GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday he sees no reason to apologize to Ben Carson after he seemed to raise doubts about the retired neurosurgeon’s faith.
Mr. Trump, who says he’s befuddled by polls in Iowa that show him in second place to Mr. Carson, raised eyebrows by emphasizing his own Presbyterian faith, then adding: “I just really don’t know about the Seventh-day Adventist.”
The move appeared to cater to evangelicals in Iowa who might wonder whether Mr. Carson, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is a true Christian.
“All I said was, ’I don’t know about it,’” Mr. Trump told ABC’s “This Week,” although he refused to explain why he brought up Mr. Carson’s faith in the first place.
Seventh-day Adventists observe Saturday as the Sabbath, rather than Sunday, and adhere to a relatively literal interpretation of the Bible, according to the church’s website.
“Seventh-day Adventists believe that God is the Creator of all life and that the Bible reveals a reliable account of His creative activity,” it says. “Further, we believe that the biblical events recorded in Genesis 1-11, including the special creation of human beings, are historical and recent, that the seven days of creation were literal 24 hour days forming a literal week, and that the Flood was global in nature.”
Mr. Trump insisted Sunday that he wasn’t trying to besmirch the faith.
“I just don’t know about that particular religion,” he said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.