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‘What Are You Willing to Take a Bullet For?’: Just How Disturbing Is Franklin Graham’s Question?

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Series of Facebook Posts About Transgender Rights and Sin Culiminate in Asking, ‘What Are You Willing to Take a Bullet For?’

The question has to be asked: Just how disturbing is Franklin Graham‘s recent Facebook post? Is he now advocating violence? Is he effectively intimating violence against LGBT people is a godly stance against “sin”? Is he suggesting LGBT people are a danger to Christians? Is he suggesting Christians should somehow martyr themselves in some twisted anti-LGBT last stand? What exactly is he suggesting?

Earlier today NCRM posted an article lambasting Billy Graham’s son for his Friday “freak out” over President Barack Obama’s directive to all pubic schools to not discriminate against transgender students. Graham’s transphobic post on Friday was directly followed by a series of posts suggesting those who sin will be forgiven. Is he effectively dangling permission to commit heinous acts?

One post on Saturday concludes God “will give us eternal life if we believe on Him and trust Jesus Christ as our Savior. He alone is able to wash all of our sins away and give us a clean record.”

Graham continues the thought on Sunday, writing, “The Bible says, ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count His sin’ (Romans 4:7-8).” 

Graham then says, “I asked God to forgive my sins and my lawless deeds. He did—and I’m so grateful that my sins are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ so that they are not counted against me. How about you?”

Finally, Sunday evening, Graham on Facebook asks, “What would you take a bullet for?

That’s shocking in and of itself, but taken in context with his previous posts, it’s chilling.

“What are the principles and beliefs that you would not compromise under any circumstances? Even if it meant putting your life on the line?,” he asks.

He delves into Biblical mythology about King Nebuchadnezzar, and concludes, “I want to call on every Christian and every pastor to stand firm like these patriarchs of old and not bow to the secular, increasingly godless culture in which we live—even when (not if) we’re criticized, mocked, and labeled intolerant.”

“The God of the Old Testament that delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from their fiery execution is the same God today—and He is still more than able to save. Will you stand against ungodliness? What are you willing to take a bullet for?”

Frightening that a “man of God” would so carelessly and arrogantly pose such a question on his Facebook page, which has over 3.7 million fans. 

Others seem to agree Graham’s words are cause for concern.

Raw Story’s Travis Gettys wrote Monday morning, “in a Facebook message to his followers posted Sunday evening, Graham encouraged anti-LGBT bigots to martyr themselves or face God’s eternal wrath.”

Popular gay blogger Joe.My.God. reposted Graham’s words, with the title, “Franklin Graham: Real Christians Should Be Willing To Take A Bullet For Their ‘Intolerant’ Beliefs.”

In “Franklin Graham: President Obama Is Advancing the Sin of Homosexuality,” right-wing religious site Charisma writes that “a couple of comments” Graham “made over the weekend certainly added to the message” against homosexuality. “Sunday, he asked his social media followers, ‘What would you to take a bullet for?'”

LiveLeak just posted an article titled, “Franklin Graham Goes Full Bin Laden in N.Carolina: Christian Should ‘take a bullet’ & Be a Martyr for their ‘Intolerant’ Beliefs.'”

“Graham encouraged his own followers to follow that Old Testament example in opposing American laws that contradict their biblical worldview,” the article says.

Former LGBT blogger Pam Spaulding on Facebook asked, “Does he want to promote violence by ‘Christians’ that will result in death and destruction? When will he stop this dangerous nonsense?”

Graham is a public figure who almost daily attacks the LGBT community, same-sex marriage, and more recently, civil rights for transgender people. On his nationwide tour and on Facebook Graham uses his pulpit to denounce LGBT people’s lives as sinful. Whatever his intentions, the effect, as others seem to agree, is disturbing at the very least.

NCRM contacted both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Franklin Graham’s public relations representatives asking for comment, by telephone and email. We were told Mr. Graham is traveling today. 

Here are some responses to Graham’s post on Facebook:

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Fox News Host Suggests Trump ‘Force’ Court to Throw Him in Jail – by Quoting Him

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The Fox News host who targeted a juror serving on Donald Trump’s criminal New York trial is now suggesting the ex-president should violate his gag order and “force” the court to throw him in jail, by quoting the Fox News host.

Jesse Watters came under fire earlier this week for profiling juror number two, sharing possibly identifying information published by a myriad of reporters but then using that information to pass judgment on her ability to serve.

“I’m not so sure about juror number two,” Watters concluded on Fox News.

Jurors, at the judge’s direction, were to remain anonymous, for their protection and the protection of the trial.

The judge excused her, after she said she felt she was not able to be impartial because friends and family were calling her asking if she had been chosen to serve on the Trump trial, after the media blitz.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting the information, but some news outlets appeared to ignore his warning.

