(Please avoid your worst impulses to focus on any potential specific political elements, especially party politics, particularly US themes. Come on – you can do it).


You better watch out! Franklin Graham is coming to town (Vancouver, BC, Canada).

He is a feature speaker at The Festival of Hope, a Christian gathering.

As in we hope he doesn’t incite hatred or spur violence – and the potential is real even if it is not his intention. Yes, words matter. And Franklin uses words against LGBTQ people, against Muslims (predictably), and is even reportedly anti-black (the last one stuns me – anti-gay - I see how some so-called Christians interpret that sentiment from the OT, but in 2017 anti-black? Really?)

There is a petition up to revoke his invitation to the event.

A Vancouver (political) councillor, who is also a church minister, stated "We live in a country that has free speech, but there's a difference between free speech and hate speech".

I often wish Christians would focus on positive ideas rather than the negative “thou shalt nots”. And why do all too many Christian leaders obsess over homosexuality? What about Love One Another? Judge Not? Live and Let Live? (OK, so the third one maybe isn’t word for word in the scriptures). But why is someone else’s sexuality *my* business? Why have an eye-bulging, breath-robbing flat-out coronary over it? Or their skin colour (for God’s sake!). National origin? Religion of birth or choice?

I’ve been in churches that unrighteously judge people for “sinning”, such as being divorced and remarried. That ream out middle-aged independent-seeming adults in public for their private choices (in one case, a long-separated woman and a lonely widower, for going to a movie together, her not being divorced). That shun people for choosing to leave (me). And of course, the Mormon Church, that shoots you a death stare for asking a well-meaning, harmless question. That exerts extreme control over its members. In my case, anointing me involuntary Keeper of the Bulletin Board as one of my unwanted “callings” but giving me zero autonomy over simple choices of content for the ward’s hallway board, as if it’s the national museum of religion, attended by millions and judged by The Lord God Almighty Himself. I had to run by the bishop even pictures of Jesus – little did I know that some renderings would be considered seditious – there is only one Mormon Jesus. Really? If he isn’t wearing the red cloak he’s not the real deal?

The things that religionists say we cannot do are legion.

How about what we can do? Save a stream. Feed birds in winter. Avoid killing a spider, even if they’re not your favourite creatures. Donate books and toys to a neighbour kid who’s collecting Christmas gifts for underprivileged children. Ladle out at a soup kitchen. Welcome a new family to the town. Enjoy the seniors’ garden and say hello to them as you pass by admiring their artistry. Contribute to a worldwide endeavour. Save pop bottles for the local baseball team to redeem. (That’s the kind of “redemption” I can get behind!) And so on ad infinitum. Lots of positives.

The negatives give people grumpy faces. Have you noticed that? The personal legacy of a career crusader is a visage like they just bit a sour apple. So grim. Unyielding. Not friendly. Wince-worthy. And a stone in place of a heart.

A reporter wrote about Graham and the Festival of Hope that the three-day festival “is meant to spread the message of Christianity and invites non-Christians to attend”. (Where we “hope” your hate speech doesn’t translate into someone’s hateful actions (reference: a recent fatal (white nationalist) terrorist attack in a Quebec mosque).

Festival organizers say hell no, we won’t un-invite Graham, despite your petition.

They want Christians and nons to attend? I’m giving it a pass. Voting with my wallet and my choice of how to pass my time.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/leaders-launch-petition-against-franklin-graham-1.3991375

"If there was a fiery imam that came to Vancouver and held a rally with 30,000 Muslims and his rhetoric had been of the same nature — the hatred toward Christians — we know we'd have people tramping into city hall saying: 'What are you doing about this imam?'" said Stevenson.

Let the preacher or "straw man" imam spew their hatred. Both deserve to be criticized for their bad ideas. Fascist squash disscenting speach and legislate it hate speech.

But it is hate speech.

Have a different opinion? Discuss by all means. But as the councillor says, there is a line.

And if you incite violence and especially if it's predictable you share in the guilt of whatever horrors are perpetrated.

Didn't say it was hate speech. It's the facist that draws that line with legislation.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2017 11:56PM by Cpete.

Oh I see. I must have misread your statement. (In too much of a rush). Sorry.

"free speech" does NOT mean "entitled to a platform." That is not and has never been the definition of free speech.

Thx for clearing that up?

Franklin Graham is nothing like his father. Billy Graham met and was respected by both democrat and republican presidents. He knew and was respected by leaders of different faiths, and even world leaders. He was an ecumenical Christian leader, that preached mostly love.

Franklin is the opposite, a hateful man. I bet his father is rolling in his grave.

Weird. I replied to you, calico, and it didn't post.

All I said was I didn't realize Billy Graham was dead. I knew he was aged and infirm.

Agree re the son being unlike the father. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree but in this case it's in a different orchard.

According to Google, Billy Graham is still alive.

There are people who make the world at large better because they live [or lived]...

I have never considered Franklin Graham to be a part of this category.

My condolences to the people of B.C.

I do believe that Billy Graham is still alive at age 98.

He seems to find a bit of time to help people fleeing Mosul, feed the starving in Sudan, send medical teams to Zambia, send over 11 million donated shoeboxes full of Christmas gifts to kids around the world, and help hurricane victims in the south when he's not inciting violence against gays and Muslims.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/
https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4423

Oops I stand corrected, I didn't know he was still alive. With there were more people like him, and less like his son.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/fred-phelps-death-grieving_b_4976173.html

I will not be surprised if Franklin Graham does the same.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2017 01:19AM by anybody.