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Ted Cruz and the most cynical, despicable political stunt of the year
theweek ^

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.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cruz; tedcruz
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To: txhurl

Again, you are incorrect. I have the Tattood Cruz poster from LA hanging on my wall. I support the man. His stat e ment was inaccurate.


181 posted on 09/13/2014 1:42:33 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: txhurl

Paulista maybe....we could run a poll and see how fast he can redial!!!


182 posted on 09/13/2014 1:42:49 PM PDT by ontap
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To: ontap

Currently that are getting assistance from the Kurds, The United States Air Force, and Asylum from France. I beg for more as is every Christian spokesman in the region.


183 posted on 09/13/2014 1:45:07 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: The Toll; txhurl

Like other poster’s have explained....Sen Cruz wasn’t pandering. He was standing resolutely with Israel.

I’m “not pleased” with your projecting. It’s a leftist tactic that’s not appreciated around here.

If you don’t care for Sen Cruz, then simply stay off of the Sen Cruz threads.


184 posted on 09/13/2014 1:45:38 PM PDT by Jane Long ("And when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek")
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To: ontap

If you think I support Rhinos then disagree with this statement: The only American Office holder that is of equal quality to Thomas Jefferson is named Trey Gowdy.


185 posted on 09/13/2014 1:48:41 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: wardaddy
I'll comment on just one of your many points.

Jews will never support Cruz.........

That's almost certainly true.

A politician would be worried about that, a statesman would not.

186 posted on 09/13/2014 1:49:40 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (If America falls, darkness will cover the earth for a thousand years.)
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To: Jane Long

Standing resolutely with Israel is correct. When the topic is Israel. Cruz’s statement was false and he was bood for it.


187 posted on 09/13/2014 1:50:46 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: Jane Long

When the Left realizes (hopefully today) that mocking Cruz over this incident is going to bring the silent moral minority out in a landslide against them in 16, I will be lmao at their stupidity.

For you MenSeekingMen types out there lurking: why do you think FNC (who has eaten your ratings lunch and bankrupted you) runs advertising from Israel seeking donations from the conservative, Christian people that watch FNC? Because there is a strong alliance, we realize our futures are entertwined.

So keep up the hits on Cruz, you’re only motivating millions more to get out and vote for him (and whoever he stumps for in these midterms).


188 posted on 09/13/2014 1:52:25 PM PDT by txhurl (2014: Stunned Voters do Stunning Things!)
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To: Balding_Eagle

Sadly that is probably true....I don’t believe most American Jews support Israel. Their loyalty belongs with the Democrat party which throws them under the buss on a regular basis. Evidently like most Democrats free abortion is their main goal!!!


189 posted on 09/13/2014 1:54:04 PM PDT by ontap
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To: The Toll

Damned if I can find any false statement....but you are out of the closet. You started out saying it was rude now you say it was false. Exactly what part of it was false!!!


190 posted on 09/13/2014 1:58:08 PM PDT by ontap
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To: Kaosinla

and you will find the truth.


Playing Devil’s (literally) Advocate is more amusing for him/her/it than seeking the truth. He’s been hit with it all morning and squirms away from every layout of facts.


191 posted on 09/13/2014 1:59:19 PM PDT by txhurl (2014: Stunned Voters do Stunning Things!)
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To: ontap

Middle Eastern Christians best Friend is France and they are aware of it.


192 posted on 09/13/2014 2:00:36 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: The Toll

Yea!! I can believe that!!!


193 posted on 09/13/2014 2:01:46 PM PDT by ontap
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To: ontap

#158 is for you.


194 posted on 09/13/2014 2:03:15 PM PDT by Romulus
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To: txhurl

What!!!You disparage this rampant Cruz supporter!!!sarc/on


195 posted on 09/13/2014 2:03:25 PM PDT by ontap
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To: The Toll

You already commented on a Free Beacon article written about the conference and the heavy radical viewpoints before the event even took place. Furthermoe, there was a similar article detailing the same facts that was posted and, then, scrubbed months before the event. Pre-damage control? I think not. The attendees, quickly, revealed that this was not a forum for tolerance and defense of Christianity or any other religion besides Islam.

You are either showing willful ignorance of these radicals or have an agenda.


196 posted on 09/13/2014 2:04:30 PM PDT by Kaosinla (The More the Plans Fail. The More the Planners Plan.)
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To: Romulus

Riiiight!!! You are the keeper of the “True Christian Faith”. Don’t look now but you have a lot of competition for that title!!!


197 posted on 09/13/2014 2:07:24 PM PDT by ontap
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To: Kaosinla

There were fakers in attendance, I am sure. Just don’t believe it was the majority.


198 posted on 09/13/2014 2:11:47 PM PDT by The Toll
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To: Kaosinla

Agenda. A guy who claims he has Ted Cruz LA poster on his wall yet castigates Ted Cruz for being Ted Cruz is not a Ted Cruz supporter, unless said Ted Cruz wall poster is full of darts, knives and chinese throwing stars. So he would be truthful in that one claim.


199 posted on 09/13/2014 2:11:54 PM PDT by txhurl (2014: Stunned Voters do Stunning Things!)
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To: ontap

Your disagreement with my Gowdy statement whenever you are finished clowning sir?


200 posted on 09/13/2014 2:13:43 PM PDT by The Toll
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