By Sara Barz
Grist
July 30, 2008
Evangelicals have been absent without leave from the climate change discussion, failing to push the Republican Party to take the issue seriously, according to Richard Cizik, the vice president for governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals.
Evangelicals, Cizik said, are looking for “prophetic leadership” to champion the climate cause. Surprisingly, he said that voice may not come from traditional conservative circles.
“The advantage that Barack Obama brings to the equation is that he doesn’t have the rest of his party — a significant wing of his party — telling him to go slow or do nothing,” Cizik told Grist last week when he was in Seattle for an exhibition of wildlife photography at the Burke Museum on the University of Washington campus. He stopped by Grist’s office with LeeAnne Beres of Earth Ministry and Peter Illyn of Restoring Eden to discuss the need for religion to engage in the climate debate and take responsibility for its lack of action on the “moral and spiritual problems” of climate change.
Evangelicals AWOL from climate debate
2008 presidential raceThough unwilling to endorse any political candidate and open about his personal alliances to the GOP, Cizik did express his disapproval of the Republican party’s stick-in-the-mud attitude toward climate change. He called for “bold action,” and rejected the “climate-light Bushisms” that the party has been dangling before the American people. He said he “always liked John McCain for his green stand,” but recognized Barack Obama as the “greener” candidate who could take climate action without having to drag his party along kicking and screaming.
A pro-life view of creation
Known primarily for focusing on abortion and other social issues, Evangelicals are latecomers to the climate debate. However, as Illyn said, “creation care” can be considered a way to strengthen and enlarge the pro-life vision.
Illyn also acknowledged Barack Obama for his climate positions, but he’s not eager to give up on John McCain:
The Climate Security Act