Posted on 09/12/2014 10:16:02 PM PDT by chessplayer
Aggressively supporting Israel is a political winner for conservatives. But when it comes at the expense of persecuted Christians who fear for their lives...
Since the second half of the 20th century, some of my fellow Christians have been the most persecuted religious group in the world. They still are. You probably are surprised to hear this. That's because most of these persecuted Christians don't live in the West. They are, as the awful phrase has it, too foreign for the right and too Christian for the left.
In recent weeks and months, however, the West has heard about the plight of at least one set of these persecuted Christians: those in the Middle East. These communities, many of which date back to the very beginning of Christianity, are now facing outright extinction. And it's happening at the hands of ISIS, the West's Public Enemy No. 1.
A summit was held this week in Washington, D.C., in support of Middle East Christians, and Cruz was supposed to be a keynote speaker. However, right in the second paragraph of his speech, he began exalting Israel. After a while, the assembly started to boo and heckle him. Cruz said, "If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you," and left the podium.
Keep in mind that many Christians in the Middle East are ethnic Arabs who live under Israel's occupation of the West Bank, and therefore have negative feelings about Israel. Of course, there are also many Middle East Christians who are supporters of Israel (indeed, there are even Arab Christians who serve, with distinction, in the Israeli Defense Forces).
As the excellent coverage, transcript, and recording provided by The American Conservative's Jonathan Coppage shows, the audience in Washington applauded Cruz's first lines of support for Israel and the Jews. The crowd turned against him ONLY WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR that he was launching into a rah-rah pro-Israel stump speech that had NOTHING to do with what they were doing there.
Cruz tarred and attacked one of the most powerless and beleaguered minorities in the world, solely for personal political gain. He was strong against the weak.
In the end, what was most striking about Cruz's tirade was the last phrase: "If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you." Cruz was literally standing in a room with his fellow Christians. In the Bible, the idea of the fellowship of Christian believers is a very important one, and to break fellowship is to put oneself outside the community. What Cruz was saying was that agreeing to his views on Israel was more important as a badge of fellowship than believing in Jesus Christ.
What a stupid remark you puffed up worm!!
I have yet to call you a single name or anything of the sort. Your inability to control yourself is sad.
You can see no such thing.
It doesn’t nearly fit what I really think of you. I place no value on you or your opinion. Have nice day!!!
I saw the Breitbart piece by Goodman yesterday
And I’ve already defined it upthread
This was no mosque
Ted was applauded by his first pro Israel comments
Then they got stirred up as he rolled on
The leader of the group apologized for Cruz being heckled
The guy alleged to give money to a Christian politician in Lebanon who has a deal with Hezbollah sits on the board of St Jude hospital in Memphis and is an influential Catholic who has visited the Pope
Which is why I question why at a conference of persecuted by Islam Christian Arabs did Ted decide to lecture about the good of Israel to Christian Arabs some of whom lost property in 47/48 war
It makes no sense politically or ideally
Had he mentioned Hezbollah by name directed at Choudary it might have made more sense
Frankly.... it seems to me he was winging it
Hence label them anti Semites...walk off...claim victory
Lol...works on free republic well enough
No offense but unless someone responds who has kept up with all my posts on this thread I’m done
Its tiring to reiterate over and over on every reply
My first second guessing Ted who is my potus choice
Have a good Domingo
You almost sound like Chinaboy.
Not helping those in need? Would that be a sin?
No recollection of that name.
Enough is enough.
It’s not a tactic. Cruz stated a falsehood and was bood for it.
You misspelled your screen name. You forgot the “r”.
Wow.
What the heck is up with the poster at 260?!
Post 260 et al.
Been around a long time. Anyone you know?
I mean....he’s my favorite too...but I think he waded into this not knowing this group wasnt going to rah rah Israel to his degree
Let me ask you this; IF he did know what he was getting in to, and we all know what he said, would that qualify as statesman like?
I think that’s called ‘coming out of the closet’.
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