Mike Huckabee links Newtown shooting to lack of religion in schools

Mike Huckabee sparked controversy on Twitter after liberal blog, Think Progress, pointed to his appearance on Fox News' "Your World" Friday, in which the Republican presidential candidate linked Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary to the "systematic removal" of religion from schools.

Though police have yet to name the gunman and know little about his motives, Huckabee connected school "carnage" to restrictions on religion in the classroom.

Huckabee: Ultimately, you can take away every gun in America and somebody will use a gun. When somebody has an intent to do incredible damage, they’re going to find a way to do it.

People will want to pass new laws, but unless you change people’s hearts, they’re our transition maybe to the pastor side. This is a heart issue -- laws don’t change this kind of thing.

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Cavuto: People will ask after tragedies like this, "How could God let this happen?"

Huckabee: Well, you know, it’s an interesting thing. When we ask why there is violence in our schools, but we’ve systematically removed God from our schools. Should we be so surprised that schools have become a place for carnage because we’ve made it a place where we don’t want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability? That we’re not just going to have to be accountable to the police, if they catch us. But one day, we will stand in judgment before a holy God in judgement. If we don’t believe that, we don’t fear that.

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God wasn't armed. He didn't go to the school, but God will be there in the form of a lot of people with hugs and with therapy and a whole lot of ways. ... Maybe we oughta let him in on the front and we wouldn't have to call him when it's all said and done on the back end.

Watch below via Think Progress:

Huckabee also tweeted out this statement on the shootings:

Terrible news out of Connecticut.Our prayers are with all of the families impacted by this senseless tragedy.

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 14, 2012