Christianity,  Politics

Franklin Graham Apologizes to President Obama

I noted last week that on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Franklin Graham suggested that President Obama might not be a Christian. Today, Rev. Graham walked that back with an apology. Here’s a bit of the report from Adelle Banks:

Graham, president of the relief organization Samaritan’s Purse and the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, said he now accepts Obama’s declarations that he is a Christian.

“I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama,” he said in a statement.

“I apologize to him and to any I have offended for not better articulating my reason for not supporting him in this election — for his faith has nothing to do with my consideration of him as a candidate.”

Graham said he objects to Obama’s policy stances on abortion and same-sex marriage, which Graham considers to be in “direct conflict” with Scripture.

Read the rest here.

12 Comments

  • Michael David Hotard

    There was no reason Pastor Graham should have apologized. (I will not make any conjectures on what his motives were in making this apology) President Obama is a public figure. He has made numerous public statements in where he in some way or another denies the exclusivity of the Gospel and the need for a person to have saving faith in the finished work of Christ ALONE to be able to go to Heaven. He is an universalist. Universalism is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Believing what he now believes, President Obama CAN NOT be a true Christian. Case closed. No apologies needed, or will be given here.

    Your servant in Christ,
    Michael David Hotard

    Soli Deo Gloria

    • Justin Andrusk

      Amen, brother. I can’t see why he would retract the statement given the fact that he outlines two areas where Obama rejects the authority of the Bible on abortion and same-sex marriage. Plus he provides no point of reference for explaining why he felt he needed to retract the statement.

  • Paul

    He should have never made the statement in the first place. Statements like this are fuel for the base and nothing else. Where was Graham when Bush was saying the same things? Now, he can apologize, knowing that the statement is already out there and that the base will just blame the apology on that durned liberal media coming to get him.

  • Glenn E. Chatfield

    I agree with Michael. There has never been any evidence that Obama is a Christian. He attended a church where Black Liberation Theology – a cultic teaching – was preached for 20 years. That particular denomination itself, the United Church of Christ, is one of the most apostate denominations out there. Every worldview philosophy Obama espouses directly contradicts the Christian faith. He demonstrates no fruits of the Spirit.

  • donsands

    When Barak says, “I’m a Christian”, he means I am not a Jew, or Buddhist, or Muslim, I am a Christian in name. I think Denny nailed it with Obama beong a Deist. God is true for anyone in their particular religion, as long as they are good people, and love and respect others.
    Does the Cross mean Chriist died for the sins of the world to Barak? I would love for Franklin to go and ask the President about the essential doctrines of Christ and see how he then sees his faith.
    I never thought Franklin was this weak in his convictions. Sad.

  • yankeegospelgirl

    Some people focus only on Obama’s deferential words and actions toward Muslims when calling his Christianity into question (implying he may be Muslim), but it goes far beyond that. He is directly hostile towards anything to do with Christianity or Christians. He pointedly refuses to acknowledge Christian holidays like Christmas, for one thing. Also, remember the one time when he deviated from his teleprompter in order to cut out “under God” from the pledge?

  • donsands

    Barak seems to play the “all good people” go to heaven card. He likes to have a holiday tree instead of Christmas tree, and yet he will keep his Christian title, becuase he is a member of Rev. Wright’s church. I am really trying to speak of our President correctly, and yet, it’s difficult, becuase he is such a good “politician”. He plays the game very well.

    We do pray for him in church on Sunday. and we ask our Lord to help him to see Christ, and hear the truth of Christ.

    • Derek

      Sadly, George W. Bush also stated on multiple occasions that there are many paths to God outside of Christianity. I’m no fan of Barack Obama, but if we’re going to criticize him for making these statements, we need to be honest that most evangelicals gave W a pass on the same type of statements.

      • yankeegospelgirl

        I think we’re being too narrow to focus on statements alone. I’m entirely willing to concede that Bush said some silly things. But for one thing, some of the things he’s saying (like about Moslems believing in the same God Christians do) are believed by a lot of Christians. Sadly, that particular one is even in the Catholic catechism. People will lump Moslems together with Jews and say they just need Jesus, but they’re already worshiping the same God. Now do I think that’s wrong? Absolutely! But I think you can still be a Christian while believing that particular wrong thing.

        When I look at Obama, I think his actions speak even louder than his words. And I can’t think of any actions on Bush’s part that correspond to the relentless hostility Obama has demonstrated against Christianity.

        • Derek

          YGG,
          The quote you’re referring to is the first part of two questions asked by Charlie Gibson about 5 years ago. Here’s that question and the one after it. The second answer is the one that should trouble us the most. But then again, it really shouldn’t shock us if we understand that his confessional community is the United Methodist Church. His statement is perfectly compatible with their confession.

          CHARLES GIBSON: Do we all worship the same God, Christian and Muslim?

          PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I think we do.

          CHARLES GIBSON: Do Christians and non-Christians and Muslims go to heaven in your mind?

          PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes, they do. We have different routes of getting there.

          I voted for Bush both times, but he did deny the Gospel here and I also think he was a terrible representative of a Christian worldview at times. But your point is well taken, that Obama takes it to a whole other level.

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