By Alex Kuffner
Posted May 26, 2019 at 10:26 PM
Updated May 26, 2019 at 10:32 PM
Graham▲
The Rev. Franklin Graham in an interview before his time on stage at Bold Point Park in East Providence Sunday evening. [The Providence Journal / Alex Kuffner]▲
"It’s wonderful to see a turnout like this in Rhode Island," says one attendee. "We’re not the Bible Belt, after all."
EAST PROVIDENCE — The Rev. Franklin Graham has made headlines when he's waded into the political arena, whether he's voicing support for President Donald Trump or, as he did recently, chastising the openly gay Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
But in his visit to Rhode Island on Sunday the eldest son of the late evangelical leader Billy Graham wanted the focus to be on his conservative vision of Christianity.
"I want people to know how they can have a relationship with God," Graham said before taking the stage at Bold Point Park.
In this stop on his Decision America Northeast Tour, he preached his evangelical Christian message to the capacity crowd, which answered with cries of "Amen!" and "Hallelujah!"
"God loves you," said Graham, the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
More than 4,000 people attended the free event. They included Denise Morel, of East Providence, who, before Graham took the stage, said she came out to hear a celebration of Christianity.
"I'm hoping to hear a message of hope," she said. "It's wonderful to see a turnout like this in Rhode Island. We're not the Bible Belt, after all."
Graham was last in Rhode Island in September 2016 as part of his original Decision America Tour, which took him to all 50 state capitals to urge Christians to vote their faith in the presidential election. From the steps of the Rhode Island State House, Graham devoted much of that event to Bible readings and prayer, and refrained from voicing support for any specific candidate.
But unlike his father, who largely avoided politics, especially later in life, Franklin Graham has increasingly jumped into the fray. He proclaimed Donald Trump's election evidence that "God's hand was at work." He was invited to offer prayers at the inauguration and is among the evangelical pastors who serve as advisers to Trump.
And while he has frequently spoken out in support of the president since, he has also leveled criticism at prominent Democrats, such as Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is gay and has proclaimed his Christian faith. In one tweet last month, Graham wrote, "As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized."
In the interview, Graham said that despite his support for Trump, he is not a Republican.
"I'm an independent," he said. "I got fed up with the Republicans just like I got fed up with the Democrats. They made promises, promises, promises, but they don't do a very good job delivering."
"And I don't want to be involved in politics," he continued. "But President Trump is our president, so let's try to work with him."
Graham doesn't think the perception that's he's political is wrong. Without prompting, he brought up his criticism of Buttigieg, saying that he stood by his comments.
"I do speak out on some political issues, but it's when politicians get involved in moral issues. And I think I have a right to speak out as a minister," he said.
And while Morel and others at the event said they would prefer that Graham focus on religion, Judy Lopes, of Bristol, said she wanted him to speak out on issues such as abortion.
"People need to hear that," she said. "They need to know."
Graham travels next to Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Tuesday night before wrapping up his seven-city tour in Syracuse, New York, on Thursday.
— akuffner@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7457
Source
"It’s wonderful to see a turnout like this in Rhode Island," says one attendee. "We’re not the Bible Belt, after all."
EAST PROVIDENCE — The Rev. Franklin Graham has made headlines when he's waded into the political arena, whether he's voicing support for President Donald Trump or, as he did recently, chastising the openly gay Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
But in his visit to Rhode Island on Sunday the eldest son of the late evangelical leader Billy Graham wanted the focus to be on his conservative vision of Christianity.
"I want people to know how they can have a relationship with God," Graham said before taking the stage at Bold Point Park.
In this stop on his Decision America Northeast Tour, he preached his evangelical Christian message to the capacity crowd, which answered with cries of "Amen!" and "Hallelujah!"
"God loves you," said Graham, the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
More than 4,000 people attended the free event. They included Denise Morel, of East Providence, who, before Graham took the stage, said she came out to hear a celebration of Christianity.
"I'm hoping to hear a message of hope," she said. "It's wonderful to see a turnout like this in Rhode Island. We're not the Bible Belt, after all."
Graham was last in Rhode Island in September 2016 as part of his original Decision America Tour, which took him to all 50 state capitals to urge Christians to vote their faith in the presidential election. From the steps of the Rhode Island State House, Graham devoted much of that event to Bible readings and prayer, and refrained from voicing support for any specific candidate.
But unlike his father, who largely avoided politics, especially later in life, Franklin Graham has increasingly jumped into the fray. He proclaimed Donald Trump's election evidence that "God's hand was at work." He was invited to offer prayers at the inauguration and is among the evangelical pastors who serve as advisers to Trump.
And while he has frequently spoken out in support of the president since, he has also leveled criticism at prominent Democrats, such as Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is gay and has proclaimed his Christian faith. In one tweet last month, Graham wrote, "As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized."
In the interview, Graham said that despite his support for Trump, he is not a Republican.
"I'm an independent," he said. "I got fed up with the Republicans just like I got fed up with the Democrats. They made promises, promises, promises, but they don't do a very good job delivering."
"And I don't want to be involved in politics," he continued. "But President Trump is our president, so let's try to work with him."
Graham doesn't think the perception that's he's political is wrong. Without prompting, he brought up his criticism of Buttigieg, saying that he stood by his comments.
"I do speak out on some political issues, but it's when politicians get involved in moral issues. And I think I have a right to speak out as a minister," he said.
And while Morel and others at the event said they would prefer that Graham focus on religion, Judy Lopes, of Bristol, said she wanted him to speak out on issues such as abortion.
"People need to hear that," she said. "They need to know."
Graham travels next to Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Tuesday night before wrapping up his seven-city tour in Syracuse, New York, on Thursday.
— akuffner@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7457
Source
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