Sen. Ted Cruz’s dad wants pastors to hand out biblical voting guides in church to save America

[DonViejo]

By Eric W. Dolan
Monday, August 4, 2014 12:02 EDT

During a speech in Texas last week, Rafael Cruz, the father of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), encouraged religious leaders to “restore America” by distributing biblical voting guides in church.

“When government ceases to work towards those ends it is our right, and it is I believe our duty, to remove that government and replace it with another government,” the conservative pastor said July 31 at Trinity I.S.D. Auditorium, paraphrasing the Declaration of Independence.

The event was promoted by the Trinity County Republican Party of Texas.

“And we have an unprecedented opportunity to do that right now in these next elections,” Cruz continued. “But we cannot do that if we sit at home. I want to encourage of all of you, I want to repeat what I said to the pastors this month, every church in America needs to have a voter registration table in the lobby.”

more
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/04/sen-ted-cruzs-dad-wants-pastors-to-hand-out-biblical-voting-guides-in-church-to-save-america/

[dilby]

1. Tell his Dad they certainly can as soon as they start paying taxes.

Once they are paying taxes they can tell their congregation how to vote every Sunday but till then they need to keep their noses out of politics.

[Paladin]

2. +1. (nt)

[wandy]

4. +1

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. That was my exact reply ...

So typical ... they want the "right" without the "responsibility"; they don't seem to understand/accept that the two go hand in hand.

[PoliticAverse]

6. Non-profits can distribute 'voting guides' as long as no specific candidate is endorsed.

The allowed 'voting guides' just list the candidates' positions on different issues of interest
to the group issuing the guide.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Election-Year-Activities-and-the-Prohibition-on-Political-Campaign-Intervention-for-Section-501%28c%29%283%29-Organizations

Section 501(c)(3) organizations are permitted to conduct certain voter education activities (including the presentation of public forums and the publication of voter education guides) if they are carried out in a non-partisan manner. In addition, section 501(c)(3) organizations may encourage people to participate in the electoral process through voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, conducted in a non-partisan manner. On the other hand, voter education or registration activities conducted in a biased manner that favors (or opposes) one or more candidates is prohibited.

[dilby]

9. There is a huge difference between a Voting Guide that the Government Supplies and a

Biblical Voting guide his dad is talking about. The Biblical Voting guide will show a candidates position based on scripture. If they want to pass out Government voting guides fine, if they want to pass out scripture based guides that is a problem.

[gratuitous]

16. Thank you

It comes as news to a lot of people that there are already rules in place for this. Don't expect too many of them to appreciate your post, though.

As to the "substance" of the elder Cruz's remarks, does that mean he's going to be in favor of candidates who advocate for feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and clothing the naked (see Matthew 25)? Or people running for office on a platform of defending widows and orphans (Isaiah 1:17)? Not to mention those who unabashedly welcome the alien (Leviticus 19:34 and Deuteronomy 10:19)?

Magic 8 Ball says, "All Signs Point to No."

[City Lights]

15. Afuckingmen! nt

[Sheepshank]

3. wasn't there a recent thread about the IRS cracking down on this type of activism?

I assume this story has been forwarded to the IRS?

I also assume that there will be some clarification of this types of Policitical involvement by Christian churches and Sharia Law?

[PoliticAverse]

7. Non-partisan 'voting guides' are specifically allowed, see...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025335217#post6

[Sheepshank]

8. ...and I'm pretty sure the voter registration booths found in Cruz friendly churches

will be non partisan, non pressuring to be partisan, and completely accepting and inclusive of anyone that doesn't register in the manner intended by the pastor. Pretty sure it's just like that lol

[jwirr]

10. Unfortunately there is not much we can do to stop this. Some years ago I walked out of the church to

find that some group - not from my church had been busy - they placed anti-abortion fliers under the windshield wipers of all the cars in town with one of these guides on it. They placed them on the cars from our church because they think we all think like they do. Because this is not "preached from the pulpit" it is not illegal. I would guess this is what Cruz is suggesting and if it is not he is suggesting that the churches do something against the constitution.

[TeamPooka]

11. I'm fine with this as long as they start to pay their taxes.

[hifiguy]

12. What part of "This is fucking illegal!" do these

Last edited Mon Aug 4, 2014, 03:37 PM - Edit history (1)

blithering morons not understand?

[Thinkingabout]

13. Good, Daddy Cruz, then we should remove the no tax status from every church and minister

I think perhaps Daddy Cruz is interested in creating a party who will elect the first US dictator, his son.

[Initech]

14. What are they going to restore America to, exactly?

You'd think that the fundies and the Taliban would make natural allies. They both want totalitarian, anti woman, anti free thought theocratic states where everyone has guns and no one's in charge.

[hifiguy]

17. The days of Cotton Mather

and the slave economy, where the lower classes were kept in their "proper places."

If the world is incinerated in the next century, religious fundamentalism will be the reason. It is the most dangerous "idea" that the human race has ever invented.