graham. "However, it is not a cultural war—it is a religious war against Christians and the biblical truths we stand for. Some churches have fallen into the trap of being politically correct, under the disguise of tolerance."
The son of the 20th century's most famous evangelist also suggested that striving to be "politically correct" was synomous with condoning sin, and quoted Jesus' words on hell to highlight how dire it is that Christians speak out against it.
"God is not 'politically correct,' and He is certainly not tolerant of sin," wrote Graham. "The Bible tells us that He is going to judge all sin one day; and anyone who is not found under the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, will face an eternity in hell separated from God."
"Scripture says, 'So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth' (Matthew 13:49-50). But today, God is willing to forgive anyone who truly repents (is willing to turn from their sin), asks for His forgiveness, and believes on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ('For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,' Romans 10:13)," he added.
The day before A&E reinstated Phil for his "coarse" comments on Dec. 27, Graham wrote on his blog that he "[supported] his friend, Phil Robertson."
