Franklin Graham

The Chosen One: Trump Attacks Christianity Today’s Call to Impeach Him for Gross Immorality

Posted by on December 20, 2019 at 3:19 pm. 7 Comments :

One of the most perplexing subplots of Donald Trump’s Soap Opera Presidency is the devotion he is shown by Christian evangelicals for a pathological lying, serial adulterer and sexual predator, who is greedy, lazy, prideful, gluttonous, profane, vengeful, and stuffs all of those faults into a wrapper of infantile egocentrism.

Donald Trump Messiah

The religious right has long demonstrated that they are way too eagerly willing to abandon their principles in exchange for some rewarding political bone to chew on. But even so, Trump seemed like too long a stretch for people who allegedly aspire to higher morals. That turned out not to true. The evangelical community found ways to ignore Trump’s failings and embrace him as one of their own, despite his life of public irreligiosity.

However, there may now be a small crack opening up in the spiritual dam. The popular evangelical magazine, Christianity Today, (founded by Billy Graham) just published an opinion piece calling for Trump to impeached and removed from office. They did not mince words either. Addressing the recent impeachment of Trump, CT’s editor in chief Mark Galli wrote that…

“…the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”

Galli went on to enumerate some of Trump’s more egregious sins, such as his association with “people who are now convicted criminals,” as well as his “immoral actions in business and his relationship with women.” Galli described Trump as “a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused,” with a “grossly immoral character.” And Galli implored his readers to…

“Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come?”

Well, Trump didn’t wait long to condemn the magazine in stark, personal, and as always for Trump, dishonest terms:

No honest, objective person would ever describe Christianity Today as a “far left” or “progressive” magazine. And typical of Trump’s wrath, he blindly and falsely demeans the success of his perceived foe, just as he has done with CNN, the New York Times, Alec Baldwin, and others. Trump feels he needs to make his critics look small in order to feel big himself.

Then Trump insults every person of faith by asserting that they are not capable of assessing his behavior during his fateful phone call with the president of Ukraine. Trump repeats his contention that the call was “perfect,” even though his own transcript reveals that he conditioned foreign aid on Ukraine’s agreement to help him smear Joe Biden.

Naturally, Trump also lashed out at his political rivals, accusing them of wanting to “take your religion & your guns,” which is an odd juxtaposition. Needless to say, the Democrats that Trump is maligning have all been strong advocates for freedom of religion. But he seems to have forgotten that if he is removed from office, they wouldn’t be moving into the White House. It’s his devoutly Christian vice-president, Mike Pence, who would be sworn in.

Worst of all, Trump, as he has done many times before, exalts himself as the world’s foremost agent of Christ. As with everything else for which he rates his performance, he insists that no one “has ever done what I have done,” in this case “for Evangelicals, or religion itself!” Let that sink in: “for religion itself.”

This is coming from someone who once described himself as “the Chosen One.” It’s coming from someone who has said that he doesn’t need to ask God for forgiveness because he’s never done anything wrong. This is a man that who,, like many cult leaders before him, preaches to his disciples that he – and only he – can be believed. So while Trump may like to call himself the “Chosen One,” there are other names for what Trump really is.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Sarah Sanders Uses Bible to Defend Trump’s Heinous Policy of Ripping Apart Families Seeking Asylum

Posted by on June 14, 2018 at 3:00 pm. 7 Comments :

The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is best known for her ability to dispassionately lie about any matter that arises in the course of the daily press briefings. It’s a skill that most of the rabid zealots in Donald Trump’s administration sorely lack. But it often comes across as callous when the subject requires some measure of empathy.

