Jesus in Baghdad Why we should keep Franklin Graham out of Iraq.

Slate ^ | April 11, 2003 | Steven Waldman

[DED]

This writer offers some ideas that suggest he doesn't understand our Constitution or the Bible.

He thinks the capability of destroying the Iraqi army has some connection to whether or not the government has the ability to block Graham from operating a charity in Iraq? Obviously our government has NO power to do this, and it would be quite inappropriate for the president to suggest to Graham that he stay out of Iraq.

And he believes that Graham should follow society's norm and be politically correct, rather than follow the admonitions in the Bible and his own conscience? The Bible instructs Christians to carry the Word of God unto all the world. This includes Muslims - all major religions are mutually exclusive, and it is up to every individual to determine which ONE he will follow. It is up to every Christian to try to make Jesus Christ available to every individual. Franklin Graham takes that command seriously, and Waldman thinks that is immoral. Meanwhile, Muslim nations do everything they can, including performing executions, to make sure that their people have no choice but Islam.

As I see it, Graham merely refuses to step into line and mouth the PC view that Islam is a peaceful religion. As president of a nation that includes Muslims, George Bush feels that he must hold to this line, but as a private citizen, Graham has no such limitation and has spoken the truth as he sees it. And it is extremely difficult to argue with what he has said (see http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020808-13967463.htm if you would like to know his position).

[Support Free Republic]

SHOW YOUR PRIDE! SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[KC_Conspirator]

This guy is s scumbag. He would prevent acts of charity because of his evil hatred for Christians. How pathetic.

[Brad’s Gramma]

History of Free Republic

[rebel85]

That view doesn't sound much different than the regime we just toppled; or maybe Islam itself--given the chance they (Islamic fundamendalists) have been known to execute Christians on sight. I will never be convinced that Islam is a peaceful religion.

[jackbill]

I've always known that Slate.com was bankrupt ideologically. Then I thought that they were also bankrupt financially. How come there is still crap oozing out of Slate.com?

Please don't tell me that the taxpayers are subsidizing Slate.

[Russell Scott]

Another liberal devil trying to keep the truth from people who desperately need it. Freedom comes from God. And the more you under the nature of the true and living God, and not a man-made fairy tale god, the more freedom you will have.

"He who the Son sets free is free indeed"

[johnfl61]

Sounds like a whiny Saddam lover to me.

[remitrom]

All right then, all Moslems must be deported from Christian America. Are you happy now, Slate?

[unspun]

Be careful not to slip on all that brown stuff!

[Triple_R]

Graham is merely calling Islam as he sees it.
Like a lot of liberals do vis a vis Christianity...
Funny how it seems fine in America to slam Christianity whenever one can, but it's considerred anti-PC to attack pretty much any other religion. :-/

In any case, Graham (and those under him) are pros.
These are people who know how to spread the Gospel abroad w/o. inciting a lot of furor against them (otherwise, they'd be dead... literally...).

May God bless them in their endeavours.

[Sloth]

"Yeah, we went over there to liberate them, but we didn't mean *that* kind of liberty!"

[Amerigomag]

I'm having problems grasping Waldman's illogic.

His arguments are obviously agenda driven but I can't determine if he's simply a secularist, or deeply, religiously envious of Christian principals and dogma or just personally hates Bush or Grahman or both.

[cookcounty]

"What Graham is doing probably isn't illegal; it's merely immoral.

Seeking to persuade people of your view about ultimate questions is................immoral?!?!? May God save us from moralizers like this author!

[EternalVigilance]

Today we have seen a Democrat U.S. Senator, John D. Rockefeller IV, oppose 'deomocracy' in Iraq. Now here we see another loopy liberal oppose religious liberty. They continue revealing their true stripes more and more each day.

[skr]

Funny how just telling the truth becomes bashing. Let the Iraqis determine whether or not they'll accept the aid and the message. We, including the author, all know that the aid won't be withheld if the message is rejected.

[Restorer]

I think the author makes excellent points.

At this stage of the game, it would indeed be immoral to give the Islamists and Arab tyrants perhaps the best possible ammo they could have to convince their people that the Americans are indeed Crusaders.

Long term, we should pressure Muslim countries to allow true freedom of religion, including proselytization.

But not now.

[Dec31,1999]

In addition to being publicly allied with the Bush administration, Graham also happens to be stridently anti-Islam. His list of anti-Islam comments is long; his most succinct was that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion."

But Islam really IS a very evil and wicked religion. But don't tell any of the sheeple yet. Let us get done what needs doing first.

Firsable, they looks real weird.

Secondable, they smells funny.

Thirdable, they flew jets inta the WTC!

[aruanan]

Jesus in Baghdad Why we should keep Franklin Graham out of Iraq.

Christian organizations in Muslim countries (in the ones where they're not outlawed) would do much good and no harm. On the other hand, Muslim organizations in Christian countries (where they're free to do whatever they want as far as religion goes) have been used to foment Jihad and outfit terrorists. There is no way to morph one into the other via moral equivalence.

[Dec31,1999]

Hate to rain on the party but here's my prediction: As soon as we enforce liberty in that country, they are going to vote for sharia law, which necessarily excludes individual freedom.

How does on teach savages to be free, anyway?

Even Turkye has done the same.