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The National Association of Evangelicals' top lobbyist has resigned in a storm of controversy after he said on a Dec. 2 "Fresh Air" NPR broadcast that he had shifted his position on gay relationships. The Associated Press reported that he told Fresh Air, "I'm shifting, I have to admit. In other words, I would willingly say I believe in civil unions. I don't officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition, I don't think."
I applaud Rich Cizik for opening his mind and speaking from his heart. It would have been easier for Cizik to have remained silent and continued collecting a paycheck. Instead he did what he thought was right and one can only admire such courage.
Not surprisingly, Focus on the Family said they were glad Cizik was stepping down. "It was time for him to go," Tom Minnery, a Focus on the Family senior vice president, told the Associated Press. "He no longer represents the view of evangelicalism. He has not represented those views for some time."
Focus on the Family is going to find that support for their outdated position on gay and lesbian equality is eroding, even among evangelical Christians. As more gay people come out, Americans can see that we are their friends and family members -- and certainly no threat to their lives.
On Thursday, Truth Wins Out placed a hard-hitting full-page ad in The Salt Lake Tribune, under the headline, "Lies in the Name of the Lord." It was in response to an ad in last Friday's New York Times, that portrayed protests against Proposition 8 - a ballot measure in California that prohibited same sex couples from marrying -- as mob violence. One of the people criticized by TWO was Cizik, who signed the ad.
If I someone would have told me that I would have ended the week praising Rich Cizik, I would have told them they were living in a dream world. But, Cizik's evolution on this issue shows that we should never make blanket assumptions that individual evangelical Christians don't support fairness and equality. I call on more fair-minded evangelicals to speak out in the name of equality and fairness for gay and lesbian people, as this courageous man has done.
13 Comments:
Many evangelicals are pro-gay and don't accept the apparent connection between faith and homophobia that the right-wing insists upon. Sadly, they usually remain silent, thinking that they are the only one in their church that isn't homophobic. If they were to speak up, they'd find angry opposition, sure, but I think they'd find a lot of fellow church-goers who feel the same way.
Leaders like James Dobson, et al., are precisely the blatant bigots that we think they are, but the millions that people like Mr. Dobson claim to marshal are often not even half as homophobic as their self-appointed leadership is.
In many evangelical churches, the preacher or pastor preaches against gay people because he thinks the congregation excepts it, while at the same time, the congregation says nothing because they think the preacher will be offended. I think many would be amazed at how many pro-gay people exist in the pews, even in Pentecostal and fundamentalist churches!
The time has come for pro-gay evangelicals to come out of the closet. They must demand that their allegiance to Christ isn't questioned merely because they accept gays and show Christ's love to gay people.
posted by Chris L., at
12/12/2008 11:24 AM
I know Cizik has been controversial among the old school evangelicals for some time because he wanted to focus on issues like the environment rather than gay rights. It's interesting to see his growth. It's right to congratulate him for his courage to change and go public about it.
posted by Daniel Mc, at
12/12/2008 11:27 AM
I respect him for doing it, however, I still don't see why evangelicals and others feel that marriage is being redefined by allowing same-sex marriage. It doesn't change marriage, least of all their marriages, it still remains the same, unchanged in its essence. How do they feel about straight married couples who don't procreate, the underlying premise for their opposition to our marrying? What about those who can't have children. How do they respond to them? They can't seem to separate religious from civil marriage.
To digress, Ruben Diaz, a pentecostal minister cum NY state senate member is complaining that he's been receiving hundreds, possibly thousands of very angry emails and phone calls from the LGBT community....I was one of them. For those who haven't yet done so, here's his address information.
diaz@senate.state.ny.us
His phone numbers:
304 Legislative Office Building Albany, New York 12247 518-455-2511
1733 E. 172nd Street Bronx, New York 10472 718-991-3161
posted by Anonymous, at
12/12/2008 12:10 PM
Yes, Robert, that Pentecostal sonofabitch has been complaining as of late, hasn't he? He's pissed off that we're not just going to remain silent while he engages in anti-gay bigotry. I think I will call his offices and then follow up with an email.
posted by Chris L., at
12/12/2008 12:14 PM
Someone needs to tell Rev. Diaz that what passes for reality in the Pentecostal Church is viewed as laughable, rank idiocy in the real world, by well-adjusted people. He is yet another religious zealot who can't understand that the rules of his personal church should not be foisted upon the entire population as a whole.
posted by Chris L., at
12/12/2008 12:36 PM
Does anyone remember the movie "The Quiz Show"? Everyone is fawning over this dishonest young man who was coming clean during congressional hearings because of his notoriety or that of his father at the very least and then I believe one lone congressman (with a ny accent) stands up to this and basically says something like "where i come from, we don't applaud people for doing what is right." I don't either!!!
posted by Spouse Walker, at
12/12/2008 1:56 PM
Cizik did what was right at much cost to him personally. He has lost his job and has angered his friends, and for no benefit other than his allegiance to the truth. Unlike others in fundamentalist circles, he actually showed concern for the lives of gay people, while the others in his clan would simply throw us in a dumpster without a second thought. This man deserves our respect and admiration.
posted by Chris L., at
12/12/2008 2:10 PM
There is much to be said for recognizing and rewarding good behavior, with or without punishing bad behavior, when trying to change people's behavior.
We can criticize Cizik's attacks and praise his steps out of darkness at the same time. Much of the power of fundamentalism lies in the social engineering aspect - people are praised for their homophobia, self-righteousness, callousness, and as Cizik has learned, punished for their sense of restraint, decency, and integrity.
The one way we can truly prove the moral high ground, is by recognizing improvement in those who set themselves against us, accepting apologies at face value, and letting go of someone's ugly past when they have their present and future better - because fundies do none of those things.
posted by Friend of Jonathan, at
12/12/2008 11:18 PM
You know what would be really great?
If some GLBTQ org or church, maybe soulforce, offered Cizik a job. Getting access to his intimate knowledge of the NAE, gently guiding him to a bias-less spirituality, and visibily supporting him when 'his people' have turned on him - would be a powerful object lesson to pro-gay evangelicals.
posted by Friend of Jonathan, at
12/12/2008 11:21 PM
Chris, Diaz will be complaining a lot more once he's hurled out of office in the next election. Just wait until the voter fraud investigation reveals the truth about this bigot. All of us should be making a lot of noise about this bigot, ditto Pedro Espada his compatriot in corruption.
As for Cizik, NAE's treatment of him is hardly what one could call "christian".
posted by Anonymous, at
12/13/2008 8:44 AM
Yes Robert, it would be nice to have a primary challenge to Rev. Diaz, who is unfit to hold public office; not because of his personal religious views, but because of his demand that they be foisted onto the entire populace. Instead, he should be elected to the leadership of a Pentecostal church (if he isn't there already), where he can properly govern a congregation, not the entire public, most of whom do not subscribe to Pentecostalism.
I am pleased with Cizik. You see, it's so easy for most fundamentalists to simply view us as non-humans, and to say, "No rights for them!" However, Cizik factored our lives into his equation when deciding what he believes. He simply couldn't say, with surly contempt, "Don't give 'em nothing!" because his conscience wouldn't allow him to ignore the reality of gay people's lives. OUR SUFFERING mattered to this man; it was a factor in his deciding where he stands.
Mr. Cizik may be depressed right now, but he should take heart! He is definitely going to land on his feet. There is a place for this principled man. The Pharisees have shown him the door, and he is walking through the fiery furnace right now. When he looks back, however, I can guarantee he'll say it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
posted by Chris L., at
12/13/2008 9:36 AM
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