Vice President Mike Pence (Scrrenshot)

“Stand firm” in your faith when pressured to endorse things that violate it, Vice President Mike Pence urged the 2019 graduating class of Liberty University at Saturday’s commencement ceremony in Lynchburg, Virginia.

It used to be unthinkable that Americans could be persecuted for holding Biblical views, but, times have changed, Pence warned. Today, those who profess to be tolerant are anything but – when it comes to Christian values – the vice president said:

“Throughout most of American history, it’s been pretty easy to call yourself Christian. It didn’t even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible. “But, things are different now. Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. So as you go about your daily life, just be ready. Because you’re going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; you’re going to be asked to endorse them. You’re going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture.”

Be prepared to face opposition to your beliefs, but respond with love, Pence told the graduates:

“So, you need to prepare your minds for action, men and women. You need to show that we can love God and love our neighbor at the same time through words and deeds. And you need to be prepared to meet opposition. “As the founder of this university often said, quote, ‘No one ever achieved greatness without experiencing opposition.’”

By standing strong in faith and delivering a “message of grace and love” through word and deed, the graduates will be a blessing to the nation, Pence concluded: