August 29, 2010:

Ponderings of a Pilgrim PASTOR

“Is Franklin Graham a Christian?”

Recently, Franklin Graham, Billy’s son and heir, made a provocative and quite untrue suggestion that President Obama is actually a Muslim. Through the tortuous reasoning common to people in his religious world, Graham believes that the “seed” of his Muslim father passed to Mr. Obama. Just where Graham came up with this notion is beyond me. It certainly is not to be found in any of my source materials on Islam which stress that one becomes a Muslim by “submitting” (which is what “Islam” means) to its creed: “There is no God but God (Allah), and Muhammed is his prophet.” Perhaps Graham was thinking of Judaism which, traditionally, believes that the children of Jewish mothers are born as Jews.

Still, in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the way one becomes a member of each faith is by a conscious decision and affirmation. For Christians that means young people must “confirm” their faith. One cannot be “born” into any faith. Graham should know better since Mr. Obama has made a number of public professions of his Christian faith. Does Graham think he is lying?

Maybe, because many in the strange religio/political world that Graham inhabits believe Mr. Obama is not only a Muslim but also was not born in America. So, is it fair for me to ask if Franklin Graham is actually a Christian? I know that Billy Graham, his father, is a professed Christian who has matured greatly in his faith over the years, but what is Franklin? He certainly talks a lot about his faith but talk is cheap. As Jesus famously said: “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” And as Paul says (in Galatians 5), “. . . The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

If that is the standard by which one can discern what my Dad used to call a “real” Christian, I wonder if Franklin Graham is a Christian? His “fruit” seems very sour, indeed.

Love,
Pastor Dave