Cruz: Obama has ‘massive hostility’ to religious liberty

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(Editor’s note: This is part three of a four-part interview with Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz. Read Part one: Cruz fires back at Romney: ‘This is why we keep losing’ and part two: Cruz: Abortion videos are game-changers)

WASHINGTON – Does U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, fear Christians in America will be prosecuted for practicing their beliefs?

The GOP presidential candidate responded so strongly, it was though merely saying “yes” would be a superfluous understatement.

“There is no doubt that one of the greatest threats we are seeing is the assault on religious liberty,” Cruz told WND.

By whom?

“The Obama administration has demonstrated a massive hostility to religious liberty.”

What would be an example?

“At the recent gay-marriage oral arguments, Justice Alito asked the Obama solicitor general whether, if they prevailed, the Obama IRS would then go after Christian colleges, universities and schools that follow a biblical teaching on marriage,” said Cruz.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas

“And the Obama Justice Department responded, yes, that was a very real possibility.”

Cruz indicated the problem wasn’t just the threat to religious liberties posed by the Obama administration, it was also its enabler in an all-too-compliant GOP, eager to avoid a fight.

“One of the saddest things,” intoned Cruz, “in the wake of that activist, illegitimate decision purporting to strike down the marriage laws of all 50 states was just how many Republicans, including how many Republican candidates for president, ran for the hills.”

“They said, in essence, ‘It’s settled, it’s the law of the land, surrender, accept it, move on.’ Those are, word-for-word, the talking points of President Obama.”

This man who would be president, this son of a pastor, was having none of it.

“I’ve spent two decades fighting to defend religious liberty and I will never, ever, ever shy from defending the religious liberty of every American, and from fighting to defend marriage,” emphatically vowed the Texan.

The presidential contender even saw a silver lining in the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision in June that legalized same-sex marriage.

Cruz indicated it could serve as a rallying point where opposition could be galvanized.

“I believe, if people of faith show up and vote in 2016, we will win.”

He had the numbers to back that up.

“In the last presidential election, 54-million evangelical Christians stayed home. There are 90-million evangelical Christians nationwide.”

Getting those votes is a significant part of Cruz’s strategy of cultivating the grassroots to reassemble the Reagan coalition.

“If evangelical Christians and Reagan Democrats, blue-collar Catholics, up and down the Midwest and up into New England … if conservatives come back to the polls, we will win and we will turn the country around just as we did in 1980 in the Reagan revolution.”

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Late Friday, Cruz announced he will hold a rally for religious liberty in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 21.

The announcement states persecuted American Christians from around the country will tell their stories.

The purpose will be to call attention to the religious persecution of Christian business owners and employees who have been sanctioned by their government because of their religious beliefs.

Hosting the rally will be Dick and Betty Odgaard from Grimes, Iowa.

The announcement recounts how, “The Odgaards declined to host same-sex wedding ceremonies in the historic chapel on their property because it violated their religious convictions. As a result, the couple spent thousands of dollars to settle a complaint and will ultimately close their doors rather than be forced to host same-sex ceremonies in violation of their faith.”

According to the news release, joining Cruz and the Odgaards will be:

• Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran who was discharged for simply answering his commander’s questions about his beliefs regarding marriage.

• Barronelle Stutzman, a florist who was sued for declining to provide flowers for a same-sex ceremony.

• Kelvin Cochran, a former fire chief fired for writing a book about his Christian beliefs.

• Blaine Adamson, a printer who was sued for not printing tee shirts for a gay pride parade.

• Melissa and Aaron Kline, Oregon bakers who lost their business because they would not provide a cake for a same-sex ceremony.

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“These six cases are part of a disturbing trend where Christian business owners are forced to either provide services that violate their religious beliefs or give up their businesses entirely,” said Sen. Cruz. “That’s wrong.”

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s legalizing same-sex marriage, and as WND reported, Cruz’s good friend and colleague Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has introduced a bill in the Senate to protect religious liberties

The “Marriage and Religious Freedom Act” would bar the government from denying any person or group tax-exempt status for exercising their religious conscience rights.

“This bill protects the rights of individuals and organizations from religious discrimination by the federal government,” said Lee.

“Those who believe in the traditional definition of marriage deserve respect and tolerance. It is critical that we clarify the law to ensure that their fundamental civil liberties are not at risk.”

Lee hopes the bill will get bipartisan support.

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