Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., surprised several thousand people with the truth about Syria in a speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference at the Omni Hotel in Washington, D.C., today. Most in the room were social conservatives and already knew that the administration of Barack Obama was arming Islamists in Syria who are killing Christians. The real surprise was a senator standing up in front of national TV news cameras and telling America that yes, your tax dollars are being used to send guns to people who kill Christians.

Sen. Paul began his comments on the Syria situation by referring to the hundreds of thousands of Christians who fled from Iraq to Syria for safety during and after the second Iraq War:

Christians feared the Shiite government that we helped put in place after Saddam, and they fled in droves. Where did these Christians go? They headed mostly for Syria, joining the over 1 million Syrians who have lived as Christians since the time of Christ. Now, President Obama is arming Islamic rebels in Syria.

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[See Rand Paul's speech:]

The liberal-leaning media such as CNN will not admit this simple fact because it would be disparaging to President Obama. On the other hand, conservative-leaning news media such as Fox News do not report this truth either because it would expose the hawks in the GOP such as Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham as not caring about the persecution of Christians. The constant mortar attacks on Christian elementary schools and suicide bombings at churches are ignored by the Western media in general – but not by Rand Paul, who gave this example:

One recent massacre in Syria stands out from the others. In 2013, Islamic marauders invaded the little town of Maalula, an ancient Christian city where they still speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke. The villagers have been Christian since the time of Christ. As the Islamic rebels swarmed into town they demanded everyone convert to Islam or die. Sarkis el Zakhm stood up and answered them, "I am a Christian and if you want to kill me, do it." Those were Sarkis' last words. Elsewhere in Syria, Islamic rebels have filmed beheadings of their captives. Two Christian bishops have been kidnapped and one priest killed.

Sen. Paul also pointed out that Congress and the administration are not on the same side as the Christians of Syria:

The vast majority of Christians in Syria, though, are on the opposite side of the war. We are arming Islamic rebels that are intent on killing Christians.

The senator continued on the subject of the persecution of Christians, citing the example of Pakistan and the Christians facing death for the alleged crime of blasphemy. He gave the example of Asia Bibi, a wife and mother who has been on death row for nearly five years for the crime of drinking water from a "Muslim well." He continued by calling for a stop in all aid to nations and groups that persecute Christians:

American taxpayer dollars are being used to enable a war on Christianity in the Middle East. I say not one penny to any country that persecutes Christians. Recently, we discovered that Islamic rebels that President Obama provided with antitank weapons are now intent on attacking Israel. In country after country, mobs burn the American flag and chant Death to America. Congress responds by sending more of your money to these haters of Christianity.

The media, both left and right, refer to Sen. Rand Paul as a libertarian, but he is more populist than libertarian, and his reasons for not sending aid to Islamic nations and groups that persecution Christians have little to do with libertarianism and far more to do with basic God-given human rights that are being violated. America, he is arguing, should not be giving guns and money to nations that kill Christians or Jews simply because of their religious beliefs. On Capitol Hill, that concept is more than novel. Not only does the United States supply free weapons to Islamic "insurgents," but it sells the latest military technology to brutal dictators such as the Saudi royal family who routinely brutalize Christian guest workers for the mere act if praying.

Sen. Paul also said that funds should not go to those who want to destroy Israel:

Hamas has now joined the Palestinian Authority and your money will soon flow to them. I say not one penny to nations that pledge violence to Israel. It is time to put a stop to this madness, re-examine our foreign policy, halt all aid to Islamic rebels in Syria, Egypt and elsewhere, and take a good hard look at what our foreign policy has done.

Paul was one of the few breaths of fresh air at a conference where politician after politician showed up to blast Barack Obama with whatever is hot right now on Fox News. From the subject of the killing of Christians in the Middle East, Paul went straight to the killing of the unborn here in America:

Back here at home, we have our own war being waged. It takes over a million lives every year. It is a war against the unborn, and it must end. When Pope John Paul II spoke about a "culture of death," he talked about "a war of the powerful against the weak." As Christians, we know we must always stand with the most defenseless. I believe that no civilization can long endure that does not respect life from those not yet born to life's last breath.

Early in his address, Sen. Paul touched many other subjects, but one in particular on the spirit of our nation touched those present. He spoke of the need not for political but spiritual revival and clearly illustrated that government cannot do the job of God, quoting Os Guiness: "America needs to revive virtue." He continued:

… as Billy Graham might say, "America needs to revive the hope that springs eternal from the transcendent teachings of a humble carpenter who died on a cross." Government can supply bread, but it can't mend a broken spirit. Mother Teresa was once praised for her social work in India. She replied, "We are not social workers. We do this for Jesus." No government social worker can claim the same motivation. Citizenship and good government require the involvement of a virtuous people. Your faith and your church are, and should be, part of the public arena.

Rand Paul is no doubt an economic conservative, but unlike many in the Republican Party, he is an economic conservative with a heart. The Senate needs more like him and fewer who have the stamp of Americans for Tax Reform or the Chamber of Commerce on their back.

Note: William J. Murray is chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, which operates programs such as Christmas for Refugees for Syrian Christian children.