Several British pastors and politicians are voicing concerns about a controversial American evangelist’s plans to preach in the U.K. next year.
Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical pastor who has made blatantly homophobic and Islamophobic statements in the past, is scheduled to headline the Lancashire Festival of Hope in Blackpool in September 2018. Graham’s three-day event — similar to the “crusades” once led by his famous father, Billy Graham — is reportedly taking place with the blessing of more than 300 church leaders and members in England.
But not all residents of the area are enthused about Graham coming to town. Some have urged the U.K.’s home secretary Amber Rudd to ban the preacher from entering the country altogether, the Guardian reports.
Nina Parker, the pastor of a church in Blackpool, told HuffPost in an email that she’s worried that Graham’s visit could embolden those who are prejudiced toward Muslims and queer people to express that hate.
“It will give oxygen to those who hate as they will be aware of hatred being expressed by a man of high status in the Church,” Parker wrote to HuffPost. “It will portray a Trump style, hard line, hate filled version of Christianity devoid of understanding of and acceptance of ordinary people. It will destroy the reputation of Christianity in this region as it will be assumed that this man speaks for all. It will bring Christians into disrepute.”
Parker has more than 60,000 signatures on a petition to block Graham and his merry band of trouble makers from poisoning the UK with their hate speech.
Personally I wish we could start a petition here in America to kick Franklin Graham and his toxic crew of evangelicals the hell out of this country.
But it wouldn't help.
Even if they left they would be quickly replaced by more just like them, some perhaps even worse.
You know it seems these days that all America exports anymore is stupidity, racism, and intolerance.
I guess that's what MAGA really means.
Source http://ift.tt/2z0PEbX
