Frank Schaeffer: On Understanding the origins of Fundamentalist Defensive Paranoia
And with the hatred of the “Other” comes paranoia. Having demonized sinners, it’s time to fear them. In an interview with Newsmax Television, Franklin was asked if he thought there was a “pattern of hostility to traditional Christianity by the Obama administration.” “I don’t know if it’s exactly from President Obama,” Graham responded, “but I’m certain that some of the men around him are very much opposed to what we stand for and what we believe.”
Franklin continued, “It seems as though Muslims are getting a pass.” In the same interview Franklin was asked by the host about mounting “secular oppression of Christians” in the United States. “No question, it’s coming,” Graham said. “I think when you preach that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the light, I think we’re going to see, one day; people will say this is hate speech.”
In 2010, Franklin even managed to get his father to sign a pro-Sarah Palin Graham family endorsement that was so out of character with everything the non-political Billy that I knew stood for that I can only conclude Franklin was taking advantage of a muddled old man.