December 2001

Entries
Current Entry
Previous Entry
Next Entry
Archives

Links
Personal Sites
and Forums/Boards
Diaryland
The Hunger Site

Communication
Write to me

Revisiting a Graham: I can't imagine making such incredibly insensitive statements in public, but then my daddy didn't bring me up to do just that.

Recent pronouncements from the mouth of Franklin Graham would have us unlearn a whole lot of things people have struggled to learn over the last few months. Seems he thinks he's qualified to speak on the tenets of Islam.

I suspect many Christians don't know a whole lot about other religions in the world. I don't know as much as I'd like to, but before I would ever presume to speak about their holy books, I would take the time to find out what was in those books. I would do so in part to refrain from offending, and in part to refrain from looking stupid.

But apparently all those he insulted are supposed to get over it and have a really Merry Christmas courtesy of Santa Franklin's Elves, who will show up (probably in camo clothing!) to deliver shoeboxes packed with children's supplies.

Let's nevermind that some of the boxes likely will contain religious tracts, written in English. Although it isn't officially done, the volunteers who pack the boxes often put in tracts espousing some fine ideal or another, containing some heavy-handed Christian reference. Also likely is a denominational slant on the point of the tract, since many of them are published by denominational publishing houses.

You know something? Those tracts offend me in content and in their presence in the boxes. I don't like people pushing religion on other people. There is a huge difference between inviting someone to your denomination's local congregation and pushing its publications in that person's face.

Perhaps now you see another reason it offends me to the depth of my soul to hear this man referred to as "representing the Christians."

Because I am one, and he sure as hell does not represent me.