Italy’s Gay Rights Showdown with the Vatican

For all those in the LGBT community who nearly had the vapors over Pope Francis' supposedly kinder and more accepting approach to LGBT individuals, look no farther than Italy to see the Catholic Church's real attitude towards gays.  With the Italian parliament now considering same sex partnership legislation, the Church is fighting tooth and claw to oppose any legislation that would grant gays increased rights.  Events in Italy mirror the Church's anti-gay efforts in Slovenia and across the globe where  keeping LGBT individuals third class citizens - or less - is a Church priority even as the cover up of sex crimes against children and youths continues. Meanwhile, Italy now finds itself as the last western European nation where religion still trumps equality under the civil laws.  A piece in The Daily Beast looks at the contest in Italy.  Here are excerpts:

ROME — Same-sex couples in Italy might as well be invisible. They cannot adopt children. They cannot inherit pensions or share state-funded benefits. They are not recognized as legal couples for the purpose of tax breaks. They cannot even visit each other if one partner is in the intensive care unit, or on his or her death bed, in a public hospital, no matter how long they may have been together — even if they were married legally in another country. But all that may soon change. 

Italy is the last major European nation with a complete blind spot when it comes to recognizing same-sex couples as legal partners. Last June, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy was in “breach of human rights” because it offered no option that would allow same-sex partners to share the same benefits as straight partners, specifically citing adoption, shared pension benefits, and tax breaks as key rights that are missing. 

On Jan. 28, Italy’s Senate will start debating the so-called Cirinna law, named after Monica Cirinna, the senator from Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s center-left Democratic Party who officially introduced the bill last October. 

Renzi has made the recognition of civil unions a priority in his premiership and vows to pass the bill into law. “We can hardly think we can go to Europe beating our drum about immigration or the deficit limit, and then be last in the line when it comes to human rights," Cirinna told Reuters last week. "But we live under the shadow of the Vatican dome and Catholicism here is different than in other countries. It is a presence."

[T]he bill is simply about allowing same-sex couples the right to be recognized the same way non-married straight couples are, as a “social formation” or life-long partnership that isn’t bound by a marriage certificate, much as France has done with its PACS (civil solidarity pacts) for more than 15 years.  

One reason it has taken so long to get such a bill to a vote is because of the need to determine what exactly to call the same-sex unions to avoid any connotation of marriage. Meanwhile, naysayers have threatened to tack on thousands of amendments. The right-wing Nuovo Centro Destra or New Center Right party run by Angelino Alfano, Silvio Berlusconi’s former wingman, has had considerable success delaying the bill’s progress. 
 

Alfano, who recently said the use of surrogate mothers should be treated as a sex crime, is not-so-subtly backed by several high ranking Catholic cardinals, who have managed to keep this law out of parliament for years.

Late last year at the Vatican’s Synod on the Family under Pope Francis, those in attendance agreed that while gays are welcome in the Church pews, they will never be allowed to walk down the aisle. 

“Regarding proposals to place unions of homosexual persons on the same level as marriage, there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family” the synod fathers wrote in their final document.

 

On Saturday, a coalition of gay-rights groups held demonstrations in more than 80 public squares across Italy under the banner “Svegliati Italia,” or “Wake up Italy.” Anyone attending was asked to bring alarm clocks and timers as props to make the wake-up point. 

“The law, if passed, will change the lives of many gay and lesbian people, and especially their children, whose lives it will undoubtedly improve,” says Arcigay’s Piazzoni. “We need to give people back their dignity to remind our government that their objective at hand is to ensure equality for all, a goal that so far remains elusive.” 

But not to be outdone, Italy’s Catholic bishops are holding their own demonstration on Jan. 30 under the banner “Family Day” . . .

The bill debate kicks off on Jan. 28, and, barring unforeseen delays, could come to a vote within a week. If it passes in any form, which it surely should, it will be seen as a major defeat to the conservatives of the Catholic church. And even if it passes as just a shell of its original incarnation, it will be seen as a worthy compromise by many in the LGTB community—a necessary first step toward equality for all. 

Can the Catholic Church Change Its Attitude Toward Gays?

