 Richard Cizik (photo: National Association of Evangelicals) |
An influential evangelical leader is coming under fire for saying in a National Public Radio interview he believes in homosexual civil unions and that Christians who oppose same-sex marriage and abortion may still find reasons to support Obama.
Richard Cizik is chief lobbyist and vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, representing 45,000 U.S. churches from 59 denominations. He told NPR Dec. 2 he is “shifting” on “gay” marriage, he has an aversion to Sarah Palin and that he voted for Obama in the Virginia primary, LifeNews reported.
“I happen to think in the primary he was the best choice,” Cizik said.
Cizik refused to reveal which candidate received his vote in the general election, but in a September interview with the Colorado Independent, Cizik expressed disapproval of John McCain’s campaign. McCain “is not the John McCain of 2000. … He seems to be waffling on issue after issue,” he said.
Cizik told NPR a candidate’s character and party values are more significant to him than specific issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
“It would be possible for evangelicals to disagree with Barack Obama on same sex marriage and abortion and yet vote for him.”
Cizik, named one of Time’s most influential people, called Palin’s stance on the environment “ignorance.” He also said she lacked humility, unlike Obama. Prior to the election, he told the Independent, “Not everyone in the evangelical movement is fawning over Sarah Palin.”
When NPR asked Cizik about whether his views could change on “gay” marriage, he said, “I’m shifting I have to admit. In other words I would willingly say that I believe in civil unions. I don’t officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition, I don’t think.”
According to the report, Cizik suggested Christians should redirect their focus away from the debate about “gay” marriage.
“Maybe we need to reevaluate this and look at it a little differently,” he told NPR. “I’m always looking for ways to reframe issues. Give the biblical point of view a different slant.”
Ingrid Schlueter, co-host of Crosstalk Radio, said Cizik appears to be more concerned with appeasing NPR’s listeners than supporting Christian principles.
“As an adoptive parent of two children given life by their birth mothers, I find it abhorrent that Mr. Cizik would sanction Christian support for the most radically pro-abortion president in the history of the nation,” she said. “The moral anarchy in America worsens daily largely due to the refusal of evangelical Christians to stand for biblical truth in all areas of life. Those who are at war with God, the author of life, should be publicly confronted by evangelical Christians. Instead, they are aided and abetted in their evil by craven leaders like Cizik.”
