Franklin Graham calls White House rainbow illumination 'outrageous'

The White House is illuminated in rainbow colours on June 26, 2015, the day the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to legalise gay marriage throughout the United States. But evangelist Franklin Graham (left) thinks it's 'outrageous' that people are using the rainbow to signify gay pride since the rainbow is a sign of God's promise.Reuters

Now that the US Supreme Court has legalised same-sex marriage throughout the US, people have been celebrating the event by sharing photos with a rainbow background—the symbol of gay pride and rights. Even President Barack Obama lit up the White House in rainbow colours on the same day the Supreme Court made the landmark ruling.

But American evangelist Franklin Graham, who has opposed same-sex marriage right from the start, thinks that this act done by the President is pretty "outrageous" and called it "a real slap in the face of the millions of Americans who do not support same-sex marriage and whose voice is being ignored."

"God is the one who gave the rainbow, and it was associated with His judgment," Graham explained on his Facebook page. "God sent a flood to wipe out the entire world because mankind had become so wicked and violent."

He then shared the story of Noah, which is found in the Bible. God deemed Noah as a righteous man and therefore saved him and his family from the great flood that wiped out the rest of the world.

"The rainbow was a sign to Noah that God would not use the flood again to judge the world," said Graham. "But one day God is going to judge sin—all sin. Only those who are found righteous will be able to escape His judgment. That righteousness comes through faith, believing on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ who took our sins and shed His blood on the cross for each and every one."

So when people share the gay pride rainbow on business advertisements, as well as on their Facebook and Instagram pages, Graham hopes that they would be reminded of God's judgment to come. He urged people to reflect on their sins, then ask themselves if they are ready to come face to face with God's judgment.