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The New Internationalists?

Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Friday, Oct 12 2007, 4:44PM

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(Rev. Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs at the National Evangelical Association)

I didn't notice until just now, but apparently Ban-Ki Moon was invited to speak at a dinner meeting hosted by the National Evangelical Association. Rev. Rich Cizik extended the invitation. Dana Milbank at the Washington Post caught it and Josh Weissburg at the Switchblog brought it to my attention.

Rev. Cizik is a thoughtful man who understands he is in a very difficult position. In urging action on climate change, torture, poverty, and international cooperation, he feels he is on solid religious ground. At the same time, though, folks like Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and the late Jerry Falwell have done their best to make his political situation uncomfortable. I'm staunchly opposed to much of the evangelical agenda, but Rev. Cizik and his constituents are becoming key, constructive players on some important international issues. They are welcome allies.

Here's his extremely ambitious proclamation, taken from the NAE press release:

"Evangelicals are the 'new internationalists' with a record of legislative successes and expect to shape U.S. foreign policy in ways unimaginable even a year ago. What remains to be seen is whether we'll rise to the challenge of partnership being articulated by our brothers and sisters in the Global South."

This, of course, is all going down as some other evangelical leaders are calling out the Secretary-General as the Antichrist. Here's hoping Rev. Cizik and the 'new internationalists' can deliver.

-- Scott Paul

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Reader Comments (4) - post a comment

Posted by Steve Clemons, Oct 12 2007, 5:28PM - Link

Scott -- nice post. But it's "the late Jerry Falwell" now. Just FYI.

Steve Clemons

Posted by JohnH, Oct 12 2007, 6:01PM - Link

When evangelicals choose to make their focus issues like "poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, bioethics, human rights, creation care, torture, and peacemaking," you can be sure that they will be shunned by the corporate owned media and politicians. Traditionally mainstream Protestant groups have already suffered this fate for their opposition to war poverty. Only those like Robertson and Falwell, who have been totally corrupted by power, are considered influential and newsworthy. Only problem is, if grass roots religious leaders all choose to focus on traditional religious issues like poverty and peace, where will Republicans and the wealthy get votes for their agenda?

Hurrah for Rev. Cizik!

Posted by Scott Paul, Oct 12 2007, 6:43PM - Link

Nice thought, JohnH.

Steve, I appreciate the note - I'm going to make a correction right now.

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