Defiant evangelist prays outside Pentagon

[unhappycamper]

Defiant evangelist prays outside Pentagon
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 6, 2010 13:36:02 EDT

WASHINGTON — Evangelist Franklin Graham prayed on a sidewalk outside the Pentagon on Thursday after his invitation to a prayer service inside was withdrawn because of comments that insulted Muslims.

“It looks like Islam has gotten a pass,” he told reporters. “They are able to have their services, but just because I disagree ... I’m excluded.”

In 2001, Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, described Islam as evil. More recently, he said he finds Islam offensive and wants Muslims to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins. The Pentagon’s chaplain office called those comments inappropriate and, at the request of the Army, withdrew Graham’s invitation to attend a multi-denominational “National Day of Prayer” service that was held in the Defense Department auditorium.

He came anyway, arriving in the Pentagon parking lot with his party of six people forming a circle on the sidewalk and praying.

They stood for about five minutes, heads bowed, as people arriving for work passed by.



unhappycamper comment: Frankie must be drinking the kool aid. :shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I heard Frank Schaeffer speak last night

He had nothing nice to say about Franklin.

[Dappleganger]

6. Franklin is nothing but a self-serving prick.

Staging this public prayer further illustrates his prideful hypocrisy and narcissism.

[47of74]

2. It was a PR event

If you read further down on the article, it says that following the prayer;

Then the group walked to the Pentagon’s Sept. 11, 2001, memorial a couple of hundred feet away, where media had gathered because it is one of the few places were cameras are allowed on the Pentagon property. There, Graham held a news conference that lasted nearly twice as long as the prayer.

Graham and these right wing religious types would do well to read this part of Luke;

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18: 9-14)

[Dappleganger]

8. You couldn't have said it better...

and that scripture is directly applicable for this situation.

The right-wing religious fundies have decided that living their faith out on stage is where they'll gain their power.

[NNN0LHI]

3. These phony fucks make me sick

[DinahMoeHum]

4. Franklin Graham is a wet shit-stain on his dad's legacy.

:evilfrown:

[MajorChode]

5. It is more common to see these types of nutjobs outside the White House

Most of them don't bother me too much, but the ones with bullhorns should have their asses kicked.

[callous taoboy]

7. I'd have a lot more respect if he was trying to levitate the Pentagon.

[Mari333]

10. yep, miss abbie and the gang...

[hobbit709]

9. He can pray as much as he wants, as long as he stays outside.

[HillWilliam]

11. They love pieces of Leviticus to wield as a hammer for hate

but they totally ignore the Gospels.

Matthew 6:5-8

(5) “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (6) But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (7) And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

They make a show of prayer on corners, public buildings, for the death of the president, for gays to burn in hell, to bring war, to dance on the graves of soldiers. Some "love" these evilgelicals have in their hearts.

I've got no use for it or them.

And another thing. There are members of my family who have in the past worked very closely with the Grahams and know them very well. The Grahams are evil to the core, make no mistake about it. The whole nasty Graham bunch are cynical, money-grubbing, hypocrites to the last one. Their god is money, pure and simple, nothing more and nothing less. They will ride that profitable hate-wagon as far as it will take them -- and it has made them very, very, very rich.

[RainDog]

13. His daddy was trashing Jews while he was giving Nixon religious hand jobs

same shit, different asshole.

[HillWilliam]

14. Franklin learned it all at his daddeh's knee

My mom's best friend in high school went to work for the Grahams in Montreat for a good while. Behind closed doors, all they ever talked about was how much money they were going to make and how rich they were going to be. All day long, it was "moneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoney" and god was nowhere in it. It was always about money and access to power. Still is. Nothing has changed.

My great-aunt worked for them for years and years. My cousins (her sons) knew the Grahams very well and said the same thing. One cousin in particular hated Billy's guts for being such a hypocrite and did until the day he died. I've got stories.

[trof]

12. Can you say "Grandstand"?

What a putz.