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It’s a Heart Problem
By Jim Sanders

From October 20 to 22th, thousands of Christians, from over 200 Manitoba churches and beyond, will descend on Winnipeg’s downtown and converge at the MTS centre. It will be the evangelical event of the decade. The keynote preacher is Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. Graham insists this event will help people connect with Jesus Christ. Graham in a recent interview with the Winnipeg Free Press declared that people following another religion and prophet are “doomed to hell no matter how strong their non-Christian faith may be.”

It is through Franklin’s father, Billy Graham, that George Bush Jr. found Christ. It was Billy’s son, Franklin, that delivered the invocation at the presidential inaugaration of young George. Franklin Graham has been Bush’s moral guide throughout his post-911 crusade. It was only nine days after Baghdad fell to the American military that Graham traveled there to deliver a Good Friday service. It is truly a perfect marriage. The United States invades countries, causing untold misery and death, and then Franklin Graham’s charity soon follows suit preaching conversion and salvation through a “ Christ for food” program. I am sure local First Nations people could share a story or two about what happens when colonizers arrive on one’s shores preaching the bible. Some things never change.

In the Winnipeg Free Press interview, Franklin declared that “The problem isn’t Islam, the problem isn’t Palestine – it’s a heart problem.” I would have to agree with Mr. Graham on this one. However, considering his remarks on CNN three days after the 9/11 attacks I would tend to believe the heart problem is his own.

“The god of Islam is not the same God of the Christian or the Judeo- Christian faith. It is a different god, and I believe a very evil and a very wicked religion.”
(CNN, September 14, 2001)

“…we’ll make a great mistake if we hold back our technology and hold back our weapons and put young men and women in there and sacrifice them because we’re scared to use some of our major weapons. And I think we’re going to have to use every — and I hate to say it, hellish weapon in our inventory, if need be, to defeat these people.” (CNN, September 14, 2001)

It boggles my mind that one can justify the bombing, mutilation and killing of people in the name of Jesus Christ.

American foreign policy is not a path to salvation. Nuking Iran is not being a good Christian. I am fearful and saddened for those Christians who think the way to Christ is through people like Franklin Graham. Jesus himself said,

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.”

What fruits has George Bush Jr. and Franklin Graham produced? Hate, war, torture, terror, suffering etc
The truth is that Hell is not a place where
we go when we die, its right here right now. We choose to live in it when we follow the wrong path and ignore the true teachings of all the prophets, be them Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna or Jesus Christ. Unconditional love is their message and the use of “hellish” weaponery has nothing to do with it.

A true follower of Christ would boycott Graham’s Festival in the name of all the civilians and soldiers killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond.