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U.S. Army has disinvited Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on National Prayer Day
The Cypress Times
WASHINGTON, DC (ANS)- The Stars and Stripes is reporting that the U.S. Army has disinvited Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on National Prayer Day after a military advocacy group objected because Graham has reportedly described Islam as “evil” and “wicked.”
“I regret that the Army felt it was necessary to rescind their invitation to the National Day of Prayer Task Force to participate in the Pentagon’s special prayer service,” Graham said in a statement on Thursday.
“I want to express my strong support for the United States military and all our troops. I will continue to pray that God will give them guidance, wisdom and protection as they serve this great country.”
Graham was expected to speak at the Pentagon on May 6, 2010, drawing the ire of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group focused on religious favoritism in the military.
In a story written by reporter Jeff Schogol for the Stars and Stripes, which describes itself as “The Independent News Source for the U.S. Military Community,” said that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation had been prepared to seek a temporary restraining order against National Prayer Day if it were “polluted by someone as hideously Islamophobic as Franklin Graham,” said Mikey Weinstein, head of the group.
Schogol said that in a 2001 op-ed piece, Graham wrote that he does not believe Muslims are evil, but he objects to the treatment of women in Muslim countries and Islam’s historic “persecution or elimination” of other religions.
Today (Thursday, April 22, 2010), Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham, told Fox News that while he loves Muslims, “I speak out for people that live under Islam, that are enslaved by Islam and I want them to know they can be free through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone.”
The story said that Council on American Islamic Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said it is “completely inappropriate” for Graham to speak in front of a military audience.
An Army spokesman told the Associated Press the Pentagon’s relationship with the Christian group does not violate Defense Department rules.
“We are an all-inclusive military,” said Col. Tim Collins. “We hold observances throughout the year. This one happens to be a Christian-themed event.”
But, said the reporter, his comments were criticized by the Secular Coalition for America, an advocacy for non-religious Americans.
“For the Pentagon to hold an explicitly ‘Christian-themed event’ around the day of prayer is brazenly out of all reasonable bounds, and explicitly exclusionary to U.S. service members of all non-Christian faiths and of no faith,” group Executive Director Sean Faircloth said in a release.
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Franklin Graham Regrets Army’s Decision to Rescind Invite to Pentagon Prayer Service
FOX News
Evangelist Franklin Graham said Thursday that he regrets the Army’s decision to rescind its invitation to him for the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer service on May 6, but expressed “strong support” for the U.S. military.
The Army spokesman said the event will go forward but without the National Day of Prayer Task Force participating.
“I regret that the Army felt it was necessary to rescind their invitation to the National Day of Prayer Task Force to participate in the Pentagon’s special prayer service,” Graham said in a written statement.
“I want to expresses my strong support for the United States military and all our troops,” he added. “I will continue to pray that God will give them guidance, wisdom and protection as they serve this great country.”
Franklin, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, told Fox News that he loves Muslim people and wants them to know that God loves them, even if they can be saved only through Jesus Christ.
“I want them to know that they don’t have to die in a car bomb, don’t have to die in some kind of holy war to be accepted by God. But it’s through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone,” Graham said.
Graham said said he loves the Muslim people, just not their religion — which he called “horrid” for its restrictions on women.
“I love the people of Islam but their religion, I do not agree with their religion at all. And if you look at what the religion does just to women, women alone, it is just horrid. And so yes, I speak out for women. I speak out for people that live under Islam, that are enslaved by Islam and I want them to know that they can be free,” he said.
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Wild Thing’s comment……..
I really wonder how long God is going to continue to Bless America??
Of course Muslim’s will be represented they’re not mean like or evil like us Christians. This just in Franklin Graham also calls sky blue and grass green…the horror.
“”The story said that Council on American Islamic Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said it is “completely inappropriate” for Graham to speak in front of a military audience. These are individuals who are potentially going to be stationed in Muslim majority nations, and they don’t need to hear from someone spreading hatred of Islam and Muslims,” Hooper said.
Hooper better brush up on current events – CURRENT for us and our military was on September 11, 2001!!!!
Damn I hate this PC crap!
….Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
I applaud Graham for not backtrackg and apologizing for his truthful description of Islam. Too many today. It’s apparent the Army still hasn’t learned anything from Fort Hood.
Who are these people? And why is our Military having to listen to the likes of Ibrahim Hooper???
Here’s a news flash:
Politcal correctness kills.
obama is a muslim. He has appointed muslims to sensitive positions in the govt., including Homeland Security and Dept. of Defense. Of course the muslim bastard doesn’t want an influential Christian to preach to the troops. islam is here folks. The enemy is in plain sight.
Its not only the Army it’s all Services, the whole damn pentagon has been whussified and PC’ed into believing this crap about how peaceful I slam is.
Franklin Graham was brought up by a giant and is walking in his footsteps. Good for him.
BobF., I agree, one would think after Fort Hood they would see how dangerous it is to live by the PC baloney.
Yankeemom, ditto that!!!
The group besides CAIR ( augh) doing the biggest complaining and leading the way is a very anti-Christian group. sickening.
Tom, it sure is, like you said they are in plain sight. I think it is going to get even worse as time goes by caving in to the muslims. And the rest of our country will pay the price for this stupidity.
Mark, you are so right, it is in all the branches of service. Your right too about Franklin’s dad Billy. Two men that have loved our country and our military too.
I think this is all just the beginning of our country’s punishment for turning it’s back on Israel. Worse is to come. We aren’t blessed anymore and it’s going to take a lot for this country to get back into God’s good graces.