Reports coming out of Rome cite a new document released today at the ongoing synod at the Vatican called by Pope Francis which is known as a relatio post disceptationem.  By Catholic Church standards - it took the Church centuries to face and admit its wrongful condemnation of Galileo - the document does sound almost revolutionary in it hints at possible changes to how it addresses Catholics who are divorced and remarried, how it addresses gay people, how it addresses contemporary culture.  However, talk is cheap as the saying goes and the real proof will come in how the Church actually changes it approach through actions - actions such as not firing gay employees who admit their sexual orientation or, horror of horrors, marry their same sex spouse.  It goes without saying that there will be terrific blow back from (i) some of the bitter closet cases within the Vatican hierarchy and in bishoprics across the globe, and (ii) far right Catholics who can only feel superior when denigrating and condemning others (think William Donohue of the farcical Catholic League).  Meanwhile, I hope Pope Francis doesn't eat or drink anything until a taster has previously sampled it.  Both Reuters and the National Catholic Reporter look at the development.  First highlights from Reuters:

VATICAN CITY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - In a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican document said on Monday that homosexuals had "gifts and qualities to offer" and asked if Catholicism could accept gays and recognise positive aspects of same-sex couples.

The document, prepared after a week of discussions at an assembly of 200 bishops on the family, said the Church should challenge itself to find "a fraternal space" for homosexuals without compromising Catholic doctrine on family and matrimony.

While the text did not signal any change in the Church's condemnation of homosexual acts or its opposition to gay marriage, it used language that was less judgmental and more compassionate than past Vatican statements under previous popes.

The document will be the basis for discussion for the second and final week of the assembly, known as a synod, which was called by Pope Francis and focuses on the theme of the family.

It will also serve for further reflection among Catholics around the world ahead of another, definitive synod next year.

 "Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a further space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home," said the document, known by its Latin name "relatio".


"The document clearly reflects Pope Francis' desire to adopt a more merciful pastoral approach on marriage and family issues," he said.

A number of participants at the closed-door synod have said the Church should tone down its condemnatory language when referring to gay couples and avoid phrases such as "intrinsically disordered" when speaking of homosexuals.


The document also showed considerable opening to heterosexual couples who were married only in civil services or who were living together, mentioning "positive aspects" of such unions, especially if the couple saw them as a prelude to marriage in the Church. 

Here are excerpts from the piece in the National Catholic Reporter:

Taking a decidedly different tone than many church statements in recent years, the worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops on family issues has released a document calling for the church to listen more, to respect people in their various struggles, and to apply mercy much more widely.

Summarizing the work of the continuing meeting, known as a synod, the document acknowledges bluntly that the strict application of church doctrine is no longer enough to support people in their quest for God.

"It is necessary to accept people in their concrete being, to know how to support their search, to encourage the wish for God and the will to feel fully part of the Church, also on the part of those who have experienced failure or find themselves in the most diverse situations," states the document, released Monday morning.

Among the many changes in tone in the document are how it addresses Catholics who are divorced and remarried, how it addresses gay people, how it addresses contemporary culture -- and, more widely, how it asks for a church that is always open.

At one point, it quotes Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium ("The Joy of the Gospel"), stating: "The Church is called on to be 'the house of the Father, with doors always wide open ... where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems' and to move towards those who feel the need to take up again their path of faith."

Would I like to see the Church come into the 21st Century - even the 20th century ?  Most definitely.  Will I be holding my breath expecting real change?  Definitely not.  

 

Target Selling Same Sex Union Cards Nationwide

The list of boycott targets for American Family Association and the One Million Bitches crowd just got longer.  I can just imagine the spittle that will be flying when these gay haters realize that Target has added cards for same sex unions to their greeting card inventories nationwide.  Maggie Gallagher and Linda Harvey will have a cow and Robert Knight may well blow a gasket.  With a huge national retailer like Target making this move, it's yet another sign that over the longer term the hate "family values" groups and professional Christian set are losing the marriage equality battle.  Here are highlights from LGBT Nation:

MINNEAPOLIS — Placed on greeting card racks under the headings of “For two special men” and “For two special women,” Minneapolis-based Target Corp. is now stocking greeting cards to celebrate same-sex unions.

The gay-themed greeting cards hit Target stores nationwide last month, just weeks after the retailer began selling gay pride-themed t-shirts online, reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

The cards are addressed to: “Two very special women, one very special love” and “Mr. & Mr.” and included greetings which include “…a love story whose time has come! Congratulations.”

Company spokeswoman Molly Snyder said that “Target is focused on diversity and inclusivity,” and now offers a range of greeting cards that appeal to a variety of audiences, including the LGBT community.

