Franklin Graham, the evangelist and son of Billy Graham, gave sharply different answers Tuesday when asked whether he believed Rick Santorum and Barack Obama were Christians.
Graham, the CEO and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, also declined to say on MSNBC?s ?Morning Joe? whether he thought Mitt Romney was a Christian. He weighed in at length on the candidates and their faith:
- ON OBAMA: ?You have to ask him. I cannot answer that question for anybody. All I know is I?m a sinner, and God has forgiven me of my sins? You have to ask every person. He has said he?s a Christian, so I just have to assume that he is.?
Pressed as to whether Obama had ?accepted Jesus Christ,? Graham said, ?I don?t know,? recounting a conversation with the president over how Obama came to accept Christianity.
Continue Reading?I just don?t get it, Reverend,? said panelist Mike Barnicle. ?Why can?t you just say, ?yeah, I believe he?s a Christian???
According to Graham, Obama had said he only started going to church because community groups in Chicago insisted he do so in order to work them.
?If he says he?s a Christian, I can accept that. All I know is what Jesus Christ has done in my heart and how he changed my life,? said Graham.
- ON SANTORUM: ?Do you believe Rick Santorum is a Christian?? asked Geist. ?I think so,? responded Graham.
?How do you know, if the standard is: only the person knows what?s in him when you apply it to the president, why is it different for Rick Santorum?? replied Geist.
?Well, because his values are so clear on moral issues. No question about it. I just appreciate the moral stances he takes on things. He comes from a Catholic faith? I think he?s a man of faith,? said Graham.
- ON ROMNEY: ?Most Christians would not recognize Mormons as part of the Christian faith,? said Graham. ?They believe in Jesus Christ. They have a lot of other things they believe in too, that we don?t accept, theologically.?
?I like him,? Graham conceded. ?He would be a good president? He?s a sharp guy.?
- ON GINGRICH: ?I think Newt Gingrich is a Christian, at least he told me he is.?
Graham continued to say that Obama seemed more concerned with Muslims than Christians.
?Under President Obama?the Muslims of the world, he seems to be more concerned, than Christians who are being murdered in Muslims countries,? said Graham.
?You must spend a big part of the day checking out what you conceive to be people?s depth of faith, in terms of measuring,? said Barnicle.
?This is my business. You guys go through newspapers every day. I look at a person?s political interest, but more importantly I look at their spiritual interests?you have to go by what a person says, and how they live their lives? Are they faithful church goers? Or do they just go when the cameras are on them?? said Graham.
The ?Morning Joe? panelists and others challenged Graham?s comments.
?That?s an amazing double standard,? panelist John Heilemann. ?It?s an incredible double standard that you?re applying to the two people.?
?Franklin Graham, there?s a couple of pages missing from his bible that happen to be in most other people?s bibles,? said Barnicle later.
?Franklin Graham has a lot to learn from his father,? tweeted Chuck Todd after the segment.
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