After two disappointing election cycles, the worst thing about this crop of candidates may be picking one! For evangelicals, it’s a good problem to have: a majority of presidential hopefuls aligning with them on key issues. As this weekend’s events proved, it’s an embarrassment of riches for voters who are sick and tired of the anti-Christian extremism pumping out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

At Dr. Jack Graham’s Prestonwood Baptist Church, more than 6,000 people were treated to remarks and individual Q&A about their platforms for the highest office in the land. Governors Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee, Senators Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum, Dr. Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina all made a point of being at the Texas event to connect with Christian voters on their shared values. To a man (and woman), the candidates faith-friendly conservatism was on full display on topics like abortion, Planned Parenthood, judicial activism, and even religious freedom.

Senator Ted Cruz, who certainly enjoyed some home field advantage — not just as a native Texan, but as a pastor’s son — gave people quite a workout with all of the standing ovations he received. “I was proud to lead the fight against Planned Parenthood,” Cruz told them. “You look to the other folks. Where were they? How different it would have been if 11 Republican presidential candidates descended on Washington and spoke in unison and said… ‘Don’t send $500 million of taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood.’” Of course, locals were on their feet cheering loudest for the senator’s biggest priority: religious liberty. When the senator exclaimed that “Our constitutional rights are under assault,” voices shouted back, “Amen!” “Twenty-sixteen is going to be a religious liberty election,” Cruz declared to thunderous applause.

Senator Cruz was joined in the religious liberty theme with a man very much his equal on the topic: Governor Mike Huckabee. The Arkansas leader, who, like Cruz, has hosted events to highlight the stories of victims like Aaron and Melissa Klein, zeroed in on Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis. “If you put a public official in jail for believing in the biblical view of marriage, you have criminalized Christianity.”

Non-politicians Carly Fiorina and Dr. Ben Carson were just as adamant. Fiorina, who wants to win on merit — not gender — said that she would never ask people’s support because she is a woman. But she went on to prove what a qualified one she is. Speaking personally about her struggles and how God has helped her cope, she was clear: “People of faith make better leaders.” On the issue of abortion, Carly talked candidly about how going with a friend to a Planned Parenthood clinic for an abortion helped shape her pro-life views. “I watched as she was given really no choices,” Fiorina said. “I watched what that procedure did to her physically, emotionally, spiritually.”

Dr. Carson, for his part, continued to talk meaningfully about the importance of faith in the public square. “It’s time for us to bring God back to our country,” he urged. “We do have a Judeo-Christian foundation,” the second leading candidate in the GOP race went on. “It’s in our core founding documents, it’s in our courts, it’s in our pledge and it’s on our money, but we’re not supposed to talk about it?”

Senator Rick Santorum, a stalwart with a record to match, distinguished himself as someone who’s not only campaigned on change, but accomplished it. The only candidate who seemed to lag behind the others in enthusiasm was Governor Jeb Bush, who spent most of his time talking about non-social issues, only to close with a vague statement that left people more confused about religious freedom than reassured. “We need to pass laws at the federal and state level to protect religious conscience,” he told the audience before suggesting that religious liberty and special rights based on sexual conduct can coexist. “A big country should be able to sort these things out.”

Unfortunately, most of the country has tried. But the reality is (and dozens of Free to Believe cases prove), the far-Left isn’t interested in co-existence. Their goal is complete and utter subjugation, under the power of law. And that’s not freedom.

For now, though, we continue to be encouraged by the unwavering stances of so many candidates on issues that matter most to a significant portion of the electorate. Historically, the church has been a place where communities gathered for important discussions like this one. We applaud Dr. Graham and Prestonwood Baptist for stepping back into a role of civic leadership that’s been neglected by too many churches. As for the candidates themselves, “Most of them share my values,” said one woman. Which is a victory in itself.

50 Yards to Freedom

The biggest thing that happened on the Bremerton High School football field Friday night had nothing to do with the game. Instead, all eyes were on Coach Joe Kennedy — the target of another unconstitutional scheme to kick prayer out of the public domain. After seven years of praying at the midfield line after games, Friday’s prayer may have been the most meaningful yet, because it could have very well cost the coach his job.

A few weeks after the district superintendent told Joe to end his 50-yard-line routine, the coach backed off for a few weeks and then reconsidered. When the final buzzer sounds, no one, he told reporters, is forcing his players to join in the prayer. They come, he said, because they want to. Never in his wildest dreams did he think this would become the firestorm it has. But firestorm or no, the Marine vet wasn’t backing down.

On Friday, out of protection for his team, he asked the players to stay on the sidelines when he took a knee at midfield. This time, though, as soon as he closed his eyes, he said, “I feel all these people around me. I’m like, God, I hope those aren’t kids. I’m sitting there and I’m going, ‘God, thank you for this opportunity. And … if this is the last time I step on the field with these guys…” Turns out, it wasn’t his players, but the entire opposing team and fans — who all joined the coach to show their support.

Later, in an emotional interview with reporters, a tearful Kennedy told the media, “Whatever happens happens, you know,” he said, according to a local Washington newspaper. “But I’m going to be bold in my faith and I’m going to fight the good fight, and I want to set that example for every one of the kids if you believe in something.” On that, he’s more than succeeded. “If the school is concerned that the coach’s prayer may be interpreted as government speech,” said Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser, “there is an easy solution: the school district can simply say that the coach’s prayer is his own speech. Then they should stand back and let him pray.”

In the meantime, we all continue to cheer Coach Kennedy on. He’s the perfect example of courage in a world that desperately needs more Christians to stand up and challenge these repressive dictates. If we don’t use our rights, we’ll lose them! We must keep that from happening. Join more than 24,000 who have signed our petition for Coach Kennedy!

Golden Opportunity for Golden State Churches

The country’s biggest state is also taking the biggest step in passing off abortion costs to churches! The health care shocker, one of many in the president’s health care debacle, came to light last year under a rule issued by the state. Since then, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills’s Pastor Jack Hibbs, one of FRC’s Watchmen Pastors, has been sounding the alarm about the health care exchange and its order for all people — religious or not — to fund abortion through the local insurance exchange. Instead of exempting churches and others with strong religious convictions, California is strong-arming them into financing the dark business of abortion.

Last Friday, after two complaints to the state and federal health departments, Pastor Hibbs and other churches decided to take the next step and, with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed suit in federal court. “Churches should not be forced to pay for the killing of innocent human life,” said ADF’s Erik Stanley. “The government has no right to demand that church health insurance plans contain coverage for abortion — something that violates these churches’ most sincerely held religious beliefs. California is violating the Constitution by strong-arming churches into having coverage in their plans.”

The bottom line is that abortion isn’t health care. And it shouldn’t be treated as such in mandates that affect everyone from religious institutions to churches and universities. Unfortunately, while the Golden State’s policy is a big violation of federal law, the Obama administration has no interest in enforcing it. So if he won’t, Pastors Hibbs and others will. Thank goodness for these Watchmen on the Wall, who continue to stand for truth — and give others the courage to do the same!

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.