The cards are made by Carlton Cards, a unit of American Greetings, whose spokeswoman Patrice Sadd said the company and Target jointly decided to offer “wedding cards relevant for everyone.”
The move is the latest step by Target to appeal to gay and lesbian consumers.

In November, Minnesotans will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Target has not yet taken a position on the amendment, and said it’s going to remain neutral, having been burned by its political involvement in the past.

Episcopal Church Approves Same-Sex Service

That the laws and state constitutional amendments that bar same sex marriage and civil unions are illegal restraints on the religious freedom of same sex couples is coming into even harsher focus.  These laws and amendments have enshrined one set of religious beliefs - i.e., those held by hate filled and bigoted conservative Christians - in the CIVIL laws.  In follow up to a development previously mentioned on this blog, the Episcopal Church has now formally approved same sex blessing services for same sex couples who seek civil unions and domestic partnerships (both of which are illegal and not legally recognized in Virginia).  The move brings the Episcopal Church in line with some other denominations that have come to allow such unions and in some cases full religious marriage.   It is long past time that these laws and amendments be struck down for what they are: illegal religious based discrimination and a denial of equal protection under the CIVIL laws.  Here are highlights from CNN on the move by the Episcopal Church:

Episcopal priests will be allowed to conduct services blessing same-sex relationships under a policy approved Tuesday at the church's national convention in Indianapolis.

The convention's House of Bishops approved the provisional policy 111-41 with three abstentions Monday, clearing it for consideration by the House of Deputies, which approved it Tuesday evening.  The policy was approved in the House of Deputies, following more than an hour of debate, by 78% of the voting lay members and by 76% of clergy.

With the vote, the Episcopal Church becomes the largest U.S. denomination to officially sanction same-sex relationships. The Episcopal Church has about 1.95 million members in the United States . . . . 

"We have authorized a blessing, and a blessing is different than a marriage," she said. "A blessing is a theological response to a monogamous, committed relationship."  Marriage requires the additional involvement of civil authorities, and many states do not allow gays to marry.

The only major U.S. denomination to endorse same-sex marriage across the board is the United Church of Christ, which did so in 2005.  In 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America allowed member churches to recognize same-sex relationships, but stopped short of creating a churchwide policy or crafting a specific blessing service.

Randall Balmer, a Dartmouth University religion professor and an Episcopal priest who supports the change, said he expects little fallout from the policy within the American church. Most of the most conservative Episcopalians who oppose blessing same-sex relationships have probably already left the church, he said.

"In many ways, the church is tracking public sentiment," which is increasingly supportive of same-sex relationships, Balmer said ahead of Tuesday's vote. "The Episcopal Church is merely part of that trend."

One can just imagine the spittle that must be flying among the self-congratulatory professional Christian set and conservative Anglican leaders, at least some of whom are suspected of having ordered the massacre of Muslims, including women and children.   I believe that God is on the side of the Episcopal Church as opposed to the merchants of hate and bigotry.

Catholic Bishops Lie to Maintain Special Rights for Discriminatory Organization

For many years anti-gay (and often anti-many other groups of citizens) organizations have enjoyed the special right of gorging at the government tax dollar trough while openly discriminating against segments of tax paying citizens who through their tax payments are generating the tax dollars enjoyed by such bigots. Time and time again, alleged religious belief has been the ticket to such special privileges. Now, a number of states are very correctly cutting off government funding to such discriminatory organizations, not a few of which are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Facing the loss of their special rights and the loss of lucrative government payments, the U.S. Catholic bishops have jumped whole heartedly onto the bandwagon of liars among the professional Christian set who are knowingly disseminating the falsehood that gay rights - particularly same sex CIVIL marriage - infringe upon their "religious freedom". Stripped of the feigned pious bullshit, what the beef comes down to is the reality that states are finally demanding that the practices of such organizations be brought in line with anti-discrimination laws. And the hogs who have gorged at the taxpayer trough are incensed. The truth is that they are entirely free to practice their beliefs - they just don't get to force taxpayers to subsidize discrimination and bigotry. The Washington Post looks at the crocodile tears and rants emanating for the Catholic bishops. Here are highlights:

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meets Monday in Baltimore for its national meeting feeling under siege: from a broader culture moving toward accepting gay marriage; a White House they often condemn as hostile to Catholic teaching; and state legislatures that church leaders say are chipping away at religious liberty.

