Franklin Graham weighs in on whether God is ‘judging’ Hollywood with Calif. fires

January 15, 2025

Evangelist Franklin Graham has spoken out on the question of whether the fires currently ravaging Los Angeles are evidence that God is “judging” Hollywood.

The Christian Post reports that the renowned evangelist and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse had an answer for those questioning the fires which have killed 24 people and destroyed more than 40,000 acres, leaving thousands homeless.

Franklin acknowledged that many people are questioning why the devastation is taking place and responded, “Could God be judging Hollywood? I don’t know, but I don’t think so.”

Franklin added, “People have lost everything. A lot of people are asking ‘Why?’ and that’s a hard question to answer. We want to reassure them of God’s love — that He cares for them and that He hasn’t turned His back on them.”

According to the Christian Post, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham also noted that modern technology heightens the visibility of natural disasters like the wildfires and can make it appear that they are more prevalent than in the past.

Franklin spoke of the importance of sharing God’s love and stressed that, “The reality is we’re going to have more storms like this. It’s not going to get less, and the most important thing that we, as Christians, can do is make sure everyone understands that God loves them. And that when storms like this come, it’s not God’s judgment. I don’t believe that for a second. We know that God loves us.”

Meanwhile, churches and Christian relief agencies, including the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and Samaritan’s Purse, are working around the clock to meet the needs of victims of the fires.

The wind-driven fires continue to burn throughout the Los Angeles area and are currently only 14% contained.

Photo: top, Credit: Courtesy of BGEA