Christian leaders elated over Trump's Supreme Court pick

Jardine Malado Thursday, February 02, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Neil Gorsuch (L) after nominating him to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 31, 2017. | Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Christian leaders commended President Donald Trump for nominating Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court on Tuesday to fill the vacancy created by the death of Judge Antonin Scalia last year.

Gorsuch, who is a judge at the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit court of Appeals, is known for defending religious liberty and his opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide. While he has not ruled in an abortion-related case, he is expected to side against abortion because of how he wrote about the value of life in his book.

"All human beings are intrinsically valuable and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong," Gorsuch wrote. "To act intentionally against life is to suggest that its value rests only on its transient instrumental usefulness for other ends," he added.

Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, said that his organization will work with the president and senators to support Gorsuch's confirmation, Washington Examiner reported.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd, a past President of the Southern Baptist Convention, congratulated Gorsuch on his nomination and said that he will pray that the judge would lead a long and successful career as a Supreme Court Justice.

Faith and Freedom Coalition President Ralph Reed praised Trump for selecting Gorsuch and said that he and his organization never doubted the president's sincerity and commitment to competently fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

Evangelist Franklin Graham, who described Gorsuch as a "true conservative," was also pleased by the nomination.

"This man, certainly, for all of us Christians, we are very, very thankful that President Trump has nominated him, because he will protect religious liberty," Graham told CBN.

Dr. David Jeremiah, pastor and host of the Turning Point radio program, lauded Trump for fulfilling his promise to nominate a Supreme Court Justice like Scalia.

"I am greatly encouraged by the nomination of Judge Gorsuch as he represents a clear and definitive fulfillment of President Trump's promise," he said.

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, urged the Senate to give an honest confirmation hearing to Gorsuch and urged both Republicans and Democrats to stop the trend of blocking nominees for Cabinet positions as well as the Supreme Court.