A number of well-known Christian leaders have joined the chorus of reaction to the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, tweeted his sentiments on Saturday, writing, “Fidel Castro’s death should be a reminder to pray for freedom, including religious freedom, for the long-oppressed Cuban people.”
Fidel Castro's death should be a reminder to pray for freedom, including religious freedom, for the long-oppressed Cuban people.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) November 26, 2016
The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Hispanic Evangelical Association, also released a statement proclaiming that, under Castro, Cuba was held “captive by totalitarianism.”
“The passing of the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro provides an opportunity for freedom and democracy to emerge in an island nation held captive by totalitarianism,” Rodriguez said, urging the public to pray for Cuba’s current leaders to respect the rights of the nation’s people, the Christian Post reported.
Others, like Franklin Graham, held little back in rebuking Castro’s worldview, with Graham candidly sharing his views on his Facebook page over the weekend.
“Fidel Castro has died at age 90. Loved by few, hated by millions, his communist revolution deposed a dictator, but ushered in a socialist police state that drove the entire Cuban nation into complete poverty and oppression,” he wrote. “And to think that Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Keith Ellison and others wanted socialism as a model for our country today! And why didn’t they win? God — that’s why.”
Graham went on to say that churches prayed and that millions voted in the 2016 election to avoid such a system, encouraging people to show up when the next election is held again in two years.
“The socialists are regrouping in great number right now, and they will come back strong, organized, and more determined than ever,” he said. “This battle isn’t over.”
As for Pastor John Piper, he shared a link to a story on the Gospel Coalition website titled, “Nine Things You Should Know About Fidel Castro,” a piece penned by Joe Carter. While it mostly focused on the facts of Castro’s life and rise to power, it specifically addressed his engagement in “revolutionary political violence.”
Joe Carter: Nine things you should know about Fidel Castro. https://t.co/PJMXDH8VRP Sometimes you honor a king as human by hating his reign.
— John Piper (@JohnPiper) November 27, 2016
Comments about Castro’s life have been in no short supply since his death on Friday.
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