Many Catholic academics, activists and parishioners say the bishops are overreacting. . . . Still, the bishops see themselves as more and more on the losing side of these disagreements . . .

Among the bishops’ top concerns are religious exemptions in states that legalize same-sex marriage. In Illinois, government officials stopped working with Catholic Charities on adoptions and foster-care placements after 40 years because the agency refused to recognize a new civil union law. Illinois bishops are suing the state.

On health care, the bishops have been pressing the Health and Human Services Department during its public comment period for a broader religious exception to the provision in Obama’s health care overhaul that mandates private insurers pay for contraception.

Administration officials note that the vast network of Catholic social service nonprofits, including the bishops’ conference, receives hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding in amounts that have increased in the last couple of years.

At the same time, the bishops’ have been stung by their loss of public influence from the sex abuse crisis and the years of bruising revelations that many dioceses moved guilty clergy among parishes without alerting parents or police.

“The church no longer receives deference or the hands-off attitude that it once had for many years. That’s gone,” Appleby said.

Critics of the bishops view the closer focus on religious liberty as another sign that church leaders are turning inward and away from promoting the church’s teaching on social justice.

The bishops by their own malfeasance and moral bankruptcy in the context of the sex abuse scandal have demonstrated that they deserve no deference whatsoever. Indeed, rather than whining and claiming anti-Catholic discrimination, the bastards ought to be happy that they haven't been criminally prosecuted and put behind bars. And as noted, no one is restricting their right to practice their hate and fear based faith. Many of us are just sick and tired of being forced to subsidize their bigotry. And if money is tight, perhaps Archbishop Dolan and many of his similarly obese brethren can cut back on wine and far too much food and redirect some of the Church's money to the poor and needy.

Episcopal Committee Is Working on Gay Rite

In a move that will send the Neanderthal elements of the Anglican Communion into full apoplexy, a committee of the Episcopal Church USA is working to develop a rite for same sex couples seeking Church blessing of their relationships. Frankly, I can already envision the spittle flying in Nigeria, Uganda and other nutcase corners of the Anglican Communion where all kinds of things are overlooked - e.g., polygamy, Archbishops who are suspected of ordering massacres, etc - and only gays get condemned on a daily basis. Hypocrisy is very much alive and well in this pockets of hatred with which break away elements of the Episcopal Church (and local GOP politicians like Scott Rigell) are aligning themselves. Here are some highlights from the New York Times:
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Armed with a new $400,000 grant and the support of the Episcopal Church, a Berkeley seminary is convening priests from across the country to craft the liturgical rite for same-sex couples to receive religious blessings.
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The new rite, which will take years to complete, will most likely consist of a series of original prayers, Bible readings and two essays: one on the theological meaning of same-sex blessings, and one advising priests who administer the new rite. If approved, the new blessing would be just the third addition to Episcopal liturgy since 1979.
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“This is very significant,” said the Rev. Ruth Meyers, chairwoman of the church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, who is heading the effort. “It does acknowledge a fuller participation of gays and lesbians in the life of the church.”
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Most of the grant money will finance travel and accommodations for a series of meetings to garner contributions from all 110 Episcopal dioceses, most in the United States. An official blessing would formalize what has long been an unofficial practice at some dioceses across the country. Unofficial blessings have taken place in Bay Area churches since at least the 1980s.
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But not all Episcopalians support adding the blessing. “Doing this will cause great fracturing and great pain,” said the Rev. Canon Kendall Harmon of the Diocese of South Carolina. “It represents a willful American embrace of something that the Anglican Communion has said is out of bounds.”
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“We’re taking this as an opportunity to offer these resources to the whole church,” Mr. Johnson said, “not just for the sake of gay and lesbian couples but as an opportunity for everybody to reflect theologically on what it means to be in a committed relationship.”
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I firmly believe that history is on the side of the pro-gay leadership of the Episcopal Church and that in time folks like Canon Harmon will be looked back upon with the same disdain as racists and segregationists.

