FlaGator
04-21-2010, 12:36 PM
There is much irony in this story....
Evangelist Franklin Graham is scheduled to speak at the Pentagon on the National Day of Prayer.
But his invitation has riled up at least one group which is demanding a more "inclusive speaker" for the event on May 6.
Michael L. Weinstein of Military Religious Freedom Foundation is vehemently opposed to Graham speaking for the Pentagon's NDP event because of the evangelist's former comments on Islam (http://www.christianpost.com/topics/islam) being an "evil" religion and his ties to conservative Christian group the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
"Mr. Graham has never retracted or apologized for these statements, and, in fact, was still defending them as recently as December 2009 in an appearance on CNN," Weinstein wrote in a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates this week.
Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, drew fire after the 2001 terrorist attacks when he called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion."
He has since clarified his remarks, saying he does not believe Muslims are evil people because of their faith. But he decried the evil that has been done in the name of Islam.
Last year, he told CNN's Campbell Brown, "I don't agree with the teachings of Islam. I find it to be a very violent religion."
His spokesman, Mark DeMoss, told The Associated Press that Graham hasn't changed his views on Islam.
Graham had been invited to speak at the Pentagon in 2003, which outraged the Muslim community. His invitation to speak at the Pentagon this year prompted some U.S. military personnel and DoD employees of the Muslim faith to contact the Military Religious Freedom Foundation for help, according to Weinstein.
The whole story is here (http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100421/group-demands-pentagon-rescind-invitation-to-franklin-graham/index.html)
Evangelist Franklin Graham is scheduled to speak at the Pentagon on the National Day of Prayer.
But his invitation has riled up at least one group which is demanding a more "inclusive speaker" for the event on May 6.
Michael L. Weinstein of Military Religious Freedom Foundation is vehemently opposed to Graham speaking for the Pentagon's NDP event because of the evangelist's former comments on Islam (http://www.christianpost.com/topics/islam) being an "evil" religion and his ties to conservative Christian group the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
"Mr. Graham has never retracted or apologized for these statements, and, in fact, was still defending them as recently as December 2009 in an appearance on CNN," Weinstein wrote in a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates this week.
Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, drew fire after the 2001 terrorist attacks when he called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion."
He has since clarified his remarks, saying he does not believe Muslims are evil people because of their faith. But he decried the evil that has been done in the name of Islam.
Last year, he told CNN's Campbell Brown, "I don't agree with the teachings of Islam. I find it to be a very violent religion."
His spokesman, Mark DeMoss, told The Associated Press that Graham hasn't changed his views on Islam.
Graham had been invited to speak at the Pentagon in 2003, which outraged the Muslim community. His invitation to speak at the Pentagon this year prompted some U.S. military personnel and DoD employees of the Muslim faith to contact the Military Religious Freedom Foundation for help, according to Weinstein.
The whole story is here (http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100421/group-demands-pentagon-rescind-invitation-to-franklin-graham/index.html)