Posted on 12/30/2015 3:58:46 AM PST by theoldmarine
It bothered me to hear my favorite candidate, Donald Trump, seem to seek to question Ted Cruz evangelical bona fides by saying, not too many evangelicals come out of Cuba. I was going to tweet and advise him not to go there. Then I thought 'Donald Trump is a smart guy' maybe he knows something I don't know.. So I began looking for 'evidence' that Ted Cruz is a 'born again' Christian. You know a person can 'identify' as anything now days.
Just because you go to church and mentally agree with Christianity doesn't mean you have come to know the Lord. I can't find anything from Cruz about a personal testimony of salvation or regeneration... the closest I could come was this quote from him from the link above: Cruz said that because of God moving in his father’s life, he knows Christ is real."
Sorry, you don't know that Christ is real by how He has moved in someone else's life. You know by the great work He has done in your own heart and the personal witness of the reality of the Holy Spirit in changing your life and cleansing your conscience.
Maybe Trump knows something we don't? Or maybe I've just missed the personal testimony of Ted Cruz salvation.
Again, stop the ad hominem, and straw man, knee-jerk reactions and show me the personal testimony of Donald Trump.
Excuse me but you’re wrong. One doesn’t need a “personal testimony” to be “saved”. Salvation is a free gift from God and sometimes, dare I say many times, the road to said salvation can and does have a moving testimony associated with it. But it’s not required for salvation and it’s not even how one can KNOW another is graced by God.
It’s not “required” that one share one’s path to salvation (one’s testimony)’to be actually graced by God. As someone said unthread, “by your fruits you shall know them”, not by some tear-jerker story! By their FRUITS, and I also dare to say the fruits Ted Cruz has actually produced (and not just what he says he will produce but has ACTUALLY produced) far outweigh anything TRUMP has ACTUALLY done! Not just SAYS he will do but actually DONE.
Maybe Cruz simply doesn’t want to share his conversion experience; there’s nothing saying he must do so. Goodness gracious, this is absolutely a moronic thing to be “criticizing” Ted Cruz for. I can’t believe on FR of all places some are actually seriously questioning his spiritual bona fides. This is a direct result of the apparently blind adulation some heap on Trump around here. That’s what I blame this on.
While we’re on this “give me your testimony or you’re a fake” kick, why doesn’t Trump give his? Oh yeah that’s right, because he’s not running as an ACTUAL conservative is he, he’s running as one of those “fiscal conservatives”, social conservatism be damned.
Don’t forget, there are TWO “Hispanic” candidates currently running, Cruz and Rubio, who also has Cuban ties.
Here is the answer to one of my questions, anyway:
‘In a slightly halting tone and brushing his eyes, Senator Cruz said “Brother Wiley baptized me at eight years old when I was a Christian, so I am really glad to be here in Tennessee.”’
YOU:”Excuse me but you’re wrong. One doesn’t need a “personal testimony†to be “savedâ€. ...“by your fruits you shall know themâ€, not by some tear-jerker story!... This is a direct result of the apparently blind adulation some heap on Trump around here. That’s what I blame this on.... While we’re on this “give me your testimony or you’re a fake”
ME: Sorry, I’m not having this discussion with you. I don’t get involved in religious arguments and I am not here defending Donald Trump. I’m simply asking where is any evidence that Ted Cruz has ever shared anywhere, with anyone how he personally came to repentance and faith in Christ that resulted in a genuine conversion?
Actually, I do have a personal testimony, you can find it in my book, “A Life of Miracles” http://www.amazon.com/Life-Miracles-Ordinary-Family-Everything/dp/1414383215/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451480576&sr=8-1&keywords=a+life+of+miracles
That’s great you have a personal testimony but with all due respect that doesn’t “prove” anything so I have no idea why you or anyone would demand the same of Cruz. It’s simply not the test of one’s relationship with the Lord. As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words”.
And sure, you’re not here defending Trump or anything like that. You’re just asking an “innocent” question of Cruz’s spirituality.
Riiiight...
Don’t misunderstand me, I’d love to be proven wrong and hear a testimony from Donald about his own, personal repentance, faith, and salvation experience, and the work of Christ in his life.
All “Surging Ted” has to do is figure out who he will stab in the back. Will he stab his pro-amnesty friends at the Club For Growth who gave him $705,000; or his anti-amnesty friends at Wallbuilder?
Then he can decide if wants to keep Warren Buffet’s money even though he also donated to READY FOR HILLARY. What’s that all about?
So the Donald, who sort of thinks he is Presbyterian, or was the last time he went to church 40 years ago, who managed to remember something about crackers for communion, and who was pro-abortion until about 15 minutes ago, is now administering religious tests? And if questioned, he will respond with a shrug, a harumpf, an insult, and a change of subject. And his supporters think this is great smash mouth politics. Harumpf.
So another Trump slur is working.
You can’t take Cruz’s word or better you can’t tell by his life and actions. Just vote Trump.
Would it be possible to talk about Cruz for the space of one thread? Nit every thread about Cruz HAS to be about Trump, does it?
Nit = Not
Auto-correct, again.
According to Cruz supporters, merely asking a question about Cruz is a slur.
Yes, Ted’s testimony is on the internet, was featured in a well-done ad not long ago right here on Freerepublic. The Donald is not born again, if that is of any interest to you. He stated that he feels he has never needed to ask God forgiveness for anything, a first step in salvation. He is a Presbyterian, but that just means that is his church association. That doesn’t even tell us that he is a member anywhere, attends regularly or not, etc. I think, if I remember correctly, Ted became a believer at the age of 8, and the reason it sticks with me is that I also became a believer at that age.
This is effing despicable. Donald Trump needs to look to his own supposed Christianity before he dares question anyone else’s. What has Donald Trump ever done to convince any rational person that he is a follower of Christ? His actions, his manners, his own personal words speak against any such belief in Christ. Few evangelicals may come out of Cuba, but I am willing to bet that even fewer come out of the NY business world. It is hard for the rich man to make it to heaven, after all. This is a stupid, cheap shot at Cruz. Trump can’t even attack political issues instead of personal ones. That is so amateurish and puerile.
When Trump is the source of the criticism leveled at Cruz, he is part of the story.
Ted is NOT promoting that. A street artist started that and Ted even commented that he does not smoke. nor does he have any tattoos. The object of the artist was to show that Ted was a tough guy, as in tough to stand up against the status quo in DC< to stand with the people, etc. What is your REAL issue here, anyway?
I thought this thread was about an individual poster asking the question for his own edification.
Ah, these wonderful Cruz supporters. They feel they simply MUST impugn the motives of others. A pathological behavior that does NOT, incidentally, help their candidate.
Cruz is most assuredly promoting that disgusting, creepy photoshop. It’s for sale on his official website. He’s making campaign cash off it, and pushing cigarettes into the bargain.
Capice?
The Cruz pic comes from this guy and intelligent people are smart enough to get it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.