Baptists in Puerto Rico have withdrawn support for Franklin Graham’s Feb. 10-12 Festival of Hope evangelistic rally in San Juan in protest of the evangelist’s endorsement of anti-immigration policies espoused by President Donald Trump. The executive minister and the president…
Franklin Graham, Pope Francis promote veganism — but for very different reasons
For some Christians, going vegan may be a sudden thing after attending a church talk about factory farming and animal cruelty. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, they are struck with a life-changing conviction — this one to give up…
Religion little more than ‘politics in drag,’ rabbi says ahead of inauguration
The lineup of ministers selected to pray at Donald Trump’s inauguration reaffirms the divisions within American Christianity. Conservatives view the selections of, say, Franklin Graham and Paula White, as affirming biblical and patriotic values and as support of unfettered capitalism….
Prosperity gospel may reap windfall from Trump presidency
Donald Trump’s inauguration, and even his presidency, is likely to be a shot in the arm for the prosperity gospel. “Oh, for sure,” said Andrew Gardner, an expert in American religious history, an opinion writer with Baptist News Global and author…
Humanists oppose evangelical gift boxes in public schools
A public-interest law firm specializing in cases involving disputes about religious expression has selected a humanist group attempting to prevent Colorado schoolchildren from being asked to put together Christmas gift boxes sponsored by an evangelical charity as winner of a…
‘Locker room banter’: Nightmare for the Religious Right
“You can’t endorse me … but I endorse you and what you are doing.” That memorable phrase, delivered by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan at the Religious Roundtable National Affairs Briefing in Dallas in August 1980, highlighted the public beginnings of…
Pastors oppose Franklin Graham crusade in Canada
Two Canadian Baptist pastors have announced publicly they won’t be taking part in a citywide crusade next March in Vancouver, British Columbia, featuring U.S. evangelist Franklin Graham. Tim Kuepfer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vancouver, and Tim Dickau, pastor…
Embrace ‘extremist’ Christianity to counter hate, ministers say
Joe Phelps admits he is a Christian extremist. For years, he’s being spreading his brand of faith all over Louisville, Ky., where he’s the pastor of Highlands Baptist Church. And now he admits he’d like to see it catch on…
The fallacy in opposing ‘bathroom bills’
Franklin Graham is wrong again — and, once again, giving a bad name to my religion and my church. We could hope that if a Christian minister with a worldwide voice (often mistaken for “the” Christian voice), was going to…
On religious liberty: an open letter to Franklin Graham
Dear Mr Graham, This week someone who has put himself forward as a candidate for the presidency of your great nation made a number of hate-filled and inaccurate comments about Muslims, and proposed some extreme policies on the back of…
Jerry Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham and the sad effects of terrorism on Christianity
The goal of terrorism is far more complex and far more sinister than just the taking of human life, as painful and devastating as that is. It is to instill a fear — a terror — in those who bear…
Franklin Graham echoes Trump’s anti-Muslim stance
By Bob Allen Evangelist Franklin Graham says he agrees with presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States, an idea Graham himself surfaced in July after the fatal shooting of four Marines by a naturalized…