It seems that evangelist Franklin Graham may be uninvited to attend Prayer Day, May 6, 2010. The Pentagon has no idea of the wrath they will incur for not allowing Billy Graham’s son to attend America’s National Prayer Day. I am not a fan of Franklin Graham. But even I take offense that he is not invited to National Prayer Day.

If you grew up in the South in the 1950s and 1960s, Billy Graham was the way to heaven. I was just as irreverent then as I am now, but each time Billy Graham came to his hometown, Charlotte, NC, to hold week-long preaching services…my parents either took or sent me with the hope that Billy Graham, a diary farmer’s son, would save my soul. When I was a teenager with a driver’s license, when Billy called for sinners to come to the front. I left my balcony seat and followed the crowd as they marched into the auditorium. Before we reached the entrance, I went to my car.

Franklin Graham was once the black sheep in the family, but like all prodigal sons, he returned to the fold. Once back in the family, he took over the family’s religious operations by unseating his sister in a first-son coupe.

Franklin has a flair for showmanship, like that of Papa Joe Jackson of the singing Jackson Family. Franklin built a barn with a mooing mechanical cow to honor his father’s youth spent on a farm. His parents are buried behind the barn. His mother never wanted to be buried there, she preferred the mountains. In the end, she changed her mind. For a nominal fee the red-barn and mechical mooing cow are open to the public. It is a Christian tourist destination. However, Graham also does a lot of good in this world. His Christmas shoeboxes have brought gifts to children in many countries.

This is what I do not understand. It seems that after 9/11 Franklin Graham said some bad things about the Muslim religion. Nothing worse than has been said by others horrified by a religion that condones the beating and killing of women and children. When a muslim girl is raped; she is often killed by her family to avoid bringing shame on the family.

Obviously, the Pentagon and the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force are handling this situation the way they fight wars. This is not good. I guess the generals think Franklin Graham being from the South, is too dumb to know how to say a prayer that will not offend other religions.

I believe that are many ways to the top of the mountain. I believe the Eternal answers to many names. If the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force does recind Franklin Graham’s invitation, they should just cancel the Day of Prayer. It is hard these days to find a religion without blood on their hands.