Graham Apologizes to Obama---But Not to Romney

Dear Madame L,

I see in today's online USA Today blog about Obama that the Rev. Franklin Graham has apologized to Pres. Obama for impugning his Christian beliefs.

Do you think he'll ever apologize to Mitt Romney for claiming Mr. Romney is not a true Christian?

Sincerely,

Doubt It

Dear Sincerely Doubt It,

Madame L is glad to read that Mr. Graham has apologized to our president. His remarks were out of line and uncalled for and showed prejudice and a lack of judgment, not to mention a lack of the true Christian spirit.

Thanks for the link, from which Madame L has found this quote from Mr. Graham's apology:

"I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama I apologize to him and to any I have offended for not better articulating my reason for not supporting him in this election -- for his faith has nothing to do with my consideration of him as a candidate."

Mr. Graham apparently realized the apology was necessary after he received a letter signed by the presidents of the National Baptist Convention, USA; the National Baptist Convention of America; the Progressive National Baptist Convention; as well as bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

Madame L does not believe that Rev. Graham will ever apologize to Mitt Romney or to any members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for calling them not true Christians. And that is because he will never receive a letter from those people mentioned above, because they all agree with each other.

Madame L has written about the interview with Rev. Graham in which he accused Pres. Obama of not being a good-enough Christian to suit Mr. Graham and Candidate Romney of not being a Christian at all.

Madame L has written, and reiterates, that she thinks Graham and his pals in all those evangelical churches don't like the LDS church because they think it's "stealing" their "sheep."

David S. Reynolds explained in the New York Times in January the REAL REASON for the evangelicals' dislike of the LDS Church, and, yes, it's "sheep-stealing":

"The real issue for many evangelicals is Mormonism’s remarkable success and rapid expansion. It is estimated to have missionaries in 162 countries and a global membership of some 14 million; it is also, from its base in the American West, making inroads into Hispanic communities. Put simply, the Baptists and Methodists, while still ahead of the Mormons numerically, are feeling the heat of competition from Joseph Smith’s tireless progeny."

Mr. Reynolds concludes by asking the evangelicals to tone down their dislike:

"Amid the passions of this election season, it’s time to revive the tolerant spirit of the founding fathers. Religious competition of any kind, they believed, can breed bigotry, repression and hatred. The founders made an earnest effort to keep religion out of politics. Let’s do the same as we carry out the important work of choosing our next president."

Madame L wonders what it will take for these self-anointed "true Christians" to take a truly Christian attitude toward those who don't have exactly the same opinion as theirs. Madame L suggests that this season of Lent and Easter would be a good time to start.

Sincerely,

Madame L