[C]lose to 2,000 Christians gathered on the Statehouse lawn in Montpelier on Wednesday to hear the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham implore them to vote in the November election.
Franklin Graham did not advocate for either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump, but he exhorted those in attendance to research the two parties’ platforms to determine which candidate would nominate Supreme Court justices who would defend religious values.
The difference between the parties, he said, was “night and day.”
Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization, is holding prayer rallies in all 50 states as part of the Decision America Tour. Vermont was the 37th state he visited.
In a 40-minute speech, Graham described the country as corrupt and immoral with secularists controlling politics in Washington and state capitals and running municipalities and public schools, where he said children are not allowed to celebrate Christmas, Easter or other religious holidays because of political correctness. A progressive, he said, is “code word” for atheist.
He spoke out against same-sex marriage and abortion, among other subjects.
“We need the Christian voice to be heard in America today,” he told the masses. He spoke from a lectern halfway down the Statehouse steps as loudspeakers carried his comments to the crowd. Private security staff and local sheriffs were on or near the stage as he spoke.
“You got Hillary and you got Donald Trump. I’m not here to tell you anything good or bad about either one of them,” Graham told the crowd. “We have to ask ourselves as Christians, OK, we may not like either of the two, but which of the two will appoint judges that will align with what we believe.”
Many cheered loudly in response. Among a few placards in the crowd, one read: “If you vote Democrat, you are an enemy of God.”
In an interview after his speech, Graham said both political parties are corrupt and that he was not suggesting those in attendance vote for Trump. Religious organizations are generally not allowed to endorse candidates because of their tax-exempt status.
“People aren’t coming out here to hear me. They’re coming because they understand their country’s in trouble, and they’re coming to pray,” Graham told VTDigger after offering up a slice of watermelon.
Graham, 64, is the elder son of the famous evangelist. He said his father, who is 97, is sharp mentally but at his age is “physically tired.”
The younger Graham painted a bleak vision of the country’s future. “We’re not going to survive with political leaders that go from one scandal to the next,” he said in the interview. “We can’t survive as a nation. The only hope is God.”
He defended comments he has made previously that Islam is a “wicked and evil religion.”
“All you have to look at is what is going on around the world,” he said, adding that beheadings, for example, were done in the name of Islam and that “instructions” to do harm are contained in the Quran and not in the Bible.
In his speech, Graham said 20 million to 30 million who identify as Christians did not vote in the 2012 presidential election. He said they could be a potent political force if they all turned out this time around.
Wednesday’s turnout was nearly 2,000, according to estimates by law enforcement and organizers. The crowd ringed the Statehouse lawn, some in the shade, others melting in the hot sun. At least four large buses were parked near the Statehouse, three of them painted with the tour logo and colors.
During his speech, Graham called several times for the crowd to pray out loud for the country and then paused and waited several minutes before continuing. He also had the crowd send text messages to receive a pledge to vote and other material from his organization, which showed up on people’s phones in minutes.
One of his biggest rounds of applause came when he stood up for police officers, who he said had been unfairly maligned because “of one mistake or whatever.”
The Rev. Tobiah Steinmetz, who lives in Pennsylvania, carried a wooden cross to the event and said he is visiting all 50 states independently of Graham and leaving a cross in each one. He said he walked 87 days across the country in 2009 carrying a cross from the West to the East Coast.
“I went through eight pairs of shoes,” he said.
Steinmetz said he was born again after struggles with relationships and alcohol.
Connie Crossman, of Pittsford, said before the event that children need to be taught more in school about religion and noted the humanitarian work done by Samaritan’s Purse, including sending hundreds of doctors overseas to developing countries.
She said she found faith after her parents divorced when she was 9.
Wendy Raeder, of West Barnet, said the event was more spiritual than political for her, but she said the country is morally adrift.
“We know Jesus is the only way to get back on track as a country,” Raeder said.
Raeder said she didn’t view Graham’s comments about other religions as controversial because they were all rooted in statements found in the Bible.
“They may not be popular these days,” she said of some of his views, “but they are the truth.”
