Written by Don Byrd
Last night’s Republican presidential debates included only a few mentions of religious liberty and related issues, not nearly as much discussion as I expected. The candidates also, and in various ways, discussed their own personal faith and how it might impact their governance. Below are excerpts from the debates (taken from Washington Post transcripts – here and here) on those topics:
MACCALLUM: All right. Let’s talk about ISIS and the threat to the homeland that we have seen growing in recent months. . . . How far are you willing to go to root out this problem here at home? Would you put mosques, for example, potentially, under surveillance? And keep in mind that conservatives are increasingly concerned in this country with religious liberty.
PATAKI: Martha, religious liberty doesn’t include encouraging a fellow American to engage in violent jihad and kill an American here. That is not protected free speech. That is not protected religious belief.
That is like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater, and that is illegal, and I would do everything in our power not just to go after those who are here who we know who are here, before they can radicalize other Americans to carry out attacks, and it’s not just the ones they’ve arrested.
Think back to Garland, Texas. But for that Texas police officer, we could have had a mass murder. We have to shut down their internet capability. We have to shut down, whether or not they’re in prisons preaching or on — in mosques preaching. No radical Islam that is allowed to engage in encouraging violence against Americans, that is not protected speech.
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GRAHAM: Do we all agree that ISIL is not the JV team? If I have to monitor a mosque, I’ll monitor a mosque.
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HEMMER: What would be your first executive order?
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JINDAL: . . . making sure the IRS is not going after conservative or religious groups.
I would sign an executive order protecting religious liberty, our first amendment rights, so Christian business owners and individuals don’t face discrimination for having a traditional view of marriage.
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SANTORUM: . . . We’re going to suspend and repeal every executive order, every regulation that cost American jobs and is — is — is impacting our freedom.
And second, the First Amendment Defense Act, which is protecting religious liberty, if it’s not passed by then, which I suspect it won’t, because the president will veto it, I will institute an executive order to make sure that people of faith are not being — not being harassed and persecuted by the federal government for standing up for the religious beliefs.
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MEGAN: Senator Paul, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on same sex marriage, Carol Fox on Facebook want to know the following. Quote, what will you do to ensure Christians are not prosecuted for speaking out against gay marriage and will Christians be forced to conduct business that conflicts with their religious beliefs?
PAUL: Look, I don’t want my marriage or my guns registered in Washington. And if people have an opinion, it’s a religious opinion that is heartly felt, obviously they should be allowed to practice that and no government should interfere with them. One of the things, one of the things that really got to me was the thing in Houston where you had the government, the mayor actually, trying to get the sermons of ministers. When the government tries to invade the church to enforce its own opinion on marriage, that’s when it’s time to resist.
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KELLY: [A]n interesting closing question from Chase Norton on Facebook, who wants to know this of the candidates: “I want to know if any of them have received a word from God on what they should do and take care of first.”
Senator Cruz, start from you. Any word from God?
CRUZ: Well, I am blessed to receive a word from God every day in receiving the scriptures and reading the scriptures. And God speaks through the Bible.
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KELLY: Governor Walker, same question.
WALKER: Well, thanks, Megyn.
I’m certainly an imperfect man. And it’s only by the blood of Jesus Christ that I’ve been redeemed from my sins. So I know that God doesn’t call me to do a specific thing, God hasn’t given me a list, a Ten Commandments, if you will, of things to act on the first day.
What God calls us to do is follow his will. And ultimately that’s what I’m going to try to do.
KELLY: Senator Rubio, I want to ask you the same question. . .
RUBIO: Well, first, let me say I think God has blessed us. He has blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The Democrats can’t even find one.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
RUBIO: And I believe God has blessed our country. This country has been extraordinarily blessed. And we have honored that blessing. And that’s why God has continued to bless us.
And he has blessed us with young men and women willing to risk their lives and sometimes die in uniform for the safety and security of our people.
[Closing Statements]
CRUZ: If I’m elected president, let me tell you about my first day in office. . . .
I intend to . . . instruct the Department of Justice and the IRS to start (sic) persecuting religious liberty . . .
