OPINION:
The Rev. Franklin Graham is headed to the United Kingdom to preach on the spiritual pitfalls of “sex, drugs, money, even religion,” but Blackpool bus company powers-who-be, facing pressure from LGBTQ activists, have pulled his advertisements about hoping in Jesus from their transit system.
Why?
Because Franklin preaches that homosexuality is a sin, according to the word of God. And such preaching is deemed offensive, dangerous and outright hateful.
Honestly, you’d think the United Kingdom would have enough to worry about with the radical Islamic elements drumming up the jihad calls, than to go after a guy whose main aim was to save souls, not behead.
But as the LGBTQ crowd cheered, and the Jesus-haters jeered, Franklin went high and struck back with calls for prayer.
“I’m sorry that some see hope as offensive, but I can assure you that tens of thousands of people in Blackpool and across the United Kingdom are searching for hope,” he wrote on Facebook.
The brouhaha began when Blackpool Transport, the company in charge of the bus system, caved to LGBTQ complaints about the offensiveness of ads promoting Franklin’s still-to-come evangelistic event this September. Blackpool’s official explanation was the fear that Graham might preach “hate and homophobia,” Premier reported.
Once again, the so-called tolerant left raises its intolerant head.
Once again, free speech crumbles to a cause of the radical progressive movement.
Here was Graham’s response to the ad ban, on Facebook: “Sex, drugs, money, even religion — none of these are the answer. I’m coming to share with everyone in Blackpool, Lancashire, and across North West England that there is One who can give you hope. Hope for today, hope for tomorrow, and hope for eternity. His name is Jesus Christ! Will you pray with me for this event in September and for God to work in a mighty way to transform hearts and lives across this region?”
The controversy with Graham is due to his unwavering insistence on biblical truths — that the Bible, no matter the changing shape of humankind, no matter the ever-shifting will of human hearts and desires and standards, stands as the infallible word of God and instruction manual for all.
And that includes homosexuality as a sin.
Believe it or not. But Franklin does, and he takes his beliefs from the Bible. And those who scoff those beliefs shouldn’t censor those who do. Not when they can simply walk away, cover their ears, go home and read a good book — or even hold a rally to express their opposing views.
See, that’s how free speech works; it runs both ways.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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