Vice President Mike Pence was quoting the words of Jesus Christ while warning graduating students at Liberty University they will face religious persecution, and it was a "great message" to them, the Rev. Franklin Graham said Monday.
"Jesus said in John, Chapter 15. [When] He was talking to His disciples, His followers, that 'If the world hates you, remember they hated me first,'" Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told Fox News' "Fox & Friends." "He went on to warn them that 'if they persecuted me, they are going to persecute you.'"
Graham said he appreciates that Pence quoted scripture and he is proud of him for speaking out.
"That was a great message to these students to remind them to be ready and be prepared," Graham said.
He also addressed a comment made last week by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., when he said in a statement promoting his gun license proposal that he is "sick and tired of hearing thoughts and prayers for the communities that have been shattered by gun violence ― it is time for bold action."
"It's obvious he doesn't understand the power of prayer," Graham said. "God hears prayer. He understands prayer. And, listen, you can take all the guns in the world and collect them. People are still going to murder. People are still going to kill you."
"You can take all the guns and put them in Central Park and have a mountain of guns," Graham said. "The human heart has to change. And not one gun is going to walk out of the park and shoot somebody."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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