Franklin Graham is looking to turn down the heat he caused when he thought he could get away with telling a gay man his homosexuality was unacceptable and he must “repent” or go to hell.
Last week the Christian evangelical minister and anti-gay activist attacked Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, warning the Indiana politician he will suffer “eternal damnation” if he does not “repent” his homosexuality.
“God’s Word defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised, or politicized,” Graham wrote, attacking Buttigieg, who occasionally mentions his husband, and has even kissed him on stage.
That did not sit well with many, including some conservatives, who turned around and blasted Graham, telling him to “shut up,” calling him a “disgrace,” and letting him know his time has passed.
Graham is now engaging in a bit of “repentance” himself, trying to regain a modicum of credibility after having holy hell rained down on him.
Related: Right-Wing Pastor Falsely Claims Pete Buttigieg Wants to Turn America Into a ‘Homocracy’
The 66-year old Christian revivalist minister once again took to Facebook, this time trying to claim he had not criticized, judged, or even had not suggested Buttigieg would be going to hell.
“I’m not condemning anyone, I’m not the judge, I don’t make the rules—God does,” a much less judgmental Graham wrote over the weekend. “And His rules are spelled out clearly in His Word, the Bible. It’s up to each person to decide for themselves what their response to a loving God will be.”
“Whether you’re the mayor of South Bend, the president of the United States Donald J. Trump, Franklin Graham, or anyone else—it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done—we’re all guilty and need God’s forgiveness,” Graham wrote, suggesting all of a sudden he’s no better, no more enlightened than Buttigieg.
“God is willing to forgive our sins if we will repent (turn from those sins, leave them, go the other direction),” Graham explained.
That’s a far cry from preaching about “repentance” and “eternal damnation.”
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