Pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, urged Christians to be more politically involved, declaring that the popular phrase “God is in control” is a “cop-out.”
During a speech last Friday at the Christians Engaged Conference at Sojourn Church in Carrollton, Texas, Cruz argued that “the Church has failed America” by not being more outspoken.
“Unfortunately, we have many pastors that are a bunch of wimps,” said Cruz. “The pastor has a responsibility to lead the sheep in every area of life. Most pastors are not doing that.”
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“Most pastors are afraid to say anything controversial. To say anything that may offend somebody. Because if they offend somebody and they leave, their money leaves with them. Jesus called them ‘hirelings.’ They are no longer pastors.”
Cruz went on to explain how he has often heard the phrase “God is in control,” and how he believes that such a statement is counterproductive to a politically engaged faith life.
“I want to tell you, ‘God is in control’ is a cop-out,” he said. “‘God is in control’ is an excuse that Christians give to justify sitting on their rear ends doing nothing, while the country is going to Hell in a handbasket.”
Cruz argued that the phrase “is not even biblical,” calling it “the equivalent of hyper-Calvinism,” believing that the phrase implies that “we are puppets and God is pulling the strings.”
“It denies individual responsibility; it denies free will,” Cruz continued. “If there is a fundamental principle of Scripture, it is the principle of stewardship. We are stewards of all of God’s creation.”
Cruz cited Genesis 1:26-28, in which God gives mankind “dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
“We have a stewardship responsibility over this country of ours,” said Cruz. “We have a stewardship responsibility over America.”
The pastor talked about various other issues, including concerns over trans ideology entering public schools, claiming that the United States government was based on the Bible, and stressed the importance of Christians running for local school boards.
Cruz briefly talked about his background in Cuba, where he languished under the authoritarian Communist government, noting that “when I lost my freedom in Cuba, I had a place to come to.”
“If we lose our freedoms here, where are we going to go?” he asked.
Cruz’s remarks were part of the annual conference held by the group Christians Engaged, which seeks to politically mobilize churches to support socially conservative causes.
In addition to Cruz, speakers for this year’s event included former Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, Coach Joe Kennedy, Family Policy Alliance CEO Craig DeRouche, Congressman Nathaniel Moran of Texas, and former presidential candidate Pastor Ryan Binkley, among others.
Sojourn Church Pastor Christopher McRae gave introductory remarks on Friday evening, telling those gathered for the conference that “God has some great things in store for us.”
“You’re not just here attending a conference,” he said to attendees. “Here is what I believe the Spirit of God is saying to the Church: ‘A, shine, for your light has come. And the glory of the Lord is risen.'” (Isaiah 60:1)
“I believe that as you hear words this weekend, as you hear different sounds this weekend, that you would not just let them fall on deaf ears, but I believe that there’s a revival that needs to happen in our churches.”
