OK folks, here’s the deal. If you are an “Evangelical leader” and you come out in support of civil unions you are toast. Just ask Richard Cizik, one of the so-called socially conservative Evangelical leaders. He didn’t sound so socially conservative recently and now he’s gone. Please click here to watch Evangelicals sing his last song.
Read below from The Associated Press:
An outspoken and polarizing voice in conservative Christian politics resigned effective Thursday from the National Association of Evangelicals after a radio interview in which he voiced support for same-sex civil unions and said he is "shifting" on gay marriage.
The Rev. Richard Cizik's comments — made on a Dec. 2 "Fresh Air" broadcast on National Public Radio — triggered an uproar that led to his stepping down as NAE vice president of governmental affairs.
A fixture in Washington for nearly three decades, Cizik has played a key role in bringing evangelical Christian concerns to the political table. But in recent years, he earned enemies in the movement for pushing to broaden the evangelical agenda. His strongest focus was on "creation care," arguing that evangelicals have a biblical responsibility to the environment that includes combatting global warming.
The Rev. Leith Anderson, a Minneapolis-area pastor who serves as NAE president, said Thursday the group is not backing away from its environmental stances. Cizik's resignation was necessary, he said, because some of his answers in the radio interview did not reflect NAE values and convictions.
"Any organizations that speak to controversial issues are going to have critics," Anderson said. "What was different this time was our individuals and organizations felt there was a loss of credibility for him clearly espousing our positions and values. When you lose that, it's very difficult to re-establish."
Cizik did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. The NAE said in a statement that Cizik had expressed regret, apologized and "affirmed our values."
The NAE is an umbrella group for tens of thousands of churches and organizations.
More here. Folks is there really much else to say here? Supporting Civil Unions is no-no language in Evangelical circles especially if you belong to a major organization. No brainer here. Cizik has not been the most popular guy in the Evangelical room for a long time. Many believe he's been off the reservation for some time/ Maybe he'll wind up with a role in the Obama administration. After all, his talk on civil unions and climate change make him an appealing candidate.