Rev. Franklin Graham expressed his disappointment regarding the Supreme Court's decision to shut down a Texas measure that would have regulated abortion clinics and issued an urgent call for godly justices.
"I'm not surprised that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state of Texas' regulations on abortion today - but I am disappointed. In the absence of more conservative justices, rulings are going the other way. This is another example of how critical the positions of Supreme Court Justices are to our country," Graham, the leader of the Billy Graham Association and Samaritan's Purse, wrote after the ruling.
The 64-year-old evangelist also warned about the fate of the United States if God-fearing justices aren't appointed: "Remember, the next president we elect will appoint one justice immediately, and then be able to possibly appoint up to five more during his or her term. Those appointments are of paramount importance to the future of this country. We need judges who will consider God's laws and His Word - He is the ultimate Judge for each one of us and for the nation."
The justices on Monday decided in a 5-3 decision to strike down parts of HB 2 that gave abortion clinics one year to obtain hospital admitting privileges in cases of patient emergencies and to upgrade their clinics to meet basic health and safety standards.
In what has been hailed by pro-choice groups as a "great victory for abortion rights," the high court ruled that the law put an undue burden on women exercising their right to abortion, which has been legal in the United States since 1973.
President Barack Obama said on Monday that he was pleased with the ruling, saying the restrictions "harm women's health and place an unconstitutional obstacle in the path of a woman's reproductive freedom."
Currently, three of the nine justices are nearing or older than 80 years of age. Thus, the next president will likely have the opportunity to nominate several new justices to the Supreme Court.
Graham praised presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for letting America know his potential appointees, and criticized Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for not doing the same.
"But we haven't seen a list from the Democratic presumptive nominee. Secretary Hillary Clinton - where's your list?" the evangelist asked.
During a February interview with The Gospel Herald, pastor Rafael Cruz, father of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, also emphasized the need for conservative justices, as whoever is appointed will influence the upcoming generations.
"The balance in our Supreme Court is so precarious," he said. "If we have one more liberal justice in the Supreme Court, our right to life is down the tubes. Abortion on demand until the day of delivery will become the law of the land, and our Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms will go down the drain."
He added, "We must be certain that we elect a true Constitutional Conservative as president that will only appoint justices that are true to the Constitution, to the rule of law, to limited government. If we get this wrong, it may cost us a generation, and I don't think we have the time. America is at the point of disaster if we make the wrong decision."
