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In condemning President Trump from the pages of a magazine Billy Graham founded, Mark Galli, editor in chief of Christianity Today, has blindsided considerably more than half the evangelicals in America by calling for Trump's impeachment and removal.
I mentioned this on our live radio program on Friday as the story was developing. It demands a closer look.
Galli's act was a selfish one; the Magazine, that touches about 5 million people, will suffer---as he heads out for retirement January 1, 2020.
And Franklin Graham has weighed in on the matter.
Be informed.
I will summarize Galli's comments. You can read his entire article here.
Mark Galli believes Trump's impeachment "requires comment."
I agree. Tens of millions of evangelicals in America also agree. However, many of us don't agree with the content of his comments because they are based on broad speculation and bald-faced lies.
After reminding his readers that,
"We want CT to be a place that welcomes Christians from across the political spectrum, and that politics is not the end and purpose of our being", he continues, "That being 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..."
Admitting that the Democrats have had it out for this President "from day one," Galli begins to regurgitate the lie of the left: The articles are so benign that Nancy Pelosi won't even deliver them to the Senate for a trial as the Constitution directs our public servants to do.
However, Galli says.
"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 p[political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral."
The shock from this broadside to the evangelical community is that even some Democrats don't believe Pelosi and Schiff's lie. And they fear that should she not deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate in a timely way, the House impeachment of Trump will become expunged from the official record---as though it never happened.
It's also shocking that Galli and his magazine never one time brought up the moral issues connected to the Obama administration---from launching his political career in the home of Bill Ayers, a convicted domestic terrorist, to expanding abortion and redefining marriage--- Galli felt no need to "make our own opinions on political matters clear."
Galli says the President has "abused his authority for personal gain" and betrayed his constitutional oath. And he says, "None of the President's positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character."
The President's positives he references are, I suppose, the appointments to the Supreme Court, a greatly improved economy which helps everyone directly or indirectly and the president's stand for religious freedom and liberty.
Franklin Graham's reaction.
Franklin Graham was one of millions that was blindsided by Galli's attack on Trump from the pages of CT.
He said since "they invoked my father's name (I suppose to try to bring legitimacy to their statements), I feel it's important for me to respond."
Franklin said,
"Yes, my father founded Christianity Today; but no, he would not agree with their opinion piece. In fact, he would be very disappointed," noting that the misappropriation of his father's name is what move him to publicly reveal that his father---Billy Graham--- voted for Trump in 2016.
He said his father "believed that Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in history for our nation."
And he said,
"For Christianity Today to side with the Democrat Party in a totally partisan attack on the President of the United States is unfathomable," saying Galli failed to even mention that not a single Republican voted for impeachment. He said he knows many of the Christians in the Republican Party and they would have not supported the President had he committed the things the Democrats are accusing him of.
And Franklin noted that Galli's article said: "It's time to call a spade a spade."
He said. "The spade is this---Christianity Today has been used by the Left for their political agenda. It's obvious that Christianity Today has moved to the left and is representing the elitist liberal wing of evangelicalism."
Franklin said, "Is President Trump guilty of sin? Of course he is, as were all past presidents and as each one of us are, including myself. Therefore let's pray for the President as he continues to lead the affairs of our nation."
The motivation.
Hugh Hewitt reacted to Christianity in a column for Townhall saying,
"I'm bewildered by Christianity Today.....In condemning President Trump from the pages of the magazine Billy Graham founded, Galli has blindsided more than half of the evangelical Christians in the United States."
He says the magazine will definitely suffer. And he notes that Galli is no Martin Luther in his stand and attack on Trump.
Hewitt says,
"I don't know Galli. But Christianity Today has suffered the same long, slow decline that has crippled mainstream denominations, and perhaps the idea of putting on a show-stopping exit was just too tempting to pass up. But Galli should have done just that."
A number of writers over the weekend have noted what we have written about in recent weeks, that first, it was Chick-fil-A, then Hallmark last week...now this. All are turning from their "first love" of Christ and His gospel to a lost world.
Most colleges and universities in America were founded by what we would call today "evangelical Christians"---yet with rare exceptions, each has drifted far from their founding beliefs and principles. From Harvard, our first college, which was founded by Pastor John Harvard to prepare "our youth" for the ministry, to our own "Christian" colleges today which were built upon the love of God, His Word and a dedication to the "Great Commission"---we are experiencing a "falling away" from the teachings of Scripture.
This is a time to stand strong for biblical beliefs.
Be Informed. Be Faithful. Be Steadfast. Be Prayerful.