In Virginia Legislature, Democrats walk out on black pro-life, defense-of-marriage pastor
By M. Catharine Evans < >
With newly empowered Democrats in the Virginia state house ready to advance legislation lifting abortion restrictions and eager to strengthen protections for those in the LGBT community, Reverend Dr. Robert M Grant, Jr. didn't hold back in his opening prayer before the General Assembly Tuesday morning.
In a scathing, biblically based denunciation of same-sex "marriage" and abortion, the pastor's 6-minute prayer drove some Democrats to walk off the floor and another one to shout out, "Is this a prayer or a sermon?" Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) ultimately broke in by banging her gavel and leading the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Democrats clearly expected the black clergyman from Warrenton to know his place and deliver an invocation in alignment with their progressive politics. Things didn't go as planned.
Reverend Grant began by urging the politicians "not to provoke God's anger and bring wrath upon this state by what you create as law." He went on to ask why there are so many abortion clinics near black communities and called it "black urban genocide." The deliberate and determined Rev. Grant didn't stop there.
"I pray that you may understand that all life is precious and worthy of a chance to be born," he said. "God is a giver of life, and people have no right or authority to take life, the unborn has rights, and those rights need to be protected."
After the pastor advocated for prison reform, he sparked noticeable fury with his remarks on marriage. Before he could finish his prayer that "this chamber will uphold the Virginia family" and "that the bills and laws passed will always protect the biblical traditional marriage as God instructed the first man and woman in the Bible," a heckler shouted out his disgust.
"It was totally disrespectful to all of us in the House," stated the Democrat delegate from Prince William County. Others said it was "off the rails" and "it felt like a condemnation."
Even though Grant had been invited by a Republican delegate from Fauquier County, another Republican sided with the Democrats: "I didn't know if he was ill-instructed or didn't know what he was here to do," said Del. Matt Farris (R-Campbell), but "this wasn't the time or place to do all of that ... we need to be working together and not divisive."
It must have outraged the Democrats and their RINO friends to have someone speak up for the unborn and for marriage between a man and a woman. We can be confident that if Rev. Grant supported gay "marriage" and abortion in his prayer, he would have received a standing ovation. Let's not forget that the Democrats collectively intolerant of the pastor's views are the same ones ruled by an infanticide-supporting governor in a blackface/KKK photo, a lt. governor accused of rape, and an attorney general who admitted to wearing blackface in his younger days.
Speaking to reporters afterward, the courageous Grant stood by his prayer. "I think the statehouse belongs to all the citizens. If you don't want to hear what a pastor has to say, then don't invite me."
By M. Catharine Evans < >
With newly empowered Democrats in the Virginia state house ready to advance legislation lifting abortion restrictions and eager to strengthen protections for those in the LGBT community, Reverend Dr. Robert M Grant, Jr. didn't hold back in his opening prayer before the General Assembly Tuesday morning.
In a scathing, biblically based denunciation of same-sex "marriage" and abortion, the pastor's 6-minute prayer drove some Democrats to walk off the floor and another one to shout out, "Is this a prayer or a sermon?" Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) ultimately broke in by banging her gavel and leading the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Democrats clearly expected the black clergyman from Warrenton to know his place and deliver an invocation in alignment with their progressive politics. Things didn't go as planned.
Reverend Grant began by urging the politicians "not to provoke God's anger and bring wrath upon this state by what you create as law." He went on to ask why there are so many abortion clinics near black communities and called it "black urban genocide." The deliberate and determined Rev. Grant didn't stop there.
"I pray that you may understand that all life is precious and worthy of a chance to be born," he said. "God is a giver of life, and people have no right or authority to take life, the unborn has rights, and those rights need to be protected."
After the pastor advocated for prison reform, he sparked noticeable fury with his remarks on marriage. Before he could finish his prayer that "this chamber will uphold the Virginia family" and "that the bills and laws passed will always protect the biblical traditional marriage as God instructed the first man and woman in the Bible," a heckler shouted out his disgust.
"It was totally disrespectful to all of us in the House," stated the Democrat delegate from Prince William County. Others said it was "off the rails" and "it felt like a condemnation."
Even though Grant had been invited by a Republican delegate from Fauquier County, another Republican sided with the Democrats: "I didn't know if he was ill-instructed or didn't know what he was here to do," said Del. Matt Farris (R-Campbell), but "this wasn't the time or place to do all of that ... we need to be working together and not divisive."
It must have outraged the Democrats and their RINO friends to have someone speak up for the unborn and for marriage between a man and a woman. We can be confident that if Rev. Grant supported gay "marriage" and abortion in his prayer, he would have received a standing ovation. Let's not forget that the Democrats collectively intolerant of the pastor's views are the same ones ruled by an infanticide-supporting governor in a blackface/KKK photo, a lt. governor accused of rape, and an attorney general who admitted to wearing blackface in his younger days.
Speaking to reporters afterward, the courageous Grant stood by his prayer. "I think the statehouse belongs to all the citizens. If you don't want to hear what a pastor has to say, then don't invite me."
