President Donald Trump delivered a speech Monday at the United Nations about religious freedom that evangelical leaders are applauding because he had “the guts” to do that, instead of joining other world leaders in talking about climate change.
Evangelical leaders told “Fox & Friends” Monday morning that the president is addressing a real concern with religious persecution rampant throughout the world, while arguing that climate change may present a debatable issue but no true crisis.
“This is the first time any leader of a nation has addressed the UN on religious persecution,” Pastor Robert Jeffress of the Dallas, Texas First Baptist Church told Fox. “A third of the world is living under religious persecution…and it is a remarkable thing that this president would skip a UN climate change summit on an imaginary problem to address the very real problem of global persecution of believers.” (RELATED: Donald Trump Looks For Political Salvation From Evangelical Leaders)
Jeffress said, “What president in history would have the guts to do what President Trump is doing?” The pastor has called evangelicals who refuse to support Trump “spineless morons.”
Family Research Council (FRC) president Tony Perkins, who is also in charge of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said Trump has been faithful in promoting religious freedom around the globe. (RELATED: Pro-Life Leader Says Trump Is Reversing Abortion Policy)
“This is the president kind of putting down a marker … advancing religious freedom. This is a step forward with very tangible markers in terms of protecting people of faith, and what president…is going to do is challenge these nations to ensure that, people regardless of their faith, when they publicly assemble to worship God that they don’t have to do that in fear of terrorists or tyrants.”
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the “Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom” event at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., Sept. 23, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Perkins cited studies that indicate religious freedom is a key factor for any country that desires a a strong economy and a stable society.
The FRC president told the Daily Caller Monday, “I commend the president for taking on an issue that impacts people’s lives today and the results can actually be measured. “
Jeffress noted that Trump does more than just speak the language of evangelicals and conservative Catholics.
“He said religious freedom is not granted by government it is gifted to us by God, and the president believes that,” Jeffress said. “The Democrats believe the great human right that transcends all others is the right to kill your own babies through abortion and the previous administration supported that for the world. … This president says no, it’s not the murder of babies that is a basic human right, it is religious liberty that is granted by our creator.”