OPINION:
Joe Scarborough of MSNBC fame may need ratings.
But attacking Franklin Graham and the evangelist’s Christian views should be the red line — and not the fake and flimsy type of red line Barack Obama drew with Syria’s unleashing of chemical weapons on its own people, either. A real one.
Scarborough, on his most recent “Morning Joe” broadcast, ranted over the airwaves about Graham, Mediaite reported: “Oh shut up, you are a disgrace.”
The reason?
Graham’s tweets about Pete Buttigieg’s skewed vision of Christianity — the one where Jesus embraces homosexuality.
As Graham made clear on Twitter: That just ain’t the truth, friend.
He wrote: “Presidential candidate & South Bend Mayor @PeteButtigieg is right — God doesn’t have a political party. But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. God doesn’t change. His Word is the same yesterday, today & forever.”
And then this: “Mayor Buttigieg says he’s a gay Christian. 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. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman — not two men, not two women.”
And finally, this: “The core of the Christian faith is believing and following Jesus Christ, who God sent to be the Savior of the world — to save us from sin, to save us from hell, to save us from eternal damnation.”
Scarborough shot back: shut up, Graham.
“You are a disgrace,” he said, “for normalizing Donald Trump’s behavior.”
Honestly, was that called for? Graham speaks the Bible — Scarborough speaks for flesh. And sadly, it’s not as if either were surprising.
The problem with Scarborough is the same thing that’s the problem with many in this rapidly secularizing nation — not only do they hate the truth. They can’t even bear to hear the truth.
But then again, that’s what Jesus warned of the world — that those who speak on His behalf and follow His commandments would be persecuted. This time around, it’s Scarborough who’s delivering. Attacking an evangelist for speaking a biblical truth, though, is about as low as it gets, about as shameful as can be.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter @ckchumley.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.