TV preacher Pat Robertson responded to a viewer asking what Jesus would do about refugees by explaining that allowing fleeing Syrians into the country was a bad policy that could cause “mayhem.”

“With the horrible, ongoing ISIS attacks, I was wondering what Jesus would say about letting Syrian refugees into America,” a viewer named Heather asked on Thursday’s edition of The 700 Club. “Is it more important to protect our country from evil or to try to save those who do not know Him?”

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Robertson insisted that he was a compassionate person “by nature.”

“If I see a person fleeing oppression, I would say let’s put our arms around them and help them,” the televangelist explained. “But from a policy standpoint, the truth is these evil people have infiltrated the refugee hordes.”

According to Robertson, one person pretending to be a refugee had “brought mayhem” to Paris.

“I do think the country has got to be vigilant,” he recommended. “But my heart — you asked me — my heart is to help the poor. And if I saw a family was fleeing the oppression and the war in Syria, I would open my heart and say let’s take them in.”

“But policy makers may disagree.”

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