A self-described atheist received his comeuppance when he mocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Twitter after the Republican governor tweeted on Tuesday an image of Uncle Sam praying in a church, with a message calling upon others to do likewise.
"Pray as if everything depends on God. Work as if everything depends on you. Let's work together to fix America," the 58-year-old Abbott tweeted.
The tweet received over 1,000 retweets and more than 2,000 likes.
But an atheistic "Twitter troll" that goes by the screen name "Halley the Heathen" didn't seem quite impressed and posted a tweet that derided the physical disability of Abbott who is a paraplegic.
"@GregAbbott_TX if your god is real, then you will be able to get out of your wheelchair right now and run a marathon," Halley the Heathen wrote.
Abbott quickly turned the mockery back on the atheist with this post:
"That's not God's design. I've won races that people with legs could never run. God's plan is bigger than walking."
As of Saturday morning, that tweet received more than 3,600 retweets and more than 6,300 likes.
Abbott became a paraplegic when a massive oak tree fell on him while he was running and following a storm sometime in 1984. Doctors implanted two steel rods in his spine. He also underwent extensive rehabilitation at a hospital and has used a wheelchair ever since, according to his biography.
He was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 1995 by then Governor George W. Bush before serving three terms as State Attorney General.
Abbott's initial comment and response came on the same day that he hosted Rev. Franklin Graham at the Governor's Mansion.
Graham travelled to Austin as part of his "Decision America Tour," where he hopes to encourage Christians to vote for biblical principles.
Writing on his official Facebook page, Graham noted the warm reception he received in Austin. "They say everything's bigger in Texas! We had a fantastic crowd at the state Capitol in Austin today [April 26] for stop #17 on the 50-state Decision America Tour! Thankful to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, State Attorney General Ken Paxton, and the more than 8,000 people who came out to pray for our nation," Graham said.
"We know our nation is in trouble," Graham told the nearly 10,000 people gathered at the state's iconic capitol building. He said the nation's problem is multi-dimensional—spiritually, economically, racially, and politically. He repeated that he has lost hope in both the Republican and Democratic parties and that his sole hope rests in God.
Graham is traveling through every state in the U.S. "to challenge Christians to live out their faith at home, in public and at the ballot box" and to share the Gospel as well.
