Belarus authoritarian leader welcomes US evangelist Franklin Graham to hold massive gathering (apnews.com)
from MicroWave@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 16 May 11:32
https://lemmy.world/post/46936527

Belarus’ authoritarian leader on Friday greeted U.S. Rev. Franklin Graham, who arrived in the tightly controlled country to hold the largest evangelical Christian gathering in its history.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked Graham to convey warm greetings to Donald Trump and tell him that he has “reliable friends and supporters in Belarus.”

Since Trump returned to the White House, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of U.S.-brokered deals that lifted some U.S. sanctions, part of the isolated leader’s efforts to improve ties with the West.

#world

threaded - newest

nixfreak@sopuli.xyz on 16 May 12:30 next collapse

How fucking deep is the corruption in the US ?

Flax_vert@feddit.uk on 16 May 12:46 collapse

I don’t see how that’s relevant

nixfreak@sopuli.xyz on 16 May 15:29 collapse

Franklin graham has huge ties to the Trump administration

Flax_vert@feddit.uk on 16 May 15:38 collapse

How big? I looked over his Wikipedia article and it said he resigned from being a republican right back in 2015.

Even then, it seems trump much prefers heretical “prosperity gospel” preachers at his side who’d compare him to Jesus (Paula White-Cain) than the likes of Graham, who apparently told him off for swearing a few years ago.

Edit: yeah reading deeper he seemed to have had some levels of soft support for him, a lot of it seems to be more of just being in denial. We cannot expect people to be perfect anyway

nixfreak@sopuli.xyz on 16 May 15:55 collapse

I guess my point is religion has deep pockets and uses their influence and now it’s legal for churches to impose their political views because of the the Supreme Court. Again too much religious BS in politics.

Flax_vert@feddit.uk on 16 May 16:02 collapse

I don’t see how Franklin Graham meeting with Alexander Lukoshenko to permit an evangelism rally in Belarus has got anything to do with that. Maybe you’re after the wrong guy? Franklin Graham mainly does charity work with Samaritan’s Purse, and was also a pretty significant COVID-19 vaccination distributor to those who aren’t well off. His Father, Billy Graham was well known for engaging with many world leaders as well for the sake of The Gospel.

Flax_vert@feddit.uk on 16 May 12:46 next collapse

His father even managed to give Kim Il Sung a Bible. The Graham family are legendary.

Danquebec@sh.itjust.works on 16 May 16:01 collapse

That’s weird. Is Belarus converting to protestantism? Or just a dictator being dumb?