NEW YORK – Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani says God is a very important part of his life.
"I believe in God. I pray to God, and I pray to Jesus for guidance, help,” Giuliani said in an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network. “I have very, very strong views on religion that come about from having wanted to be a priest when I was younger, having studied theology for four years in college.”The former New York mayor said he feels God’s help when “in crisis and under pressure like September 11, when I was dealing with prostate cancer, or I'm trying to explain death to people, which unfortunately I've had to do so often.”
In a series of video interviews posted Friday on the CBN website, Giuliani also discussed other topics with CBN news correspondent David Brody, including his view on religion, how he feels about the public’s take on his personal life, and why he took a cell phone call from his wife in the middle of his speech to the National Rifle Association.
When asked about his family, the presidential hopeful said, "I love my family very, very much. I think there are some people that are very judgmental."
Giuliani has been married three times and divorced twice. He was first married to his second cousin for 14 years. He later divorced her and sought an annulment from the Roman Catholic Church on grounds that they did not have the Church dispensation needed since she was his second cousin instead of his third cousin which he originally thought.
During his second marriage, Giuliani was reportedly involved in adulterous relationships with at least two women, one of whom is his current wife. According to the New York Times, Giuliani was also estranged from his two children with his second wife.
"I'm guided very, very often about, `Don't judge others, lest you be judged,'" Giuliani said in the CBN interview. "I'm guided a lot by the story of the woman that was going to be stoned, and Jesus put the stones down and said, 'He that hasn't sinned, cast the first stone,' and everybody disappeared. It seems like nowadays in America, we have people that think they could've passed that test.
“And I don't think anybody could've passed that test but Jesus."
Giuliani said that he tries to put the emphasis on his public life in order to prevent his family from being exploited.
