A planned tour of Britain by the American evangelist Franklin Graham, an outspoken social conservative and a vocal supporter of President Trump, will move forward despite venues’ removing him from their calendars over concerns about his past statements, according to organizers. The tour, a series of lectures and concerts that aim to teach biblical principles and tips on spreading Christian Gospel, is scheduled to begin on May 30 in Glasgow before making stops in Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham and elsewhere. But late last month, a convention center in Liverpool announced that it would no longer be hosting Mr. Graham after being made aware of statements it viewed as “incompatible” with its values. “In light of this we can no longer reconcile the balance between freedom of speech and the divisive impact this event is having in our city,” the venue, ACC Liverpool, said in a statement. Over the next days, other venues across the country made similar announcements.

Source: New York Times February 07, 2020 04:52 UTC