Christian leaders rebuke GOP congressman for his call to 'hunt' and 'kill' suspected radical Muslims

Christian leaders have denounced a Republican congressman for suggesting on social media that anyone who has been suspected of being a radicalized Muslim should be hunted and killed.

Following the terror attack in London that left seven people dead, Rep. Clay Higgins (R.-La.) posted a message on Facebook on Sunday urging people to kill anyone they suspect to be a radicalized Muslim.

"Hunt them, identity [sic] them, and kill them. Kill them all. For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all," he wrote.

The congressman's post drew negative reactions on social media, with many calling it hate speech and verging on genocidal.

On Monday, the Huffington Post approached Christian leaders and other advocacy groups to hear their comments on Higgins' social media post.

"It would be hard to find a statement more antithetical to Christianity, or more lacking in the most elementary understanding of Jesus," said James Martin, a Jesuit priest.

"Jesus didn't say, 'Hate your enemies.' He said, 'Love your enemies.' He didn't say, 'Hunt down your persecutors.' He said, 'Pray for your persecutors. And what did Jesus do to those who nailed him to the Cross? He forgave them. Mercy and forgiveness are hard teachings, but they are clear ones," he added.

Rev. Dr. Katharine R. Henderson, president of Auburn Seminary, said that Higgins' remarks exhibit the same kind of extremism that people of all faiths should be fighting against. She contended that no professing Christian can make the same remarks as what Higgins wrote about Muslims and she argued that Jesus will never condone the congressman's statement.

Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, stated that Higgins' comment can only be described as hatred. She asserted that those who claim their faith as a motivation for committing violence are being dishonest about their motives. "This is about fear, retribution, disregard for human life, and violence," Lewis said.

Higgins, a former police captain who has been dubbed as the "Cajun John Wayne," has so far refused to take down the controversial post.

In a statement provided to the Huffington Post by Higgins' spokesman Andrew David, the congressman contended that his speech was about prioritizing national security and protecting American lives.

"My only concern is protecting the people that live in my district, my state, and my country. We must stand strong against radical Islamic terror," he said.

Higgins, who has served in the Army National Guard as a military police officer, has been involved in several controversies in the past. He once quit from the Opelousas Police Department right before he was set to be punished for using excessive force.

In 2016, he resigned from his post as captain for the St. Landry Parish Sheriff following a public outcry over videos he made for Crime Stoppers, in which he referred to a local Louisiana gang as "thugs," "animals" and "heathens."

During his run for office, it was revealed that his first wife, who died in a car accident, claimed in their 1991 divorce that the former police captain once put a gun to her head. Higgins said that the marriage fell apart after the death of their six-month-old daughter and insisted that there was no violence or threats.