Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has said that if he is elected president, he will change government policies so that they are no longer "attacking" and "undermining" marriage, and warned that if Donald Trump sweeps the states on Super Tuesday, he could "easily be unstoppable."
During a forum held at the National Religious Broadcasters "Proclaim 16" convention in Nashville, Tennessee last week, Senator Cruz was asked by anti-poverty activist Star Parker about how to deal with growing poverty in America, particularly in relation to broken family units.
"The best cure for poverty is a secure two-parent home with a mother and father caring for those children," Cruz responded.
However, the GOP hopeful contended that "many of these issues are not going to be cured by the government," but by churches and local communities.
"Many of these are issues for the church or issues for the community to work to encourage and build strong marriages as really the foundation of the family, of the community, of where we live," he said. "I do think government policies can be changed so that they're not attacking marriage, so they're not undermining marriage."
"I think faith-based approaches make enormous differences," added Cruz, saying they are effective for those who are "going to change someone's heart and mind."
He later told forum moderator Eric Metaxas that if elected, he will not hide his Christian faith even though the media seeks "to caricature any Christian running for office."
"Listen, I'm not running to be Pastor-in-Chief. My object is not as a public office to preach the message of salvation. That's the role of the Church. That's our role as individual Christians," he said. "I'm running to be Commander-in-Chief and to defend the Constitution. But I'll tell you this: I'm also not going to hide my faith."
Cruz was not the only Republican presidential hopeful to address Proclaim 16, as Dr. Ben Carson also spoke to those attending the evangelical convention, held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
Both presidential hopefuls addressed NRB just days before Super Tuesday, when several states hold their primaries, is slated to take place. Republicans are competing for delegates to be awarded Tuesday in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia.
Emerson College Polling Society's final poll before Election Day shows Cruz up six points in his home state of Texas, at 35 percent, and Trump up four points, at 32 percent, since the college last surveyed the Republican electorate in the state.
Addressing audiences at NRB, Cruz warned that if Trump sweeps the states on Super Tuesday, "he could easily be unstoppable, and I think that would be a grave mistake both for the Republican Party and for the country."
He added, "I don't think he's the right candidate to go up against Hillary Clinton, and nobody has any idea what he would do as president, including Donald. And I don't think we can roll the dice with the future of our kids and grandkids."
In addition to Carson and Cruz, other speakers at the multiday NRB event included theologian Al Mohler, actress and producer Roma Downey, Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, Hobby Lobby President Steve Green, Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham, and Fox News contributor Todd Starnes.
