Rev. Franklin Graham has vehemently opposed former President Jimmy Carter’s recent comments on gay marriage. The Democrat made his remarks in a three-year-old interview which resurfaced again recently. When asked on his views with regards to the Biblical mandate on gay marriage, Carter admitted that he “didn’t have any verse in scripture,” before stating: “I believe that Jesus would approve of gay marriage.”
Carter, said he regularly teaches Sunday school at his local church, refrained from citing any scriptural references in his controversial answer, instead choosing to focus on the aspect of “love.”
“I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else and I don’t see that gay marriage damages anyone else,” the former president explained. Many evangelicals were outraged by his comments and sought to set the record straight on the true Biblical interpretation of homosexual behavior. One of those to speak out publicly was the evangelist Franklin Graham, posting a scathing response to his Facebook page:
“I have to respectfully disagree with former President Jimmy Carter on this one. He is absolutely wrong when he said Jesus would approve of gay marriage. Jesus didn’t come to promote sin, He came to save us from sin. The Bible is very clear. God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. God defines sin in His Word—it’s not up to our opinion, the latest poll, or a popular vote. What is very troubling is that some people may read what President Carter has said and believe it, whether it was this week or from a video 3 years ago that is now recirculating. God loves us and gives us the truth in His Word. He warns us of the serious consequences of sin.”
Franklin continued:
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:24-27).””
Watch the interview below:
Others reacted on social media, with many opposing Carter’s comments.
https://twitter.com/MikeMcCrary_BH/status/1017073733733888000
https://twitter.com/JanetMefferd/status/1017088960693198850
Jesus says Jimmy Carter shouldn't be OK with gay marriage.
— R.C. Sproul Jr. (@rcsprouljr) July 9, 2015
What do you think?