A leading New York religious leader says ISIS must be stopped and praised the United States for entering Iraq in a bid to stop the terror group's rampant killing of Christians.
"I'm very happy that we're doing something to stop the slaughter, no doubt about it,'' Msgr. Jim Lisante, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Massapequa Park, said Friday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
Story continues below video.
Note: Watch Newsmax TV now on
DIRECTV Ch. 349 and
DISH Ch. 223
Get Newsmax TV on your cable system –
Click Here Now
"Christians around the world, especially in that part of the world, are being persecuted unmercifully, but not just Christians. There are so many minority groups.
"This notion that a segment of the Islamic population can go out and convert people by either killing them, castrating them or saying convert or die. It's the total opposite of what everything religion should be, which is about the freedom to choose to follow your path to God.''
Lisante, host of the Newsmax show "Close Encounter,'' said John Paul II once called together the religious leaders of the world and said while all have different faiths, each was worthy of respect.
"Clearly, the guys in ISIS don't buy that,'' he said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.