This weekend, GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz spoke at a "We Stand With God" rally at the South Carolina State capitol. Cruz was introduced by South Carolina radio host Tony Beam, who claimed that Christianity would soon be criminalized as part of the effort to "get rid of Christians."



"This is the world we’re living in," Cruz said. "If you think your faith is safe, next may be you. Next may be me. Next may be your pastor who preaches the Word from the pulpit. Next may be your sister or brother or mom who volunteers at the pregnancy crisis center. And you want to know how bad it can get, at that rally, we had Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of Saeed Abedini, an American citizen, a Christian pastor, sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran for the crime of preaching the Gospel."



"Marriage existed long before the United States Supreme Court... Marriage was ordained by God Almighty and Caesar has no jurisdiction over the pulpit," he declared, promising that "every justice I appoint to the United States Supreme Court will follow the law and follow the Constitution and not impose their radical views on the people of America."



"If you ask ourselves why do we live in a country where life is under assault, where marriage is under assault, where faith is under assault,” he said, “the last election, 54 million evangelical Christians stayed home. Fifty-four million. Is it any wonder we have the country we have when believers are not honoring the commands of the Scripture? We’re told to be salt and light. You can’t be salt if you don’t come into contact with that which you are to preserve. You cannot be light if you’re hidden under a bushel.”



"There is a spirit of revival and awakening sweeping this country today," Cruz said. Evangelicals "will stay home no longer."