Sarah Huckabee-Sanders

That was exhibited in spades on Thursday as Sanders was questioned about the heart-wrenching policy that Trump has enacted to rip crying children from the arms of their terrified parents. This policy has drawn broad condemnation from across the political spectrum, yet Trump and Co. refuse to halt its enforcement. That position took a peculiar turn when Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited a bible verse to justify his nauseating actions. However, the quotation he addressed only referred to obedience of the law, but made no reference to tearing families apart. Even Trump-supporting evangelical Franklin Graham called the policy “disgraceful.” At the daily press briefing, Sanders was asked by CNN’s Jim Acosta to comment on the remarks by Sessions (video below):

Acosta: On these children that are being separated from their families as they come across the border, the Attorney General earlier today said that somehow there is justification for this in the bible. Where does it say in the Bible that it’s moral to take children away from their mothers?
Sanders: I’m not aware of the Attorney General’s comment or what he would be referencing. I can say say that it is very biblical to enforce the law. That is actually repeated a number of times throughout the Bible.
Acosta: You just said it’s in the bible to follow the law…
Sanders: That’s not what I said. And I know it’s hard for you to understand even short sentences, I guess.

Huh? That’s exactly what she said just seconds before denying that she said it. This is advanced level gaslighting. And in the process of flagrantly lying about what she just said, Sanders delivers a wholly inappropriate insult with regard to Acosta’s ability to understand her short (dishonest) sentences. It’s notable that other reporters raised the same inquiries, but Acosta, a Latino reporter from CNN, was the only one she insulted. And if Sanders is looking for an appropriate bible verse to quote, she might try this one referring to refugees (sojourners) from Leviticus (19:33-34) which, when President Obama cited it, Fox News went berserk:

“33. And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong. 34. The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”

Sanders then went on to accuse Democrats of being responsible for the law requiring the separation of undocumented children from their parents. But there is no such law. It is being done as a result of an arbitrary policy implemented solely by the Trump administration. Nevertheless, Sanders said that Trump has called on Democrats to change the (nonexistent) law. But she fails to explain how Democrats could do that when they are in the minority and have no power to introduce or pass such legislation. Likewise, she ignores why Republicans, who do have the power, don’t just change the law themselves. Since they have the majority, they could make this issue go away overnight. What’s stopping them?

Among the other journalists questioning Sanders about this were Paula Reid of CBS, who advised Sanders, in vain, that there was no law mandating the separation of children. Also Brian Karem of Sentinel Newspapers made an impassioned plea asking “Sarah, you’re a parent. Don’t you have empathy for what these people are going through?” Sanders responded by recognizing a different reporter for an unrelated question. And that’s fairly typical of how she and Trump deal with difficult issues that require compassion and some expression of humanity.

Also brought up in the briefing were reports that Sanders and her deputy, Raj Shah, are planning their exit from the White House sometime this year. She would neither confirm nor deny the reports, but still criticized the reporting. We’ll see what she say when she actually leaves, which is all but certain. And we’ll also see what direction Trump will take when he names her replacement. I’m betting on Kimberly Guilfoyle of Fox News since she’s already sleeping with Don, Jr.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Fox News: It’s Open Season On Christians In America

Posted by on January 11, 2016 at 8:23 pm. 21 Comments :

Good news for the satanic sportsmen of the country. Fox News has announced that “It’s Open Season On Christians In America.” That’s right. This sorely put upon majority of crybabies is at imminent risk of total eradication from the Secular Progressive cabal of evildoers.

Fox News

The creeping danger that is casting a shadow on these righteous Americans now was identified by Rev. Franklin Graham and brought to the attention of the faithful by the Fox News resident evangelical correspondent, Todd Starnes.

In a conversation with Starnes, Graham fretted that “I believe we are perilously close to the moral tipping point for the survival of the United States of America,” and he declared that he would “refuse to be silent and watch the future of our children and grandchildren be offered up on pagan altars of personal pleasure and immorality.”

Well, that’s comforting. After all, he has already witnessed the Supreme Court redefining marriage, the rise of Islamic radicals, and the horror of Christians losing their First Amendment rights (which he freely said to a national news network). What this all leads to is the foreboding reality that…

“There now exists deep-seated antagonism and hostility toward Christianity in every seat of power in this nation – government, media, courts and education.”

