Franklin Graham slams Oregon law that allows 15-year-olds to have sex change

American evangelist Franklin Graham asks, ‘What kind of ludicrousness is this?’ after learning that Oregon now allows 15-year-olds to have sex change even without parental consent, with the state paying for the operation through Medicaid.Reuters

American evangelist Franklin Graham is expressing concern that the world is beginning to accept things that are not morally right and goes against God's Word.

"In Oregon 15-year-olds are NOT legally allowed to do a lot of things: drive, smoke, get a tattoo, go to a tanning bed, or even donate blood. But unbelievably, now they ARE allowed to get a sex-change operation—and (get this) without parental notification. You've got to be kidding me!" Graham shared on his Facebook page.

As a parent and grandparent himself, Graham feels outraged. Even though he does not live in Oregon, the outspoken evangelist could not help but be appalled by the news as he cautioned Oregon locals from sinning against God.

"And to top it off, the state will even pay for it through its Medicaid program. What kind of ludicrousness is this? It's wrong from every angle. The state should not be superseding God-given parental authority. This is another example of why Christians should get involved in politics and policy at all levels to bring about change for the better in our society," he said.

Oregon Health Authority spokeswoman Susan Wickstrom explained that age of medical consent varies by state, but Oregon law grants this to 15 years old and above. Moreover, it was the Health Evidence Review Commission (HERC) that decided that the state will cover same-sex operations including cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty-suppressing drugs, and gender-reassignment surgery.

Graham's concerns were echoed by Lori Porter of Parents' Rights in Education. "It is trespassing on the hearts, the minds, the bodies of our children," she told Fox News. "They're our children. And for a decision, a life-altering decision like that to be done unbeknownst to a parent or guardian, it's mind-boggling."