Watters on Wednesday “did a segment with a jury consultant, revealing details about people who had been seated on the jury and questioning whether some were ‘stealth liberals’ who would be out to convict Trump,” the Associated Press reported.

READ MORE: Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

Trump later posted Watters’ quote on his Truth Social platform, leading some, including New York prosecutors, to ask the judge to cite him for allegedly breaking his gag order.

Judge Merchan ordered Trump to not mention witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors and court staff, CNN has reported.

New York prosecutors told Juge Merchan Trump has violated the gag order at least ten times.

“Prosecutor Christopher Conroy described the ‘most disturbing’ example as a social media message Trump posted on Wednesday evening quoting a Fox News host as saying, ‘They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,'” Politico reports.

That host was Jesse Watters.

RELATED: ‘Afraid and Intimidated’: Trump Trial Juror Targeted by Fox News Dismissed

Friday afternoon, Watters appeared to egg Trump on, urging the ex-president to violate the gag order.

“I would make them put me in jail,” Watters said on Fox News. “I would have a tweet about something perhaps I said on ‘The Five’ or ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ and I would force them to throw me in jail.”

Watch Watters’ remark below or at this link.

 

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Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says some of his fellow House Republicans would “take a bribe” to throw the razor-thin GOP majority to the Democrats if a far-right faction calls up a motion to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, allowing Democrats to hand the gavel to the Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. he warned if that happens, Democrats would immediately declare Trump ineligible to be President, pack the U.S. Supreme Court, and pass numerous laws like the American Rescue Plan.

“I do believe in a one seat majority there could be one or two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe in one form or another in order to deprive the Republicans of a majority at all,” Gaetz said Friday on his podcast (video below.)

He added, “the risk that one or two of my corrupt Republican colleagues might take a bribe, take a walk, feign an ailment and flip this thing to the Democrats is a risk that is too high for me at this time.”

Gaetz’s fellow far-right Florida Republican member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, told listeners, “I heard that when, if and when the motion vacate is introduced, that there will be immediate resignations of a couple of more moderate members of Congress. And in the event that that happens, that ultimately means it does go to a Democrat speaker.”

RELATED: Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month filed a “motion to vacate,” which she can use at any time to force a vote to oust the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson. U.S. Rep. Tim Massie (R-KY) and just today, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has signed on as co-sponsors.

Congressman Gaetz told listeners if Democrats do take the House through a force vote to remove Johnson, Democrats would “be declaring Donald Trump an insurrectionist and setting up a barrier to him being able to become the president United States.”

“That’ll be their leadoff hitter, and then the chaser to that shot will be a massive spending package that looks a lot more like the American Rescue Plan. They will blow past every concept of every cap ever imagined. You’ll be looking at Universal Basic Income, you could be looking at packing the Supreme Court.”

Watch a short clip of Gaetz’s remarks below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

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Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Friday the majority of Democrats will support Republicans’ Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza foreign aid legislation as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson lost support of another member of his conference to a faction determined to oust him.

“Democrats will provide a majority of our majority as it relates to funding Israel, humanitarian assistance, Ukraine, and our allies in the Indo Pacific,” Minority Leader Jeffries said. “It remains to be seen what Republicans will do in terms of meeting the national security needs of the American people, but it was important for House Democrats to ensure that the national security bills are going to be considered.”

Despite Republicans having a one-vote majority, more Democrats on Friday voted to move the critical and long-awaited foreign aid bills forward than did Republicans.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

The 316-94 vote included 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting yes, and 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voting no.

Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke posted the list of Republicans voting against their party’s legislation.

Calling it a “rare” moment in modern congressional history to have to rely on opposition party votes to pass legislation, BBC News reports Speaker Johnson’s “hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him – and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine – occupy some key positions within the House’s power structure.”

Amid the procedural vote to move the foreign aid funding bills forward, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, a far-right Republican of Arizona, announced he is joining Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Congressman Tim Massie (R-KY) in formally announcing their will vote to oust Speaker Johnson.

Gosar, like Greene, is reportedly a Christian nationalist. In 2022 CNN reported his “lengthy ties to White nationalists, [a] pro-Nazi blogger and far-right fringe received little pushback for years.”

RELATED: ‘Repercussions’: Democrats and Republicans Stand Against ‘Pro-Putin’ House GOP Faction

“We’ve been very honest in our assessment of the situation from the beginning,” Jeffries on Friday also declared. “At the appropriate time as House Democrats, we will have a conversation about how to deal with any hypothetical motion to vacate.”

“Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and Gosar are quite a group. But central to our conversation is to make sure that the national security legislation in totality is passed by the House of Representatives.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

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