Vice President Mike Pence told graduates at Liberty University that they will be persecuted for their faith while giving the school’s commencement address Saturday.
“Throughout most of American history, it's been pretty easy to call yourself Christian,” Pence said. “It didn’t even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible.”
“But things are different now,” he continued, “some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. Be ready.”
“When my wife, Karen, returned to teach art at an elementary Christian school earlier this year, we faced harsh attacks by the media and the secular left,” he added. “These attacks on Christian education are un-American.”
Pence then cited the policies of Donald Trump, a man who called for a complete ban on Muslims coming to the United States, to vow that the administration will always defend the freedom of religion.
“I promise you, we will always stand up for the right of Americans to live, to learn, and to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience,” he said.
Does Pence remember who he works for?
MSNBC’s Morning Joe hit out at Pence’s comments by playing them side-by-side with comments made by Trump, in which the president more than contradicts Pence’s claim that the administration will defend everyone’s right to practice their faith.
“I think Islam hates us,” Trump said in one clip. “There’s something there that there’s a tremendous hatred.”
“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” Trump said in another clip.
Liberty University accused of hypocrisy:
Pence spoke after a glowing introduction by the university’s president, Jerry Falwell Jr.
Falwell, whose bizarre $1.8 million loan to his pool boy raised more than a few suspicious eyebrows, reportedly paid longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to get rid of “racy photos,” Reuters reported.
Cohen reportedly got the photos destroyed but kept one for himself.
After Falwell enlisted Cohen’s help, Falwell endorsed Donald Trump ahead of the Iowa caucus despite a plethora of more mainstream evangelical candidates who have not been married three times and have not had to pay hush money to porn stars they had affairs with while their wife was pregnant.
“Cohen helped persuade Falwell to issue his endorsement of Trump’s presidential candidacy at a critical moment, they said: just before the Iowa caucuses. Falwell subsequently barnstormed with Trump and vouched for the candidate’s Christian virtues,” Reuters reported.
