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(CNN)The national spokesman for Ted Cruz's presidential campaign is calling the Donald Trump campaign "the Seinfeld candidacy," because as he puts it, "The whole campaign is about nothing." Rick Tyler told CNN's Erin Burnett that Trump says "nothing about immigration, nothing about job creation, nothing about what's going on in North Korea, nothing about ISIS. I mean this is amazing." Tyler said Cruz is running a campaign about conservative issues and that Trump fails to discuss the issues because he isn't a true conservative. Both Trump and Cruz are eying key primaries in southern states starting with South Carolina, which...

Just in: Rand Paul's New Hampshire state chairman Sen. Avard has endorsed Ted Cruz's campaign, he tells a crowd here...

THE population of nonreligious Americans -- including atheists, agnostics and those who call themselves "nothing in particular" -- stands at an all-time high this election year. Americans who say religion is not important in their lives and who do not belong to a religious group, according to Pew Research Center, have risen in numbers from an estimated 21 million in 2008 to more than 36 million now. Despite the extraordinary swiftness and magnitude of this shift, our political campaigns are still conducted as if all potential voters were among the faithful. The presumption is that candidates have everything to gain...

Rand Paul is out, so what does this mean for the realistic future of 2016? It means what I've been saying for a while, Senator Ted Cruz will take his campaign all the way. There is now pretending that Ted Cruz is a libertarian, he is as conservative as they come, in the traditional sense. The difference between Cruz and Paul though is this; Cruz never pretended to be something he wasn't, he has much adoration for libertarians, and has stated time and time again that when certain challenges come about, there is a need for a coalition. Senator Rand...

Although I’ve been a content atheist for a decade, somehow God has found a way to stick around in my mind. Not the God of the Bible who created heaven and Earth — the God that lingers with me is harder to explain. The idea of God pesters me and makes me think that maybe I’m not as devoted to my beliefs as I’d like to think I am and would like to be. Maybe I’m still subconsciously afraid of hell and want to go to heaven when I die. It’s confusing and frustrating to feel the presence of something...

Straw poll: Ted Cruz finished first in a straw poll conducted at Tulsa County Republican Party precinct meetings last week. Cruz received 220 votes to Donald Trump’s 173 and Marco Rubio’s 103. Other candidates accounted for 105 votes...

One of the key metrics on the strength of a campaign is how well their fundraising, and allocation of resources are going. In that measure Ted Cruz's campaign is on fire. According to FEC reports, for the most recent filing period, Ted Cruz had more cash on hand than the Republican National Committee. For the period ending on December 31, 2015 Cruz reported having $18,734,794.46 cash on hand. For the same end date the Republican National Committee had $18,723,782 on hand. Cruz had about $11,000 more in his war chest than the RNC. It shows a particular strength for his...

I was just listening to the news about the election results in Iowa as I was doing other work, and overheard the "Talking heads" commenting on Cruz being supported by 62% Evangelical Christians and it will be different in New Hampshire with 26% Christians. They crowed that Cruz would meet his match in secular New Hampshire and quickly fade when Cruz meets "real American voters". Within one hour, the same station reported that New Hampshire's biggest problem was overdosing on drugs like heroin. They paraded several poor souls in front of their camera telling their testimony of how drugs and...

"Morning is coming," said Ted Cruz as he took the stage in Iowa to declare victory in the 2016 Republican caucus.He wasn't referring to how long his victory speech went — even though it was so long that by the end no TV network was covering it. It was a deliberate callback to Republican hero Ronald Reagan, whose slogan in 1984, "Morning in America," has become a slogan of a conservative golden age. Cruz vastly overperformed expectations and outhustled Donald Trump to win 29 percent of Iowa voters. And while the length of his speech kind of distracted from its...

... The first thought that comes to mind is that Trump keeps coming back to this attack against Cruz for a couple of reasons. The first is that he cannot make attacks on Cruz's record of standing up for conservative principles the centerpiece of his strategy because that leaves him open to greater scrutiny of his own liberal record...

