Is the NAE Becoming Like the NEA? Part 1

I became aware, through the Crosstalk America radio show, that Rev. Richard Cizik, a so-called Evangelical leader, who was interviewed on a National Public Radio (NPR) show last Tuesday. In listening to an archived version of that NPR radio show, I confirmed that his positions and ideas were very troublesome to any true believer of Jesus Christ. We will explore, in a series of articles starting today, what was discussed on that particular NPR radio show.

The NAE stands for the National Association of Evangelicals. The NAE is comprised of some 45,000 churches representing 50 denominations and 30 million constituents.

The NEA stands for the National Education Association, which is the major teachers’ union in America. They lobby on behalf of their member teachers. Unfortunately, the NEA has advocates, using its teachers’ dues, the most radical of liberal causes. Much of their advocacy works counter to the educating our children in the 3 Rs and does not improve the teachers' situation. Furthermore, the NEA has literally helped to destroy and to transform our educational system into one that is grossly inferior to that of most developed nations.

Through the course of this series of articles you will see that the ideology and priorities of these two apparently divergent organizations’ are beginning to merge.

REV. RICHARD CIZIK ON GOD AND GLOBAL WARMING

This so-called representative of Evangelicals, Richard Cizak, has profoundly upset a lot of true Christians, including myself, with statements made in an interview on the liberal National Public Radio show he gave last week. CizIk must have set out to make points with the outright liberal Fresh Air from WHYY program on December 2, 2008 hosted by Terri Gross.· The description on the NPR website summarizes this particular program, “Conservative Christian Richard Cizik preaches the message of environmentalism from a pro-life perspective. Cizik is the vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), a powerful lobbying organization . . .”

WHO DID YOU VOTE FOR FOR PRESIDENT?

Terri Gross, the host of the Fresh Air (actually Putrid Air would be more apt) stated that the environment and climate change have been priorities for Cizik. This she noted has put Cizik at odds with “older Evangelical leaders” and some in the Republican Party (duh!!!). To stir up the hornet’s nest quickly, she asked Cizik who he voted for President. His reply was that he voted for the “best choice” in the Virginia primary, and that was Democrat Barack Obama. He was evasive about whom he definitively voted for in the general election, but hinted that his primary vote was an “indication” of who he voted for in the general election. What a wonderfully politically correct answer!

Cizik went on to say that “all of us want this man to succeed, absolutely. If we don’t there is something wrong with us.” I wonder, Mr. Cizik, what do you mean by success? Do you mean passage of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), granting amnesty to illegals, higher taxes, taking guns away from the people, increasing the national debt, surrendering our sovereignty to the United Nations through treaties such as Kyoto and LOST, surrendering victory in Iraq, permitting openly homosexual behavior in the military, creating a Hitler-style youth brigade to “protect” our neighborhoods, or buying into the global warming craze? That, sir, would not be success. Obama must be fought on these social and fiscal issues that matter to conservatives and Christians.

DOES FAITH MATTER?

Gross went on to ask a second provocative question, to which Cizik responded even more controversially. “How important is faith to you when you are voting?” Cizik answered, “I think it is very important, BUT it is not THE factor, nor should it be. Though there are those who by identity politics and culture war, they do that, and (they say) that is the most important factor. I say absolutely not. I say character first, of which faith is part, of course it helps determine one’s values. But there are other factors, such as the philosophy of government, two parties, two different philosophies, and lastly, the issues. So it is possible for me to disagree, for example, with a candidate on high profile issues, and still believe that on the basis of character or philosophy, he is the better of the two candidates. So, in this case, it would be possible, as Evangelicals did, to disagree with Barack Obama on same-sex marriage and abortion, and yet vote for him. We know they did. Not because of those positions (where) he stood, but in spite those positions."

Mr. Cizik, I ask you, “What are the character qualities that commend Obama to you? With what in the Democratic platform positions do you agree? Of the two platforms the GOP platform at least is strongly pro-life and pro-marriage, while the Democratic Party platform is severely lacking in substance on the social issues. For example, it states a woman has a "right" to kill her baby, but that we should support those women who choose to allow their babies to live. The Democratic platform is in total, morally deficient. I see Obama as being grossly inexperienced, ill prepared for the important office of President. His positions, policies, and beliefs are essentially evil. He had the most radically liberal record of all the Senators in Congress. He even favored the killing of babies born in botched abortion procedures. This was done in order to protect the liberal sacred cow, the woman’s right to murder her baby! It is inconceivable for me that ANY true follower of Jesus Christ would vote for a candidate like Obama. It would be precisely because of his lack of character and his lack of Biblically-based principles that I could never bring myself to vote for such a man.

Mr. Cizik, faith means absolute trust and dependence in God, in Jesus Christ as the only way to God and faith in Christian principles as outlined in Scripture, the ultimate guide to life and liberty. Faith is the foundation to a Christian’s life in all matters. At least it is for true Christ-followers.

TESTING THE FRUIT

Finally, in your Bible, Mr. Cizik, in Matthew 7:16-30 you will read,

"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits."

This, sir, is talking about Barack Obama. How can a man who believes that it is okay to abort babies for any reason and even to allow babies born alive to be killed. That man’s fruit is bad. That man’s character is bad. That man has no faith. You, Rev. Cizik seem to be a blind shepherd!

To be continued . . .