Southern Baptists vote to accept Muslim refugees amid Trump's call to ban Muslims

Despite Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's calls to ban Muslim immigration in the U.S., the Southern Baptists voted Wednesday, June 15 to support Muslim refugees.

The messengers of the Southern Baptist Congregation voted to approve Resolution 12 "On Refugee Ministry" in its annual meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri.

"That we affirm that refugees are people loved by God, made in His image, and that Christian love should be extended to them as special objects of God's mercy in a world that has displaced them from their homelands," the resolution read.

The messengers recognized that 85,000 refugees from the four continents and the Carribean are coming in to the U.S. this year while over 60 million people are displaced across the globe, making it the largest refugee crisis since World War II.

They also cited the congregation's history of ministering to the refugees from 1975 to 1985. The 15,000 refugees they sponsored resulted to 281 ethnic churches and the 1985 resolution celebrating the ministry.

While encouraging other Southern Baptist churches and families to welcome refugees in their churches and homes to demonstrate God's love, the messengers also called on government authorities to apply the strictest measure in screening out refugees who may be harmful.

Meanwhile, Trump believes the harm of terrorism was shown yet again through the Orlando mass shooting on Sunday, June 12. A gunman of Afghan descent, also an Islamic State sympathizer, attacked the Pulse gay nightclub and killed 49 people and injured over 50 others. The motive for the attack is still under investigation.

"Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!" Trump tweeted on the aftermath of the attack.

He believes banning Muslims from coming in is the solution and that a mere gun control could not prevent a terrorist attack.

Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Trump addressed the Muslim immigration issue and related it to the weekend mass shooting. Referencing Omar Mateen, the gunman for the Orlando tragedy, the Republican presidential nominee said, "We have many people coming in whose hate is equal to his and just as bad and even worse, frankly."

He stressed, "We have to stop people from coming in."