Amidst the whirlwind of news centered on the midterms and even the impending 2016 presidential election, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) urged American Christians not only to vote, but to vote based on biblical values:
“It is not only critically important, but it is a scriptural command.”
Discussing the relationship between faith and civic duty on Right Wing Watch’s “Life Today,” Cruz laid out some striking statistics:
“There are roughly 90 million self-described Evangelical Christians in the United States. Of those 90 million, only 50% are registered to vote. Of those, about half are showing up and voting."
He continued, "And that means nearly 70 million Evangelical Christians have been staying home. Now look, if people of faith stay home, is it any wonder we have the government we have today?”
The son of a pastor, Cruz argued that Christians can’t make a difference by avoiding or shying away from the polls because “politics is a dirty business.”
“The word commands us to be salt and light. And you can’t be salt unless you are in contact with what you’re there to preserve. You can’t be light if you’re hidden under a bushel.
“And I think far too many people of faith have said, ‘You know what? Politics is a dirty business. I don’t need to worry about it.’”
Does Cruz pose a strong argument? Would the nation be on a fundamentally different path if those 70 million Christians simply showed up and voted?