Controversial Baptist Pastor To Open Ceremony Dedicating U.S. Embassy In Jerusalem

The Trump Administration has chosen controversial Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress to deliver the opening prayer in today's ceremony marking the move of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (WFAA News). As reported by Mother Jones, Jeffress, who is a supporter and informal faith adviser to President Trump, has made incendiary statements about non-Christian religions:

Jeffress, who runs the First Baptist Dallas megachurch in Texas, has referred to both Islam and Mormonism as “a heresy from the pit of hell.” He believes Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, and Buddhism are all cults, and that Catholicism represents the “genius of Satan.” Jews, he believes, are going to hell. “You can’t be saved by being a Jew,” he’s said. Islam, he said, “is a religion that promotes pedophelia, sex with children.”

UPDATE: Here is a video of the full ceremony in Jerusalem.  Pastor Jeffress' invocation is at 17:25 on the video, followed by an invocation by Chabad Rabbi Zalman Wolowik.  The benediction at 1:12:03 on the video was offered by controversial Pastor John Hagee, evangelical founder of Christians United for Israel.