Calling Out Franklin Graham

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Donald Trump gave a speech at the United Nations last month.  In part, he said,

"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.”

I'll admit, I've become so used to his appalling bombast that I don't even hear it anymore; or if I do, I just ignore it as meaningless, as Trump being Trump.

If I thought about his words at all, it was only about his attempted cleverness in denigrating Kim Jung Un as "Rocket Man."

Benjamin L. Corey's blog made me remember that words, even Trump's words, have real meaning.  Made me remember that Jesus said, "But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36, NIV).

Corey pointed out that Trump's speech (even if it was Jesus' definition of "empty words") was a threat to kill 25 million people.  That his words meant he would kill all the civilians in North Korea.  Kill all children and babies who happen to have been born in North Korea.  Incinerate all its citizens who hate the government of North Korea, as well as the brainwashed millions who love it.  Kill all North Korean truck-drivers, grandparents, Christians, housewives, foreign diplomats, nurses as well as soldiers, because of where they live.

Even for those who accept Augustine's "just war" theory, Corey pointed out, Trump's threats do violence to all Christian understanding of Jesus' teachings, and all that He calls Christians to be.

Franklin Graham evidently didn't get it, says Corey.  Graham seems to have missed what Trump's words mean, or what Jesus' words mean.  Graham's facebook comment on Trump's speech was

"Thank God we have a president who stands for truth and is not afraid to speak truth to the whole world. President Donald J. Trump's address today to the United Nations General Assembly may have been one of the best speeches ever given to that body. It made you proud to be an American. I hope you will join me in praying for this man, that God will guide and direct him. He reminded the world, 'If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.' "

Corey's full blog-post is at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/franklin-graham-trumps-kill-speech-one-best-ever/.