Amid persistent talks about the "coming end times" in some Christian quarters, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson weighed in on the matter, telling a TV host, "You could guess that we are getting closer to that."
But Carson quickly added that if he succeeds in winning the White House next year, he would take action to "ameliorate" it, according to News Max.
Carson appeared on Sunday on "Full Measure" and was asked by host Sharyl Attkisson about his views on the biblical prophesies on the end of the world based on current world events.
"Do you think we're at the End of Days?" Attkisson asked.
"You could guess that we are getting closer to that," replied Carson, who is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Carson believes that the Islamic State jihadist group in the Middle East also appears to be a firm believer of the end times prophesy, which is why, he said, they are trying to build a caliphate.
But he said his own Christian belief on the end times is totally different with the one mentioned in the Quran. "You do have people who have a belief system that sees this apocalyptic phenomenon occurring, and that they're a part of it, and who would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if they gain ... them," he said.
Carson says faith 'schizophrenia' ails America
On the same day, Carson delivered a speech at a megachurch in Geogia, where he diagnosed what's ailing America. He called the illness faith "schizophrenia." One of the symptoms of this ailment, he said, is the fact that although "In God We Trust" is written on the US currency, many Americans seem averse to talking about religion.
"The pledge of allegiance to our flag says we are one nation under God. Many courtrooms in the land, on the wall it says 'In God We Trust.' Every coin in our pocket, every bill in our wallet says 'In God We Trust,'" Carson told the thousands who came to listen to his speech at the Free Chapel megachurch in Gainesville, Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
"So if it's in our founding documents, it's in our pledges, in our courts and it's on our money, but we're not supposed to talk about it, what in the world is that? In medicine it's called schizophrenia. And I, for one, am simply not willing to kick God to the curb," Carson said.
