Wonderful speech, I'm glad he's using liberty to appeal to Christians, and in a successful way.
Speech overall was good.
But as far as "appealing to Christians" it didn't appeal to me at all. The parts where he talks about religion anyway.
Palestinians
So Rand says don't give Palestinians any money because they might hurt Israel. Why is he saying this? Israel is made up of Jews, which God is not done hating yet by my interpretation of scripture. A people cursed by both God and Jesus. Sitting in a place that Revelation refers to as Sodom and Egypt. Where is the Christian angle here? If I were forced to wager I'd say God is on the side of the Palestinians. Generally speaking, when moral bankruptcy is systemic, I speculate God sides with the underdog.
Persecution of Christians
The very first, or at least one of the first few, thoughts that should run through a Christians head when he thinks of Christians being persecuted isn't that so-and-so did this but that GOD DID IT. Yes, men are responsible for these acts but they don't happen unless God wants them to. With that in mind what is de-funding poor countries that happen to be persecuting Christians going to do? Is Rand going to end the persecution of Christians? Is Rand Jesus?
If anyone would actually read the bible they claim they follow which contains the Word and commandments of Christ given to Him by the Father and preserved by the Holy Spirit they would know exactly what this persecution is all about. It's the 5th seal. The martyrs. Literally a blood sacrifice.
Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Might seem like a pointless enterprise to us humans but God is just waiting for that bucket of blood to get filled up before he pushes the button. So this notion that Christians will find peace or acceptance in the world of men is non-scriptural false preaching. When the martyrs job is done then the 6th seal is opened and Babylon will be destroyed and Zion liberated in an event so great in mangnitude that the entire world will experience psychological trauma.
So Rand, who is certainly righteous in his words but obviously not a believer (by his own words), can use Asia Bibi as a political football if he wants but "defending" Christians shows you don't understand Christianity all that much.
One sees now how extraordinarily (that there might be something extraordinary left) -- how extraordinarily stupid it is to defend Christianity, how little knowledge of men this betrays, and how truly, even though it be unconciously, it is working in collusion with the enemy, by making of Christianity a miserable something or another which in the end has to be rescued by a defense. Therefore, it is certain and true that he who first invented the notion of defending Christianity in Christianddom is de facto Judas No. 2; he also betrays with a kiss, only his treachery is that of stupidity. - Soren Kierkegaard
Anyway, it really was a good speech. But Rand should just stay away from pandering to Christians. Any Christian who needs to be pandered to isn't one and Rand only risks painting himself as a false Christian rather than simply an agnostic which is what he really is.
