Richard Cizik: A Thinking Evangelical

Yes, I realize that fundamentalist evangelical Christians and serious thought are usually an oxymoron. To be a far right fundamentalist, the first requirement typically is to surrender independent thought and embrace the mental equivalent of a lobotomy. Only the allegedly "inerrant" Bible needs be to consulted and then among this crowd one can shut down their brain and drift into a mental suspended animation. Or at least that is the message from most of the Christianist "mega Church" pastors - that and put plenty of money in the collection plate. For a while, Richard Cizik (at right) seemed to fit that model and as a Washington lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals for nearly 30 years, he should have known that intelligent thought was something utterly forbidden by his evangelical brethren. But, he made the mistake of stating his true thoughts in an interview with NPR that led to his expulsion. His heresy? He said that he voted for Barack Obama in the Virginia primary and that he now supported civil unions for same sex couples. As Newsweek Magazine reports, after his exile, Cizik is making a comeback and challenging evangelicals who worship ignorance and fear having to make an independent decision for themselves. Here are some story highlights:
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After a year of keeping a low profile, Cizik is "making a comeback," as he puts it. This week he announces the formation of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, a group devoted to developing Christian responses to global and political issues such as environmentalism, nuclear disarmament, human rights, and dialogue with the Muslim world. Cizik's partners in this effort are David Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University who has written extensively on torture, and Steven D. Martin, a pastor and filmmaker. For years, Cizik has been saying that the evangelical right needs to reframe its politics, to walk away from divisive name calling and find common ground with opponents, even on hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage.
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The partnership gives Cizik a platform from which to speak openly. In his old job, "I wasn't allowed to say what I was thinking if it didn't support every jot and tittle of NAE policy," he says. Now, "I don't have to worry about the kinds of accountability that I had before."
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Cizik says he represents a tradition of evangelicalism going back to the beginning of the 20th century—to Francis Schaeffer and Carl Henry, evangelicals who were strictly orthodox, but advocated a broad engagement with the world. "I'm not some upstart who's trying to conjure up a new vision," he says. "This goes back a long way."
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He reiterates his support for civil unions this way: "Is it possible to deny due process and equal protection to those people whose personal lifestyle I disagree with?" And then, our meeting over, he goes off to see his new friends at the Open Society Institute, the group funded by George Soros—who is, as everybody knows, a billionaire and a liberal.

Wither Goes the Future of Evangelicals?

Richard Cizik was forced from a leadership position at the National Association of Evangelicals last week largely because his views on maintaining a never ending anti-gay jihad are shifting and he seems to recognize that the evangelical Christianity of James Dobson, Tony Perkins and other professional homo-haters is becoming increasingly toxic with moderate and independent voters not to mention the youngest generation of Americans who increasingly see Christianity in a negative light. Cizik's sin of actually having an expansive view of the problems facing the world was a mortal sin for those who in my view come across as closet case homophobes. Seriously, no one gets as hysterical about homosexuality as Dobson, Wildon, Perkins, et al unless they have some pretty serious personal emotional issues going own. In my experience, heterosexuals who are comfortable with their own sexuality are no frightened by LGBT people.

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I believe that the gay-hating evangelicals will lead to the decline of Christianity with future generations if their hate filled mantra is not eliminated and a more tolerant and embracing version of Christianity adopted. In keeping with this view are comments that Jim Wallis at Sojourner made on Cizik's forced reignation. Here are highlights from his remarks:

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Rich Cizik has been a pioneer in the "new evangelical" movement and a real hero, especially to the next generation of young believers. Rich has helped lead the way to putting "creation care" and climate change on the mainstream agenda of the evangelical movement. His pilgrimage to a deep passion for the planet that God made for us has been, in his own language, a "conversion" and an "epiphany." Because of that, he has become a powerful spokesperson for many in the Christian world who are having that same conversion.

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Rich Cizik still supports the Christian tradition of marriage between a man and a woman, which he reiterated after the interview, and that his strong pro-life commitments certainly included abortion, even though in the interview he said that pro-life commitments should include more than just abortion. He pointed out in the interview that younger evangelicals don't have all the same views on gay and lesbian and rights as their parents do, that more of them have friendships with gay people, and are more sympathetic to their equal protection under the law and issues like civil unions. That Cizik admitted that he identified with those shifts created the firestorm.

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All of this is very sad for many reasons. . . . . Already, leaders from many faith traditions, including many national evangelical leaders, have expressed great dismay at the loss of Rich Cizik in such a key role. And the Religious Right is already using Cizik's resignation to attempt to roll back the wider social justice and environmental agenda of the NAE.

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I encourage the NAE's leadership to stay on the path they have chosen and resist the efforts of those who would again seek to narrow the evangelical agenda in unbiblical ways and make it again subservient to a conservative political agenda.

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As for Rich Cizik, he will continue to be a leader in the new faith coalition that is emerging now, and that will replace the Religious Right, without becoming a religious left. Pioneer's sometimes get into trouble and even pay a price for their explorations into new territories. But in the new moral center that is now visible, Rich's prophetic voice and leadership will continue to be heard and felt.

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I hope Wallis is correct in his hopes. The Christian Right is neither right nor Christian and have turned the Gospel message into a message of hate. The sooner Dobson, Perkins and others of that ilk are banished to the political and religious wilderness, the better for all people of good will.

Ted Haggard - The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Good old Ted Haggard, former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs right in Daddy Dobson's backyard, keeps of making news which, hopefully, will continue to make some people look at the hypocrisy of so many of the demagogues of the Christian Right (which is neither Christian nor right). In my opinion, Haggard is not unique among the Christo-fascists who seem to have an undue obsession with sex and all things sexual. Cases in point: Robert Knight and Peter LaBarbera who are absolutely obsessed with homosexuality and gay sex. In my opinion, their obsession derives from their own suppressed desires to engage in precisely what they condemn due to their religious fanaticism. Here are some highlights from KRDO News 13 (in my opinion, Knight and LaBarbera will get all hot and bothered reading the e-mail quotes):

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COLORADO SPRINGS - In an e-mail obtained by NEWSCHANNEL 13, former New Life Church Pastor Ted Haggard admits to sexual contact with a gay escort and using drugs. . . . Haggard sent the e-mail to close family friend Kurt Serpe back in October. In it, he writes: "I was referred to Mike Jones from the concierge at a Marriott hotel when I asked for a masseur." The e-mail then becomes more detailed and sexual in nature. "It was during the massage that it started to become sensual, and that led to him masturbating me," writes Haggard. He continues with "That was and is our only sexual contact." Haggard adds because it was immoral it was this experience that caused him to confess immorality.

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Jones went public about his alleged three-year paid relationship with Haggard in November 2006. Haggard was forced to quit as leader of New Life Church and head of The National Association of Evangelicals. The e-mail also talks about drugs Haggard bought from Jones. "During the conversation with Mike during and after the time he masturbated me, he told me about some drugs that he could get for me that would enhance my masturbation experience."

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"He craved sex, he was a sexaholic," says Serpe. He believes it had nothing to do with homosexuality, but more about masturbation and gratification. "This is something that he has been struggling with all of his life," says Serpe. He says Haggard told him the relationship lasted only three-months, not three years.

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Jones stands behind his claim that the relationship involved numerous encounters during three-years and denies selling Haggard drugs. We tried several times to contact Haggard, but he never responded to our requests.