Jeffress: Christians who don't vote for Trump are 'hypocrites' and 'fools'
DALLAS (Christian Examiner) – Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress, known for his outspoken support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has opened fire on other religious conservatives who have expressed misgivings about the New York billionaire.
In an interview on Fox News, the pastor of First Baptist Dallas told host Sean Hannity that Trump made inroads with religious conservatives at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit Sept. 9.
"He spoke about the issue that not only resonated today but it is resonating with evangelicals everywhere, and that is the appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices," Jeffress said.
"Trump has made a commitment that he is going to appoint justices who interpret the law using the Constitution rather than political correctness as the standard."
I am getting sick and tired of these namby-pamby, pantywaisted, weak-kneed Christians who say they are going to stay home in November out of moral principle. Will you please tell me what great moral principle there is the universe that would allow a pro-abortion, anti-religious liberty candidate like Hillary Clinton to become the president?
Jeffress said the election choice between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton boils down to the issues that will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in the near future. Those issues include religious liberty and the sanctity of life.
For that reason, Jeffress said he has little patience for Christians who don't support Trump.
"I am getting sick and tired of these namby-pamby, pantywaisted, weak-kneed Christians who say they are going to stay home in November out of moral principle. Will you please tell me what great moral principle there is the universe that would allow a pro-abortion, anti-religious liberty candidate like Hillary Clinton to become the president?"
Jeffress then said any conservative Christian "who refuses to vote or throws away his vote in November is nothing but a hypocrite and a fool."
In his address to the Values Voter Summit, Trump said the vacancy on the Supreme Court and future vacancies would be the greatest priority for his administration because the choice of justices could affect the course of the country for the next 100 years.
"You pick the wrong people, and your country is no longer your country," Trump said as he reminded voters that the next president could pick four justices and, perhaps, even five.
Trump has already proposed a list of 11 judges he would consider appointed. All have been approved by Federalist Society as conservative justices like Antonin Scalia, who died earlier this year. Scalia, Trump said, was "the ultimate example of what we're looking for."
"This will determine whether or not we remain a constitutional republic," Trump said.
Trump said Clinton would chose radical justices who would rule in such a way that that she could control health care, the economy, religious liberty and the Second Amendment.
"We reject judges who rewrite the Constitution to impose their own personal views on 300 million-plus Americans," Trump said.