I listened to an interesting interview on NPR over the weekend with Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals....http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95142910....which got me googling the guy because I loved his honesty. Turns out he has ticked off several high-profile conservative Christian leaders like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Paul Weyrich and Gary Bauer, mostly because of his environmentalism (Creation Care) focusing on his stance on global warming. This NPR interview and other articles I've read recently, like the one in the Colorado Independent titled "Evangelical leader smacks McCain for lack of ‘principle’" proves he's not out to please the right....and I think that's what I liked about him. He's an independent thinker, not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, regardless of what mainstream Republicans or Christians say. This essay on torture that Richard Cizik wrote in the Washington Monthly...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2008/0801.cizik.html...reminded me of my frustration with the current administration. Abortion, no - torture, yes? There is no greater irony in deeply held beliefs than that.
Now, I'd love to tell you he's voting for Obama/Biden this year, but he is, as of the date of this interview, in the 'undecided' category. But I love that he is open-minded and willing to speak out against the pressure Christians feel to vote Republican. Here's an excerpt:
...No party has a monopoly on GOD...I'm a conservative, but it doesn't mean I'm going to vote that way. I may disagree with Obama, and do, on same sex marriage and abortion, but that doesn't mean I'll vote against him...i think there are character and integrity issues that are even more important [than specific issues]. I would ask my fellow evangelicals 'what kind of temperment do you want?'...Barak Obama is a healer - he's looking to build common ground, even with his opponents...as we can find common ground, let's do it - that's Obama's forte!
Ahhhh...thank you, Mr. Cizik....like a Coke slurpee on a hot day, totally refreshing...
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