According to the Daily Caller, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was the keynote speaker at a forum last night put on by the nonprofit organization In Defense of Christians.
In his remarks, Cruz spoke to the crowd of Middle Eastern Christians and others about the “cancer” of “religious bigotry,” and how important it is for Jews and Christians to live together in solidarity. It is a feeling widely shared by most Americans. And yet, as the DC points out, it wasn’t until he asserted, “Christians have no greater ally than Israel,” that the night was totally ruined.
“If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, I will not stand with you.”
Good for Cruz. This spectacle is appalling and there's no justifiable reason why, in my view, he should have continued to preach tolerance to a crowd of bigots and anti-Semites (see below). Also, the fact that the phrase “solidarity dinner” is blasted across the big screen as the shouting grows -- and the bigotry becomes even more apparent -- is fairly ironic. (Although, given the makeup of the crowd, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised).
When Cruz suggested that only some attendees were being rude, and expressing hateful views, it was interesting to hear one man actually shout “most of us!” feel the same way. After the event, Cruz told the Washington Free Beacon how he felt about the whole thing. “I’ve certainly encountered audiences that disagreed with a particular point of view,” he said. “But this virulent display of hatred and bigotry was remarkable, and considerably different from anything I’ve previously encountered.”
Remember, this is Ted Cruz's reaction, who, as you well know, is no stranger to controversy or public condemnation. It is simply amazing, then, how some self-professed and so-called "Christians" can act this way -- and yet still prescribe to the religion of Christ.
Editor's note: The video above was recorded by EWTN News. This post has also been updated.
UPDATE: Two things. One, Cruz released this statement confirming his version of events. Two, Mollie Hemingway has an important post explaining why she believes Ted Cruz is “no hero,” and that many people, in fact, were offended by what he said. They think he missed an opportunity (by accident or not) to address important issues -- namely, Christian persecution. She also reminded readers that not all Christians have the same political interests and/or partnerships as the United States, and that’s something all of us should keep in mind.
UPDATE: This is relevant, too:
IDC’s statement on Cruz last night pic.twitter.com/RCZon48vXZ
— J. Arthur Bloom (@j_arthur_bloom) September 11, 2014