amazing un-grace

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Franklin Graham got into a bit of trouble for his views of Islam. His father should know better than to use the word crusade, particularly after President Bush's use of the word ignited international criticism.

Franklin Graham is the son of Billy Graham and a far more influential figure in the evangelical Christian community than Jerry Falwell or even Pat Robertson. Graham is viewed as the torch-carrier for his father, who is still among the most beloved figures in American Christianity. Moreover, the Graham family is close to Bush. Billy Graham led Bush to Christianity in the 1980s; Franklin Graham delivered the invocation at his presidential inauguration.

In addition to being publicly allied with the Bush administration, Graham also happens to be stridently anti-Islam. His list of anti-Islam comments is long; his most succinct was that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion."

President Bush has an interview in Christianity Today that is well...revealling.

Bush Calls for 'Culture Change'

BUSH: So the faith-based initiative recognizes that there is an army of compassion that needs to be nurtured, rallied, called forth, and funded, without causing the army to have to lose the reason it's an army in the first place.

That sounds an awful lot like a chorus led rallying cry of Onward Christian Soldiers. Which only begs the question of how much 'Culture Change' is he really talking about.

BUSH: At home, the job of a president is to help cultures change. The culture needs to be changed.

Change should begin at home. So what the heck is the US doing in Iraq?

BUSH: But I'm the kind of person who doesn't change. The best thing I can do is to be myself so that when I finish my job here I will say I was comfortable with who the world saw.

Nice he'll be comfortable with who the world saw but the Presidency isn't just one big four year-long photo op. But then, maybe he thinks it is, which would explain alot about his particular Presidency and his fetish for costumes. The Knights Templar is sure to be one of his favorites. Very Shrek and Lord of the Rings and all. Franklin Graham would dig it, crusader that he is.

This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take awhile.

Pretty clear there what Bush meant then, looks like he still means it now. Since change begins at home, one can only hope regime change in November will be coming to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

(I hope the Queen checked her knights-in-armor collection before he left the palace.)