To this Starnes stood up proudly to proclaim that “Instead of ignoring the rotting of America’s culture,” Graham promised to do something about it. And that somnething is to embark upon the “Decision America Tour,” a series of prayer rallies at the capitol buildings of all 50 states. Graham insists that this is not a political movement, but an appeal to the Almighty. He says that he will “lead this nation in prayer, confessing the sins of our country, asking for God’s forgiveness and encouraging Christians to get engaged in the political process.” Because, of course, this is not at all political. And to further confirm the non-political nature of this campaign, Graham complained that…

“The churches have allowed the government to take away their responsibility and so the government is feeding people, the government is clothing people, the government is now in charge of health care.”

Never mind the fact that there is nothing stopping churches from fulfilling their mission to provide food, clothing, and assistance with health care and other necessities to the many people who are still in need. Many churches are doing just that while Graham is busy whining and politicking. And he is way off base with his assertion that government is charge of health care. All government is doing is making it more affordable and accessible.

Where these paranoid Christianists constantly get the idea that they are under attack and likely to be defeated by some vague enemy is a persistent mystery. Aren’t they supposed to have an omnipotent, all-powerful God on their side? And even better, they have an omnipotent and all-powerful cable news network proselytizing on behalf of their Lord, who apparently has a bad PR agent and has to turn to Fox News.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

And yet, with the help of God and Fox News they are still convinced that they will meet their doom at the hands of the infidels whom they greatly outnumber. So they are forced to take to the streets and inspire their believers to get politically active. And they run to Todd Starnes and Fox News to achieve that goal. It must be an awful burden to live constantly in fear of the handful of pagans that apparently are more formidable than their creator and savior. Maybe they should seek a mightier Almighty.

Is President Obama A Christian? Santorum? Gingrich? Romney?

Posted by on February 21, 2012 at 10:53 am. 4 Comments :

It’s always comforting to know that there is someone you can turn to who can provide answers to the perplexing spiritual problems that we all face on a daily basis. Someone with wisdom and insight and experience in the ways of the Lord.

Such a person is Rev. Franklin Graham, at least in his own mind. He is the son and heir to the Billy Graham evangelist empire, and he appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe today (video below) to discuss the personal faiths of some national leaders. Here is what transpired:

Willie Geist: Do you believe that Pres. Obama is a Christian?
Graham: You have to ask Pres. Obama.

After that dodge, Graham spent several minutes evading the question by repeating the excuse that he doesn’t know what is in another person’s heart. Throughout the segment he pointedly refused to simply say that he believes that Obama is a Christian. However, he does say that he thinks Obama bends over backwards for Muslims and he finds it significant that some Muslims regard him as one of their own.

So what about Rick Santorum? Is he a Christian? Geist posed that question to Graham and got this response:

Graham: Oh, I think so. Because his values are so clear on moral issues. No question about it.

So he cannot answer the question about Obama because he can’t see into another person’s heart, but apparently he can see into Santorum’s heart. And that’s not all. Graham then volunteered this about Newt Gingrich:

Graham: I think Newt is a Christian. At least he told me he is.

Well, Obama also told Graham that he is a Christian, but that didn’t seem to stick. Graham said that what matters most is not what people say but how they live their lives. So of course he would be suspicious of an assertion of faith from Obama, a devoted husband and churchgoer, but he would accept Gingrich’s testimony, despite being a thrice-married, admitted adulterer who left his congressional post in disgrace for ethical violations.

Which brings us to Mitt Romney. When Alex Wagner asked Graham if Romney is a Christian, Graham wiggled this out:

Graham: I like him. He’s a Mormon. Most Christians would not accept Mormonism as part of the Christian faith.

Nevertheless, Graham praised Romney as a candidate. So there you have it. According to this Christian leader, being a serial sinner or a practitioner of a false religion is not an impediment to either the White House or Heaven. But God has much stricter standards for heathens like Obama who are faithful to their families, charitable to others, and ethical in their profession. It really makes you want to sing the praises of whatever brand of Christianity Graham is peddling.