The following article, Does Ted Cruz Think He’s the Messiah? is an in-depth description of the beliefs of Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, and IMO descriptive of the beliefs of Ted Cruz.
"Rafael Cruz has been the senator’s primary surrogate on the campaign trail, particularly with the evangelical voters who are now Ted Cruz’s base. The two have frequently spoken together, prayed together, campaigned together—even shot highly awkward “slice of life” videos together"....so IMO it follows that the son is a follower of the father.
Rafael Cruz’s views of his son’s role in all of this are literally messianic. When Ted was 4 years old, Rafael says that he told him “You know, Ted, you have been gifted above any man that I know and God has destined you for greatness.”
Now, everything I’ve (author Jay Michaelson) said so far is about Rafael Cruz, not Ted Cruz. We don’t really know how much of this Ted believes. But it is interesting that even anodyne statements by Ted Cruz can be read in multiple ways, the classic indicator of dogwhistling. For example, Sen. Cruz wrote an epilogue to Rafael Cruz’s book, in which he said, “If our nation’s leaders are elected by unbelievers, is it any wonder that they do not reflect our values? … If the body of Christ arises, if Christians simply show up and vote biblical values, we can restore our nation.”
Read one way, this is just a Christian version of “make America great again.” Read another way, “restoring our nation” has a very specific dominionist meaning of one believes that America was once a Christian quasi-theocracy. And not many candidates describe their campaign as trying to get the body of Christ to arise.
Rafael Cruz has said that at a prayer session in 2013 or 2014, “It was as if there was a presence of the Holy Spirit in the room and we all were at awe… And Ted, all that came out of his mouth, he said, ‘Here am I Lord, use me. Here am I Lord, I surrender to whatever Your will for my life is.’ And it was at that time that he felt a peace about running for president of the United States.”
Whatever Ted Cruz’s religious views, however, those of his father are relevant in their own right. He stumps for his son all the time, Barton has his hands on some of the largest purse strings in Republican politics, and many of Ted Cruz’s supporters are animated by a theological vision of America that will restore “kings” to power at the End of Days, of whom Cruz is apparently one.
The word “dominionism” may not roll of the tongue of political pundits, but given its shocking ambitions, maybe that’s part of the point.
In my opinion, the melding of the "dominionist" beliefs of the Cruz pair, with the mormon beliefs of Glenn Beck are far and away NOT the mainstream Christianity that is a bulwark of the conservative/Christian ideal of most American believers in Christ! I see the Cruz/Beck partnership as a danger to the coming election, and pray that it will be thwarted!
We already elected a messiah type, don’t need anymore.
the evangelical voters who are now Ted Cruz’s base.
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Really???
Trump has been kicking Cruz’s butt among “evangelical” voters.
BINGO!
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“Mainstream Christianity” is lost in the desert.
Mainstream Christianity goes into a total panic when the real worship of the Netzerim is shown to them.
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