Ted Cruz’s Faith Is Under Fire. Here’s The Story Behind His Religious Beliefs.

by Jack Jenkins
Jan 8, 2016 8:18 am

When Texas senator Ted Cruz took the stage at Liberty University last March to launch his bid for the White House, both the location of his announcement and the first words of his campaign made his election strategy clear: he wants conservative religious votes.

“God bless Liberty University,” Cruz said of the evangelical Christian school, eliciting a peal of cheers from the roughly 10,000 people in attendance. He added: “I am thrilled to join you today at the largest Christian university in the world.”

Cruz went on to deliver a speech riddled with references to right-wing Christianity, marching around the stage with the air of an revival preacher. But the whole spectacle was a bit misleading: It was later revealed that students were required to attend the convocation, sparking grumblings that Cruz was exaggerating his popularity with evangelicals. But over the next new months, Cruz continued to make a concerted effort to court theological conservatives, and the faith-focused strategy seems to be paying off. He recently accrued enough evangelical support to overcome Donald Trump as the top contender in Iowa, polling at 31.8 percent compared to Trump’s 27.8 percent, according to Real Clear Politics.

It’s hardly surprising that Cruz’s evangelical sensibilities resonate with Iowa Republicans, a churchgoing group that backed George W. Bush, Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Sen. Rick Santorum — all unabashed representatives of America’s Religious Right — in the last three GOP presidential primaries. But as is typical of American elections, Cruz’s greatest strength — like his announcement speech — has become a target for opponents as his poll numbers rise.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/01/08/3736916/ted-cruz-champion-or-charlatan/