I grew up in a family that loved Billy Graham. We rescheduled events in our lives around his televised Crusades. I didn’t know then the harm he was doing to my life, my heart, and my soul.

When Franklin took over the ministry and was much more direct about the anger, hate-speech, and Christian Nationalism, I was shocked. I hadn’t fully deconstructed yet, and it looked like he was betraying his father’s legacy.

Now, after my deconstruction, I can see how they were both saying the same thing. Fear of hell is the end of faith and love. You cannot love someone who threatens you, you can only submit and obey. That is what they want. They don’t serve Jesus; they worship Mammon. Wealth and power are their god. They don’t care who gets hurt in service of him.