Changing Attitudes Towards Gays - And Views of Homophobes as Closet Cases

I have mentioned in passing a recent Gallup poll that must be making the fundies truly convulse on the floor with spittle flying: For the first time, the percentage of Americans who perceive “gay and lesbian relations” as morally acceptable has crossed the fifty percent (50%) mark. The Gallup survey also shows that gay acceptance among men has increased, particularly among younger men who do not even remember the days when being gays was considered a form of clinical mental illness. All of this is tangible proof that the Christianists are losing the culture wars even if they continue to win some battles. In a New York Times op-ed column that looks at this development, the other encouraging trend is that increasingly the most focal homophobes are being perceived as closet cases reacting against their own homosexual urges. Maybe Tony Perkins, Robert Knight Peter Sprigg, et al, need to wake up to the fact that their loud protestions against gays say more about them than your avaeage gay American. Here are some column highlights:

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Last week, while many of us were distracted by the oil belching forth from the gulf floor and the president’s ham-handed attempts to demonstrate that he was sufficiently engaged and enraged, Gallup released a stunning, and little noticed, report on Americans’ evolving views of homosexuality. Allow me to enlighten:
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1. For the first time, the percentage of Americans who perceive “gay and lesbian relations” as morally acceptable has crossed the 50 percent mark. (You have to love the fact that they still use the word “relations.” So quaint.)
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2. Also for the first time, the percentage of men who hold that view is greater than the percentage of women who do.
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3. This new alignment is being led by a dramatic change in attitudes among younger men . . . the percentage of men ages 18 to 49 who perceived these “relations” as morally acceptable rose by 48 percent, and among men over 50, it rose by 26 percent.
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W]hat’s driving such a radical change in men’s views on this issue . . . Here are three theories:
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1. The contact hypothesis. As more men openly acknowledge that they are gay, it becomes harder for men who are not gay to discriminate against them. And as that group of openly gay men becomes more varied — including athletes, celebrities and soldiers — many of the old, derisive stereotypes lose their purchase.
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2. Men may be becoming more egalitarian in general. As Dr. Kimmel put it: “Men have gotten increasingly comfortable with the presence of, and relative equality of, ‘the other,’ and we’re becoming more accustomed to it. And most men are finding that it has not been a disaster.”
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3. Virulent homophobes are increasingly being exposed for engaging in homosexuality. Think Ted Haggard, the once fervent antigay preacher and former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals, and his male prostitute. . . . Or George Rekers, the founding member of the Family Research Council, and his rent boy/luggage handler. Last week, the council claimed that repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would lead to an explosion of “homosexual assaults” in which sleeping soldiers would be the victims of fondling and fellatio by gay predators. In fact, there is a growing body of research that supports the notion that homophobia in some men could be a reaction to their own homosexual impulses. Many heterosexual men see this, and they don’t want to be associated with it.
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As for the aversion among men, it may be softening a bit. Professor Savin-Williams says that his current research reveals that the fastest-growing group along the sexuality continuum are men who self-identify as “mostly straight” as opposed to labels like “straight,” “gay” or “bisexual.” They acknowledge some level of attraction to other men even as they say that they probably wouldn’t act on it, but ... the right guy, the right day, a few beers and who knows. As the professor points out, you would never have heard that in years past.
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All together now: stunning.

The Affirmation Declaration

I have previously commented on the far right Christianists' "Manhattan Declaration" whic is a manifesto encouraging wingnut Christians to enage in civil disobedience rather that allow the CIVIL laws to provide for gay rights and other issues that are not consistent with the far right Christianists' religious beliefs. Now, to counter the toxic message of exclusion embodied in the so-called Manhattan Declaration," a group of Christians have drafted the "Affirmation Declaration" that confronts and rejects the bigotry and intolerance of the Christianists and that provides an affirmative Christian message. Here are some highlights from the Affirmation Declaration:
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The Affirmation Declaration is a statement that expresses the convictions of Christians all over the world. It was written in response to the now famous Manhattan Declaration, to correct egregious errors contained in the document, errors that have been preached in the pulpits of many local churches for far too long.
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With the growing notoriety and support for the Manhattan Declaration, our Affirmation Declaration reflects an urgent need to respond to the portion of the Manhattan Declaration dealing with issues related to sexual orientation—specifically, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. We strongly disagree with the contention that same-sex attractions and the oft-resulting romantic activities are immoral.
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We also desire to let the world know that not all Christians are locked in what we believe to be an ancient worldview regarding homosexuality. We want to give people hope—hope to know that God loves them just as they are; hope to know that their gay loved ones are not destined for Hell; hope to know that although some Christian churches will never accept them or their same-sex unions, a great many will.
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I urge you to go to the website and add you signature and name to this declaration. True Christians need to save the name of Christianity from the knuckle draggers of the far right who have turned Christ's Gospel message into a message of hate.

