Petition calls Franklin Graham ‘hate preacher’

Petition calls Franklin Graham ‘hate preacher’

BOONE, N.C. — A petition on Change.org describing evangelist Franklin Graham as a “hate preacher” for his outspoken views on Islam and gay “marriage” has been signed by more than 7,500 people.

Graham is scheduled to preach at the Lancashire Festival of Hope in Blackpool, England, in September 2018, but the online petition seeks to bar him from speaking. The Christian Post reported that the petition has been signed by politicians and some church members.

Graham told London-based Christian media company Premier that he is not coming to Great Britain to preach against Islam or gay people but that he will “talk about God” and “preach about a Savior, Jesus Christ, who can make a difference in our lives if we put our faith and trust in Him.”

In the interview posted online, Graham, the CEO and president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said such controversy is not new for him and noted that Jesus “offended many people” and the gospel “still offends people today.”

Graham said people tried to stop his father, Billy Graham, from preaching in the U.K. too, but his father persisted and was able to win many of them over, The Christian Post reported. (TAB)