Wednesday, October 18, 2006

whoa! two posts in one week!

I just want to make everybody aware of an event coming up this friday entitled

OPERATION BLESS OUR ENEMIES: A religious gathering to coincide with the opening of the Franklin Graham Festival.

Friday, October 20, at 5:15 p.m. at Knox United Church (400 Edmonton Street, 1 1/2 blocks north of Portage Place).

Background information on this can be found online at http://geezmagazine.org/blessourenemies.


I am not endorsing this event, as I haven't really gotten a real chance to research these issues. But I highly respect the organizers of this event, so will be researching myself as to what I think about all of this.

CNN does quote Franklin Graham as saying the following: (emphasis mine)

Graham: And this may sound rough, Judy, but we need to use every weapon in our arsenal that need be to defeat this enemy. And I don't think we should hold back. And we'll make a great mistake if we hold back our technology and hold back our weapons and put young men and women in there and sacrifice them because we're scared to use some of our major weapons. And I think we're going to have to use every -- and I hate to say it, hellish weapon in our inventory, if need be, to defeat these people.
WOODRUFF: Do you really believe that the American people are prepared now to have young Americans die?

GRAHAM: No. But I think they're prepared to stop this, and not to put our young men needlessly or our young women needlessly. And yes, there may be some young men and women whose lives may be lost, and I pray not. And that's why I think we need to use these weapons that we have, and not our young men and not our young women and just sacrifice them as (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But let's use the weapons we have, the weapons of mass destruction if need be and destroy the enemy.


This makes me sad, as I am (was?) a big fan of Franklin Graham and of Samaritan's Purse. I will be doing more research on this, but wanted to throw that out there.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's a bit more insight on Franklin Graham, from what I understand.

Lots of people said crazy things after 9/11 -- Franklin Graham included. But I believe he has apologized for this since. Some churches are still boycotting his crusade, but I don't believe this statement represents what he stands for at all. The problem is that when you are a big name and say something stupid and are on tv it gets out everywhere.

Just to lend some fairness to this all. I say stupid stuff too sometimes -- but I am glad for people who have the grace to forgive me. So especially for Sarah -- yeah -- we Christians are screwed up folks sometimes -- but that's why we need a God big enough to love us despite our mistakes and regrettable moments.

Anonymous said...

me being Bryan -- this think won't let me leave a "logged in" post

Tricia said...

umm, yeah well Franklin may have apologized for that comment, but that line of thinking seems to be pretty consistent with many of his other discussions of foreign policy. For instance he called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion." And I'm sure if he spent more time discussing foreign policy we'd see a lot more comments like that.

bre said...

bryan, do you know where i can get info on franklin graham's apology or retraction? i can't find it, adn i am told by others that he never retracted or apologized for it. i've googled, but can't find anything concrete . . .

Adam said...

Hi guys. Just to add to your discussion (if I may). According to the stuff handed out on Friday at the rally, Frankie has not, as of yet, apologized for any of his comments. I saw an interview on CBC with him last Thursday and he avoided apologizing there too.

And to Sarah - there is a lot more to the church than Franklin Graham. I would not hold up Franklin as a model example of how God would have us live. I have to believe that God is bigger than the Franklin Graham Crusade.

Tricia said...

I'm in agreement with Adam. From everything I have read there has been no apology from Franklin Graham in regards to his comments.
Both of the following articles discuss some of the comments Graham has made and his reactions to their discussion.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/10/20/graham-protest.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/10/22/graham.html

Tricia

Tricia said...

The second link should be as follows:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/10/22/graham.html

Sorry, forgot the ever important html part.

Tricia

Tricia said...

ok there are times I hate computers... Oh well this post will look popular with all the comments. The second link is

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/10/22/graham.html

Tricia

Tricia said...

So none of my freaking links want to post. Go to www.cbc.ca and look for yourself. F*@King computers.

Tricia