A lot of Americans don't see eye to eye when it comes to politics, and apparently, even the family of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham are in the same situation.
Even though Billy's son Franklin Graham did not formally endorse Donald Trump during the last election campaign, he has publicly congratulated and commended the president-elect. He was even hand-picked by Trump himself to read a Bible passage during his inauguration on Jan. 20, according to the Portland Press Herald.
During Trump's "Thank You" tour on Dec. 17, Trump even thanked Franklin Graham for his support during the election campaign. "Having Franklin Graham, who was so instrumental, we won so big, with evangelical Christians," said Trump.
Graham responded by diverting Trump's thanks to God. "I believe it was God," Graham said of Trump's victory, adding that God decided to answer the prayers of concerned Americans.
However, Jerushah Armfield, Billy Graham's granddaughter and Franklin's niece, does not share the same views. She said the Graham family is not a single unit when it comes to their choice of president.
Even though all of them respect one another and most of them voted for Trump, not all of them share Franklin Graham's thoughts on political issues.
Armfield, a writer and a pastor's wife in South Carolina, did not appreciate her uncle's statement saying that Trump's win is God's answer to Christians' prayers. She believes that the statement is bad theology.
"To suggest the president-elect is an ambassador to further the kingdom in the world diminishes not only my Jesus but all he stood for and came to earth to fight against," she said.
What's worse, she said Trump "encouraged racism, sexism and intolerance, exactly what Jesus taught against."
She said her grandfather Billy "understood the love of Jesus that fought for the outliers while the president-elect ostracised them." But the evangelical leaders who supported Trump are not the same way, and prioritised power and influence over principles and character, Armfield added.
