One-Size Politics Doesn't Fit All
These are anxious days in the trenches of the culture war. The Federal Marriage Amendment is dead. A rollback of President Bush's restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research appears likely after he leaves office. Human cloning looms ominously.
What's more, Christians who speak publicly on these vital causes are called theocrats and worse. This faith-hostile context makes productive debate over contentious issues, such as global warming, ever more difficult among evangelicals.
Little wonder, then, that evangelicals who dispute the cause of and remedy for global warming are critical of fellow evangelicals who signed the Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI) statement last year. They have three complaints, outlined in a March letter to L. Roy Taylor, chairman of the board of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). First, they believe too many evangelicals are uncritically joining the global-warming campaign. Second, they criticize the campaign for adding another priority to our crowded agenda, shifting emphasis away from "the great moral issues of our time." And third, they argue that evangelical leaders lack "the expertise to settle the controversy, and that the issue should be addressed scientifically and not theologically."
The letter, signed by Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Don Wildmon of the American Family Association, and more than 20 other conservative Christian leaders, also attacks Richard Cizik, the NAE's vice president for governmental affairs, for his vocal public stance on global warming.
The letter accuses Cizik of orchestrating a "relentless campaign," speaking "without authorization for the entire organization," and advancing "his own political opinions ...
This article is currently available to CT subscribers only.
To continue reading:
or
The Latest in Movie News, May 23, 2013
God Among the Roma
Grieving with the Good Friday God
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Comments
Displaying 1–3 of 19 comments
See all comments
Larry
Thank you for the great article, Sin seems still to be the problem that rots a community and a nation and a globe. And while good laws must be made (and followed), we should keep in mind that our prime directive is to live Christ and that the power to do good is in Him. He offers the renewal of heart and life that, if held to, will do more to affect positive change around the world than all the well-(or not so well)-intentioned political wrangling ever could. And if it seems that the tide is not turning fast enough, we should look in the mirror to find out what exactly the world is seeing. Are we a body living the directive to, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Mak(ing) every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace?" Or have we been led astray, believing that salvation can be found in another name?
Hannah
Thank you for not putting us all into a box. God has freed us to think and with different experiences (and perspectives) which give us different passions. We shouldn't assume that our own passion is the most important one. Thank you for communicating that.
Lloyd
Thanks for this editorial. Evangelicals do have differing views on politics and other areas. Thanks for acknowleding that. We need to find a way to show love to one another and be a witness in spite of our differences. It would also be good for those who disagree with global warming to better explain their position. To say it is not proven is one answer, but we can take steps to improve the environment. If we work to improve the enviroment, we will be taking the same or similar steps that those who believe in global warming would have us take and we will be making the air cleaner to breathe. My daughter has asthma, so that becomes more personal. Does our theology drive our politics or does our political views drive our theology?