Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) said this week political leaders vying to keep churches closed amid the coronavirus pandemic “hate faith.”
The conservative lawmaker made the comment during a Facebook Live interview with the First Liberty Institute on Thursday.
“There are these politicians on the left who hate faith, who have a demonstrable antipathy to people of faith, to Christians, to observant Jews, to anyone for whom faith is anything real and tangible in their lives,” he said.
This health crisis — like any calamity — has revealed the character of many politicians, Cruz asserted, arguing some of his colleagues have acted like “jack-booted authoritarians,” targeting religious groups as lockdown measures linger around the country.
“It’s one thing,” he added, “to put reasonable public health restrictions in place. It’s another thing to arbitrarily trample on liberty.”
Cruz made his case by pointing to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who last month threatened to permanently shutter churches found to be violating the municipal restrictions on gatherings.
In mid-May, Faithwire spoke with Texas attorney and former state legislator Rick Green about why Americans need to know their rights during these nationwide stay-at-home orders.
“We’re not saying the government should do nothing,” Green explained, noting concerns about overreach. “We’re not saying just ignore this. Government is a God-created institution. It’s got a proper role, and when it’s within its proper boundaries, it’s a blessing to us, the people.”
Watch our full conversation: