Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush defended religious freedom during remarks at Liberty University’s 42nd Commencement ceremony on Saturday.

During his remarks at the Christian university, Bush also praised Christianity as “a voice like no other”:

“Whether it is captured on scrolls and paper, or in bits of data; seen in the example of Francis the saint, or of Francis the pope; affirmed by the witness of ancient martyrs, or by the witness of martyrs dying in His name today. No place where the message reaches, no heart that it touches, is ever the same again.”

Bush added that our nation would have “a radically different story” without it.

Here are nine takeaways from the speech.

1. Bush applauded the “vocation” that the graduates “have freely taken up.”

“It is the greatest of all callings—to know, love, and serve the Lord—and it’s yours by choice,” he said.

2. He praised Christianity as a faith that has contributed to human freedom:

How strange, in our own time, to hear Christianity spoken of as some sort of backward and oppressive force. Outside these 7,000 acres of shared conviction, it’s a depressing fact that when some people think of Christianity and of Judeo-Christian values, they think of something static, narrow and outdated. We can take this as unfair criticism, as it typically is, or we can take it as further challenge to show in our lives the most dynamic, inclusive and joyful message that ever came into the world.

3. He said America is an example of “how free people live when they have a living faith.”

“The endless work of Christian charity in America is what free people do when they have good news to share,” said Bush.

4. Christianity and people of faith have an important role to play in reducing poverty, according to Bush:

This nation’s efforts to fight poverty have sometimes taken on an air of futility, because so much has been tried and the need is still so vast. Left untried, too often, is the direct and personal attention that Christian ministry can bring.

5. He said Christians have a responsibility to protect the environment:

America’s environmental debates, likewise, can be too coldly economical, too sterile of life, and you remind us what’s really at stake. Christians see in nature and all its creatures designs grander than any of man’s own devising—the endless, glorious work of the Lord of Life.

6. Bush said “some moral standards are universal,” such as the sanctity of human life, including life in the womb, and the need to fight slavery and anti-Semitism.

7. He shared his views on the role of faith in public life:

It can be a touchy subject, and I am asked sometimes whether I would ever allow my decisions in government to be influenced by my Christian faith. Whenever I hear this, I know what they want me to say. The simple and safe reply is, ‘No. Never. Of course not.’ If the game is political correctness, that’s the answer that moves you to the next round. The endpoint is a certain kind of politician we’ve all heard before—the guy whose moral convictions are so private, so deeply personal, that he refuses even to impose them on himself.

8. “There are consequences when you don’t genuflect to the latest secular dogmas,” said Bush. He cited the Little Sisters of the Poor and their refusal to comply with a provision of Obamacare that would mandate they provide abortifacients in their health care plans, which violate Catholic teaching.

“From the standpoint of religious freedom, you might even say it’s a choice between the Little Sisters and Big Brother—and I’m going with the Sisters,” said Bush.

9. He said that people of faith have more in common than they have differences, and that working together is a key component of maintaining religious liberty:

There is so much that we share in common, across all the lines of region, religion, and demography that are constantly being talked about. In my experience, at least, you generally find the same good instincts, fair-mindedness, and easygoing spirit among Americans of every type—including, of course, the many who belong to no church at all. That’s a lot to work with, if the aim is to accept differences instead of exploiting them, and get on with life in this free country.

Quotes were taken from Bush’s prepared remarks.