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Ted Cruz Admits He Failed to Tithe in the Past

  • Carrie Dedrick Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Jan 29, 2016

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has admitted to failing to tithe 10 percent of his income in the past. Cruz made the confession after BuzzFeed News wrote that the Christian politician gave less than 1 percent of his earnings to charity between 2006 and 1010. 

In an interview with CBN’s “The Brody File,” Cruz said, “I will readily admit that I have not been as faithful in this aspect of my walk as I should have been.”

He continued, "That article focuses on 10 years ago. We don't have the ability to go back and change what occurred 10 years ago when Heidi and I were newly married and we'd just started a family. But at the end of the day, being a Christian is not about holding yourself out as righteous. It's about beginning with the understanding that we are flawed sinners and we are saved not by deeds but by Christ's redemption. I am grateful that God is a patient and forgiving God and this area, as in many areas of my life I am working to do a better job walking in my faith.” 

Mike Huckabee criticized Cruz’s giving in a statement to BuzzFeed. 

"I just think it's hard to say God is first in your life if He's last in your budget. If I can't trust God with a dime out of each dollar that I earn, then I'm not sure how I can tell him that I trust him with my whole life… To me, it's a validation of a person's stewardship and whether they put God first in their life, not just in their political endeavors,” he said. 

Publication date: January 29, 2016