The Hard Truth – Billy Graham and son- When racism meets hypocrisy

By Min. J. Kojo Livingston
Contributing Writer

You don’t have to be in the Church world long to learn that when a preacher, priest, etc, tells you that “God” is angry about something they almost always mean that he/she is angry about something.

If you didn’t know this and you were a follower of Billy and Franklin Graham you would probably be pretty confused about their version of “God.” Historically Graham has played both sides on the issue of racial justice, promoting the practice in theory, but never taking a consistent forthright stand. He even hung out with King…for a minute.

Graham endorsed Romney, based on religious reasoning (oxymoron?) and then immediately deleted a section of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc. website that declares Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses and several others to be cults that do not teach or represent true Christianity. Franklin followed up with an article saying that it’s okay for a Christian to support a Mormon for president. Both deny that they have sold out.

Billy and son have decided that if you don’t elect Mitt Romney for President of the United States of America God will be fed up with the sins of this nation and rain down judgment. They say that President Barack Obama’s positions on gay marriage and abortion will be the last straw for the Creator as they understand “God.” They have paid to have this message printed in newspapers for all to see.

The Grahams and others like them believe in a god that is only offended by two things that have been a part of the history of this nation and those are fairly recent trends. Their version of “God” is a manifestation of their own prejudice and hypocrisy and is not worthy of worship, service or recognition.

If you believe the Grahams, God was not offended at the displacement and mass slaughter of the peaceful, generous natives that were here when the first white people arrived.

If you believe the Grahams and their ilk, the kidnapping, enslavement, torture, murder, mutilation and rape of Afrikan males and females of all ages over a period of 300 years was not enough to get their god upset. The thousands of lynchings of innocent Black people does not ruffle the feathers of the Graham’s god.

If you believe the Grahams, the millions of lives lost over the years in wars that were clearly initiated and fought for the financial gain of a few was not an offense to their deity. The millions of families, on both sides, who suffered and still suffer the grisly loss of loved ones just so some rich people can become richer, is not a cause for judgment to the god of the Grahams.

The destruction of nature and the environment, the millions of people who suffer slow, painful deaths from ingesting air, water and food that has been tainted by factory fumes or other chemicals is not enough to rile the “God” of the Grahams.

The exploitation of the poor and the use of mass incarceration as tool of genocide and profiteering have escaped the angry eye of the Graham’s god for years.

But now, and only now, when there is the threat of the re-election of a Black president does the god of white supremacy awaken and become enraged.

It’s bad that white men continue to use the name and image of God to promote their racist agenda. It’s worse that after all these years religious people, including many Blacks still keep buying it.

If you listen to the Grahams and others crying “Vote the Bible,” the only things happening in this country that might offend God are homosexuality and abortion. All of the government sanctioned activities, policies and institutions that produce sickness, poverty and death do not matter to their deity.

This has been the strategy of the far-right since the late 1960s when they lost the moral high ground. Openly promoting white supremacy was no longer fashionable or justifiable, so they found two moral issues they felt would keep them “on God’s side.” Most progressives were in favor of abortion rights and gay rights as matters of personal choice. These were the two primary moral issues they hyped, while blasting government spending on anything that would benefit poor people or other races. Not long after this, they began using code-words to mask their racist ideas and policies.

I do not believe that Barack Oba­ma or any other president of this nation will resolve the problems of Black people. I know that a person in that position can do things to help us, if they have the guts and the will. The next four years will probably show us if Obama has either.

Either way, we still have to fight on multiple fronts. We must continue to work, fight and build for self-determination, while finding or creating ways to hold accountable anyone who claims to represent us on any level anywhere.

Black clergy, especially those who dance and run with the white evangelical and charismatic Christian crowd, need to find the brains, guts and/or testicles to stand up to the theological racism of their masters. (Oh that’s right, you call them “brothers.” Poor thing.)

Personally, I believe there’s a special place in hell for those who exploit and oppress people in the name of God. That includes Black clergy sellouts of all types.

Of course I can’t prove this little theory, but I still consider it…

…The Hard Truth!!!

This article originally published in the November 05, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.