Franklin Graham sidesteps Christianity-Mormonism debate with CNN's Piers Morgan, says gay marriage is #1 issue for churches

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney met with Billy Graham and his son, Franklin Graham, last week.  The Grahams endorsed Romney and have already voted for him.

As the meeting was taking place, however, religious watchdogs noted that references to Mormonism being a cult were scrubbed from the Billy Graham Evangelical Association's website.  The scrubbing may not have been a deep cleanse, as journalist Bruce Wilson at Talk2Action notes that the site's search engine appears to still correspond Mormonism with an un-Christian cult.

In an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan (see video and transcript below), Franklin Graham refused to say whether or not he thought that Mitt Romney was a Christian, preferring to say that what is important is that various faiths "get along and that we co-exist together and we respect one another."  Yet, in 2010, he had declared Islam to be "an evil and wicked religion" and because of those remarks, was uninvited from a National Prayer Day ceremony at the Pentagon. In the past, he also questioned President Obama's place of birth and Christian faith.

According to Graham, the most important issue uniting religions this year is gay marriage, which he says violates God's law.  President Obama is "backing something that is against God's position," he declared.  Graham is pleased with Romney's stance against marriage equality and also thinks that "what you see is what you get" when it comes to Romney's shifting view on women's reproductive rights.  As to homosexuality, Graham says that it is a sin, but that gays and lesbians can "do whatever they want" so long as they are denied marriage.  He says that Jesus will forgive gays and lesbians for the sin of homosexuality if they give their lives to Jesus.

– TRANSCRIPT (some words were inaudible) — VIDEO FOLLOWS –

MORGAN: How did it go, the meeting with Mitt Romney?

GRAHAM: It was a nice meeting. My father knew the Governor's father, George Romney, when he was the governor of Michigan, and he became a close friend of my father. So my father felt that Governor George Romney was his friend and he was glad to meet his son, first time they had met. I had met him a few years ago for the first time, but … very nice man. A great meeting. I enjoyed it very much.

MORGAN: Mitt Romney is obviously famously a Mormon. What is your position, you and your father about Mormons? Do you believe that they are Christians? Because this … [inaudible]

GRAHAM: Well, you know, there's a lot of differences in various faiths and we all have those differences in doctrine or dogma. But what's important is that we get along and that we co-exist together and we respect one another, and I think that's what is important. There are differences, no question, in what the Mormon faith teaches. I think you were raised Roman Catholic.

MORGAN: I was, yeah.

GRAHAM: And so there's a lot of differences between what the Catholics believe and what Protestants believe but we would work together …

MORGAN: Having interviewed Mitt Romney about his faith, see, I would personally say, I think he is Christian, very much so. If there are a few key differences in theology, we know that, but overall, I would say not enough to disqualify him as a Christian. Do you believe that? Do you think he is a Christian?

GRAHAM: Well, first of all, I'm not going to get into what each candidate believes or they don't believe. All I know is …

MORGAN: Well, there's Mormons in America, and there's also millions of, tens of millions of Christians, even hundreds of millions, all wondering, if we vote for this guy, are we voting for somebody who essentially is a Christian? And they look to people like you to say yes or no.

GRAHAM: But wait a second, no, it's not that easy. As an Evangelical Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that He came to this earth to take my sins, and He died on the cross. He shed his blood on the cross. He was buried for my sins and later, He rose from the grave. The Bible is very clear. Jesus said "I am the way." He said, "I am the truth. I am the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me." This is the core of what I believe as an evangelical, yet, I know there are people that have different beliefs and differences. But I'm going to work with them, and we're not voting for the man who is going to be our pastor in chief, we're looking for a commander in chief, someone who can lead this nation out of the economic mess an the political mess that we have found ourselves in, and many people believe that Governor Romney, and I'm one of those … I've already voted, and I've voted for him and my father has already voted.

MORGAN: You would forgive me if I said from all of this that you'd probably aren't quite ready to say he's a Christian.

GRAHAM: First of all, I'm not going to get into this debate as to who's a Christian or who's not a Christian. I'm not even going to go there.

MORGAN: Don't you think it's quite an interesting debate, though?

GRAHAM: You ask him. I'm not going to speak for the governor.

MORGAN: Well, I think he would say that he thinks he is Christian …

GRAHAM: I'm not going to get in that debate.

MORGAN: Let's get into some of his issues, one of which is abortion, where he seems to have performed a number of flip flops, for want of a better phrase. Watch what he said in 1994. {Romney clip: I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice.} Now clearly, he thinks the complete opposite now. Do you have any problem with that?

GRAHAM: No, because I think as we get older, Piers, we do change our views. Ronald Reagan …

MORGAN: But he was my age when he said that.

GRAHAM: But Ronald Reagan changed his view.

MORGAN: It wasn't like he was young. I mean … he was my age, I'm 47. I think he was about 47, though. It was 1994. That's what I find to be odd about it. He wasn't young. I couldn't imagine changing my belief about something like abortion at this age.

GRAHAM: Sure, I think as we get older, I think we do change. And when I say older, I'm talking about every year. As we mature …

MORGAN: Do you think politicians do it for other reasons? Are you not slightly suspicious of …

GRAHAM: No, I think Governor Romney, what you see with him is what you get and this is what he believes and this is his position. And I appreciate his position on, where he is today, on abortion. I appreciate the fact where he stands on the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman because this is a huge issue in this election, whether people want to admit it or not, for Evangelical Christians, for churches across the board in the United States, this is the number one issue. And …

MORGAN: Gay marriage.

GRAHAM: The definition of marriage. God instituted marriage. And for the President to now back something that is against God's position, and is a big problem for him with not only Evangelical churches but African-American churches across this country who are very conservative …

MORGAN: Why shouldn't gay people get married?

GRAHAM: Listen, they can do whatever they want.

MORGAN: Apart from getting married?

GRAHAM: They can do whatever they want, but …

MORGAN: But that doesn't, you don't want to include marriage.

GRAHAM: Marriage is between a man and a woman. God is the one who defines the limitis for marriage. He is the one who gave marriage, the first marriage …

MORGAN: I understand that, but when you say they can do whatever they want, you mean except gay marriage.

GRAHAM: This is a free country and they can live however they want, but for us to say what marriage is apart from what God says marriage is, is wrong.

MORGAN: So can they get married or not?

GRAHAM: No. Listen, I cannot accept gay marriage. I'm not homophobic. I'm not against gay or lesbian people. They are free to live however they want to live, but I believe God makes it very clear that marriage is between a man and a woman and there's no discussion about it. And for me to support any other definition other than God's definition would be wrong.

MORGAN: Do you think it's a sin, homosexuality?

GRAHAM: Yes, sure. Sure it is. Here, I'm a sinner, so I'm not condemning. I'm not their judge, okay?

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