Ron Paul Wins the Backing of a Major Evangelical Leader

As the race for the Republican presidential nomination heads to South Carolina, with its high concentration of military families and evangelical Christians, those voters will increasingly be the focus of the GOP hopefuls.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was able to score points with both of those key groups in an endorsement he received on Thursday from evangelical leader Rev. James Linzey, the president and founder of the Military Bible Association. The association helps military chaplains, provides Bibles to the military community and offers translations of the Bible.

"Having thoroughly examined your political philosophy and finding that your platform is 100 percent in line with the Constitution of the United States of America, and examining your political record to find that you have consistently upheld the Constitution and thereby faithfully represented your constituency, and studying your statement of faith to find that your faith and religious experience is 100 percent compatible with evangelical Christianity and orthodox Christianity, I hereby endorse you for the office of the president of the United States of America, Linzey wrote Paul. I wish you Godspeed!"

Linzey weighed in on the Republican field in a statement released on Thursday.

"Among the six remaining GOP hopefuls, two are evangelical -- Ron Paul and Rick Perry, Linzey said. But the tell-tale sign of being qualified for the presidency is not faith, but loyalty to the Constitution which defends the open expression of faith. Ron Paul seems to be the candidate most loyal to the Constitution according to the records. So when other evangelical leaders endorse GOP contenders of other faiths and traditions, some of whom have received funds from special-interest groups, and are not as loyal to the Constitution as is Dr. Paul, one must necessarily ask, 'What is their agenda?' because they certainly are not endorsing the most qualified nor the most evangelical. If evangelicals wish to make faith an issue, then they should take a closer look at Dr. Paul's statement on his Web site, 'Let me be very clear here: I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and I endeavor every day to follow Him in all I do and in every position I advocate.'"

Linzey, who served almost two and a half decades as a military chaplain said if former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, emerges as the GOP candidate, he would cheerfully support him -- but he would prefer Paul.

"Governor Romney is an excellent debater, but Congressman Paul is a better one from my perspective, Linzey said. He argues from the standpoint of the Constitution, often showing his opponents' positions to be unfounded and unconstitutional.

Keep an eye on Sunshine State News for more on religious leaders and the race for the Republican presidential nomination.