Franklin Graham Response: “Yes, Billy Graham founded Christianity Today; but no, he would not agree with their piece. He’d be disappointed.”

Late Thursday afternoon, Christianity Today magazine (CT), based in suburban Carol Stream and founded by Billy Graham, published an editorial written by editor-in-chief Mark Galli saying President Trump should be removed from office, though he was vague if it was to be through the Senate in an Impeachment trial, or by voters in November.

Throughout Thursday evening including during the Democratic presidential debate, CT’s editorial was trending around the country as major media outlets, including The Washington Post picked up this story.

Was this the beginning of the end for President Trump’s firewall of support in next year’s elections, evangelical Christians, who are the most devoted supporters of the President? Was God beginning to speak through His adopted children, Christ followers within a week of Christmas that God had rejected Donald Trump as President?

Or is it just a difference of opinion between Christ followers, as described in Scripture in Romans chapter 14, and the CT piece was simply the opinion of the editor? After reading Franklin Graham’s response to the CT editorial in social media, it appears to be the difference of opinion, and not an act of God the President should be removed.

Here’s an excerpt from Thursday’s editorial, which is clear to point out CT being consistent with its stance President Clinton should have been removed 21 years ago:

“We want CT to be a place that welcomes Christians from across the political spectrum, and reminds everyone that politics is not the end and purpose of our being. We take pride in the fact, for instance, that politics does not dominate our homepage.

“That said, we do feel it necessary from time to time to make our own opinions on political matters clear—always, as [Billy] Graham encouraged us, doing so with both conviction and love. We love and pray for our president, as we love and pray for leaders (as well as ordinary citizens) on both sides of the political aisle.

“Let’s grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on impeachment.

“But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”

Christianity Today editorial 12/19/19
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The editorial went into a litany of areas where admittedly the President’s behavior is questionable, but here is the conclusion:

“Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.”

Note the words “prudential judgement”, instead of “divine judgement” or “providential judgement”, which begins to betray a difference of opinion instead of a divine pronouncement. My prayers were answered that at the moment, this is simply one Christ follower’s opinion.

Since the CT editorial invoked the name of CT founder Billy Graham twice, son Franklin Graham took to social media in response around 1:20AM this morning:

“Christianity Today magazine released an editorial saying President Trump should be removed from office & they invoked my father’s name, so I felt I should respond. Yes, Billy Graham founded Christianity Today; but no, he would not agree w/ their piece. He’d be disappointed.

“I hadn’t shared who my father Billy Graham voted for in 2016, but because of Christianity Today’s article, I felt it necessary to share now.

“My father knew Donald J. Trump, believed in him & voted for him. He believed Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in history for our nation.”

Franklin Graham via Twitter 12/20/19
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So what is really going on here? Quite literally, God only knows.

Whether this difference of opinion with CT’s editorial was meant to reveal whom Billy Graham voted for in 2016 in order to reassure the President’s base of why Donald Trump is the President was the reason for CT’s editorial?

Maybe some were shaken in the unprecedented approval of the Articles of Impeachment, unprecedented because approval was by a straight party-line vote could be a reason for CT’s position to be known.

And now, even more unprecedented, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not finish the House’s responsibility with impeachment prior to the House going into Holiday recess.

The House of Representatives left town without formally naming Impeachment Managers, approving them in a House vote, which is the legal trigger for the Senate to take over.

And the House won’t be back in Washington until January 6.

We’ll find out as we cross into 2020 in a week and a half, but as this high profile difference of opinion played out, this might be more of a divine wake up call for Christ followers to be even more active in politics in 2020 than in the past.

And not just the election of the presidency, but in races up and down the ticket, and particularly close to home, the 6th and 14th congressional district races.

As stated above, God only knows, but since the President asked everyone to say a prayer going into Wednesday’s impeachment votes, this CT/Franklin Graham exchange may be the answer to those prayers when the President submitted to God publicly on Wednesday morning.

Something else to consider.

CT editorial link:

• https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/december-web-only/trump-should-be-removed-from-office.html