Evangelical Trash Talk

UPDATED: In the wake of the firestorm over his admission that his views on gay unions are shifting, Richard Cizik has resigned as president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. The lesson is that the homo-haters will not tolerate anyone who is willing to listen to science and reasoned discussion or who might view LGBT Americans as fully human. Here are some highlights from the Washington Post:

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A prominent evangelical lobbyist resigned yesterday over his remarks in a National Public Radio interview, in which he said he supports permitting same-sex civil unions. The Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), later apologized for the remark, said the Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the 30 million-member organization. But, Anderson said, "he lost the leadership's confidence as spokesman, and that's hard to regain."

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Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said Cizik's beliefs had diverged too far from those of the NAE membership. "There's been some concern from the constituents that he was at least some distance from where the constituency was, but this is a whole different order of magnitude for his constituency on the gay-marriage issues -- it's a mega-issue," he said.

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Richard Cizik (at left) of the National Association of Evangelicals is prompting more consternation and trash talk among the professional homo-hater set in the Christian Right. These folks are obsessed with gay sex and seem to spend nearly every waking hour thinking of ways to denigrate LGBT citizens and in the process scare as many sheeple as possible into stroking them checks or sending in their online contributions. Rather than thinking of ways to feed the hungry, cloth the poor or provide housing for the homeless, these rabid Christianists worry almost exclusively about "The Gays." Enter Richard Cizik who believes that there just might be other issues that should command the attention of evangelical Christians. Here's Right Wing Watch's take on the latest tempest among the homo-haters:

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It is no secret that Religious Right leaders have had it out for Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals for some time now, starting back in 2007 when they tried to get him fired for branching out into the global warming debate because they feared it was undermining the focus on their traditional anti-choice, anti-gay agenda.

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[N]ow he has even fewer friends among the old-guard right-wing leaders thanks to this recent interview with Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air” where he all but admitted that he voted for Barack Obama, said that Dick Armey had good reasons for calling people like James Dobson bullies and thugs, predicted that climate change is going to become an issue on which evangelicals become increasingly active, pledged to work with the Obama administration to find ways to reduce unwanted pregnancies in this country, and admitted that his opposition to marriage equality is “shifting.”

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Well, this last sin has sent the most rabid of the homo-haters into absolute conniptions and the sputtering, spittle flying and gnashing of teeth is nearly off the charts. Of course the unspoken reason for the violent reactions is that fighting the make believe "gay agenda" is a huge cash cow for the Christianist organizations and if gays ever become accepted as main stream, many of the professional gay haters will be unemployed. Jeremy Hooper at Good As You has a great run down of the hyperventilating:

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Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America: “Mr. Cizik claimed that his views are five years ahead of his constituency, but these views are not anywhere close to Biblical orthodoxy, traditional Christian theology nor the bulk of Evangelicals who ground their faith in the Bible. Perhaps this is why he espouses them in forums to which most of his supposed 'constituency' do not listen.”

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Janice Shaw Crouse, Director and Senior Fellow of Concerned Women for America’s Beverly LaHaye Institute: “The NAE consists of 45,000 churches, 50 denominations and 30 million constituents. I cannot believe that they are happy to have a spokesperson, who supposedly represents them, expressing views that are contrary to Biblical authority and contradict theological orthodoxy. I think, perhaps, my dear friend Rich has been inside the Beltway for too long and has swallowed too much of the NPR and Vogue Magazine Kool-Aid.”

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AFA: "Many have tried for years to get the NAE to drop Rev. Cizik, but the NAE has refused to do so. Churches have a right to know how the money they give to NAE is used."

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Ingrid Schlueter, co-host of the nationally syndicated Crosstalk Radio Talk Show: "Richard Cizik seems more concerned about impressing NPR's liberal audience with his broad-mindedness than being faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ,” ... “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.”

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Family Research Council: "This revelation should not come as a surprise. This is the risk of walking through the green door of environmentalism and global warming - you risk being blinded by the green light and losing your sense of direction. How else can you explain enthusiastic support for what will probably be the nation's most pro-abortion, anti-family president in our nation's 232 year history?

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Cizik's real sin? That he has stopped drinking the Kool-Aid and is actually focusing on a truer version of the Christian message. The hater set is having none of it since hate and intolerance are their only Gods.