The one term that's used overwhelmingly in scripture to describe Almighty God's relationship with us is "Father." He most certainly IS our Father in heaven. He created us and knit every human being together in their mother's womb. He loves us with the fierce protectiveness of a father and the tender compassion of a mother. He delights in our company, trust and obedience. So, what do good parents do when their beloved child rebels against the rules of the home designed to keep them safe, meant to train them to mature into caring, productive citizens? What do you do when...

WASHINGTON -- The presidential candidates have been talking about God lately, which is understandable because most of them haven't a prayer of being elected. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was raised in the Jewish faith and rarely discusses his religious views, was compelled to talk about it this week as he campaigned in Iowa -- a state heavily populated by evangelical voters who will pick the winner of next week's nominating caucuses. The Vermont Democrat, who went to Hebrew school in his youth and was bar-mitzvahed, is drawing big crowds in the state, as he does everywhere he goes. But he's...

<p>I pray FR survives this election. Our forum has never been so divided. But even more so, I pray our divided nation survives. If traitor Hillary or communist Sanders is elected, it will be difficult to continue as a free nation without invoking certain clauses in the Declaration. Our constitution is certainly being put to the test.</p>

Most people think little about their appendix, and that's only natural, because the function of the appendix has been considered unknown - until now. New research supports that our appendixes might actually be useful after all, and doctors may soon be changing their tune about this neglected organ. The appendix, which looks like a slim tube measuring between two and four inches long, sits in our lower right abdomen. It was originally thought to be vestigial - a part of the body that evolution forgot. Popular belief was that this leftover organ was originally part of a fermenting chamber in...

One of the United States' most influential evangelical leaders blasted Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. on Monday for hosting Donald Trump to give a campaign speech. Russell Moore, who heads the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, let fly a series of tweets after Falwell gave a glowing introduction to Trump, calling him "one of the greatest visionaries of our time" and saying Trump "lives a life of helping others ... as Jesus taught in the New Testament." Moore appeared incredulous at Falwell's language, which was more effusive than he had...

A new video has just been released in which Pope Francis very clearly expresses his belief that all of the major religions are different paths to the same God. He says that while people from various global faiths may be “seeking God or meeting God in different ways” that it is important to keep in mind that “we are all children of God”. This is the most recent example that shows that the Pope has completely abandoned any notion that a relationship with God is available only through Jesus Christ. As he has done throughout his papacy, he continues to...

Link only due to copyright issues: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-ted-cruz-donald-trump-president-supporters-20160114-story.html

If yes, what evidence can you cite, and what explanation can you offer? I was prompted to ask because I find myself facing much greater temptation in recent months, precisely when my personal circumstances suggest that I should be facing much less temptation. This makes no sense, so I seeking an explanation. My initial question suggests one possible answer: that God and His agents as well as Satan and his agents are increasing their efforts to control people's souls. I am sure FReepers can suggest other answers. I will not elaborate on the temptation I'm facing other than to say...

In his weekly Angelus message Sunday, Pope Francis continued his reflections on the meaning of Christmas, reminding his hearers that on coming into the world Jesus was rejected, and that we too must make a choice whether or not to accept him. Speaking on the day's Gospel before a crowd in Saint Peter's Square, the Pope underscored the dramatic contrast between God's gift of love in the Incarnation, and man's failure to receive Him. "The gift of God's love is matched by the non-acceptance of men," Francis said. "The Word is the light, but men loved darkness; the Word came...

Ted Cruz gets support of well-loved black evangelical leader who cites his 'authentic faith in Jesus Christ' U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks at a campaign stop in Johnston, Iowa, on Dec. 4, 2015. (Reuters) Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has just won over another prominent evangelical leader. This time, the Texas senator received the endorsement of one of Virginia's most well-loved African-American pastors-Bishop. E.W. Jackson of Fall Church.Jackson raved about Cruz's "authentic faith in Jesus Christ" and has committed to back him up in his quest for the White House."It is absolutely essential and urgent that we elect...