NAACP Letter Criticizes Franklin Graham's Views on Obama
The North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has sent an open letter to Reverend Franklin Graham over his views on President Barack Obama.
The letter can be found on the NAACP of North Carolina's website and was signed by several black clergy, including the state chapter's president, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II.
Barber and the others expressed concern over the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association purchasing ads across North Carolina that insinuated that Republican challenger Mitt Romney was more Christian than President Obama.
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"Your ad implied [Billy Graham] wrote the text of what was a clear endorsement of the President's opponent because he was more of a Christian than the President," reads the letter.
"The political endorsement was particularly ironic, since the non-profit you preside over has, until a couple of weeks ago, questioned whether Mormonism is part of the Christian faith."
The letter goes on to accuse Franklin Graham of misrepresenting the views of his father and being narrowly focus on conservative social positions rather than a broader biblical message of dealing with poverty and social injustice.
"We believe your father is rooted in a much broader and deeper perspective more akin to the grander traditions of our faith and moral values of our nation," reads the letter.
"We believe you have gone astray, seduced by the sirens of money and power. Again, in Christian love, we renew our challenge to you."
In a statement provided to The Christian Post by BGEA spokeswoman Kelly Wells, the association expressed "regret" over how "some members of the NAACP find issue with the recent ads."
"The content of the ads speaks for itself, and we readily acknowledge the campaign does not include every concern other groups and organizations may have liked it to address," reads the statement.
"However it does reference specific biblical values about which Mr. Graham has," continued the statement, "encouraging people to vote for candidates who would 'support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman, protect the sanctity of human life, and defend our religious freedoms.'"
This is not the first time the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP has sent an open letter to Franklin Graham taking issue with his views on the issues surrounding the upcoming election.
In February, Barber and several African-American ministers sent an open letter in response to Graham's questioning of Obama's religious background. While Barber and the other signatories commended Graham for apologizing for his remarks questioning Obama's Christian faith, they nevertheless took issue with his critical assessment of the president's outreach to the Muslim community.
Earlier this month, on an episode of CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Graham stated that Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage would be a "big problem" for him come the election.
"God instituted marriage. And for the president to now back something that is against God's position and – is a big problem for him with not only Evangelical churches, but African-American churches across this country who are very conservative," said Graham.
