I didn’t think Ted Cruz’s RNC speech would end up being one of my favorites so far. Yes, he had the typical conservative talking points, but he also made a point to defend religious freedom. Not just for Christians as so many Republicans do, but for Muslims and atheists as well! Wow. Here’s the entire statement and you can watch the full speech here:

“Freedom means religious freedom, whether you are Christian or Jew, Muslim or atheist. Gay or straight, the Bill of Rights protects the rights of all of us to live according to our conscience.”

It’s a rarity anytime conservative Christians mention the rights of atheists, but it’s nice to see (although it should be the standard). Beyond that encouraging statement was the main part of Cruz’s speech that made me smile. He stood up there in front of thousands of Trump supporters and refused to explicitly endorse Donald Trump. Instead, he told voters to “vote their conscience” and receiving resounding boos from the crowd.

I don’t agree with Ted Cruz very often, but this took some guts and he’s totally right. Donald Trump isn’t qualified to be president and would be a disaster for Republicans and Democrats alike. Ted Cruz won’t help party unity with this, but I can certainly respect his decision.

[featured image from WXYZ TV screengrab]