FRC's Tony Perkins Condemns Franklin Graham's Rescinded Invitation

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Apr 22, 2010, 06:35 ET

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Franklin Graham announced that the United States Army withdrew an invitation for him to appear at a special Pentagon prayer service. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following statement about the rescinded invitation:

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"Franklin Graham is a man of courage and integrity whose deeply held biblical convictions should not be a pretext for denying him the opportunity to share the Gospel," said Perkins. "His ministry, Samaritan's Purse, has fed literally millions of men, women and children in Muslim countries. The fact that he has theological differences with Islam, differences wholly in keeping with the teachings of the New Testament, and that he has expressed them publicly, is now being used by anti-Christian zealots in a manner offensive to the freedom of religion guaranteed by the very Constitution military leaders are sworn to uphold.

"This decision is further evidence that the leadership of our nation's military has been impaired by the politically correct culture being advanced by this Administration. Under this Administration's watch we are seeing the First Amendment, designed to protect the religious exercise of Americans, retooled into a sword to sever America's ties with orthodox Christianity.

"For those Christian leaders who have avoided the controversy of political issues, saying they just wanted to preach the gospel – this should be a wake up call!"

Perkins was uninvited to speak at a prayer luncheon at Andrews Air Force Base earlier this year due to his expressed opposition to President Obama's call to allow homosexuals to serve in the military.

SOURCE Family Research Council