A leading evangelical association has issued a call for a broader approach to public policy issues than evangelicals have been known for in the past.
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) recently held a discussion on Capitol Hill of a document that promises policy efforts related not only to such issues as abortion, marriage and religious liberty but poverty, human rights, peace and the environment. While it says evangelicals “have failed to engage with the breadth, depth and consistency to which we are called,” the statement lists seven guidelines for political engagement by Christians:
- To guard religious liberty and freedom of conscience.
- To promote family life and defend children.
- To uphold the sanctity of human life.
- To gain justice and compassion for the “poor and vulnerable.”
- To safeguard human rights.
- To work for peace and the restraint of violence.
- To protect creation.
Nearly 90 evangelical leaders signed on to the document and endorsed the idea for the approach, including Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC); James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship; and Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of “The Purpose Driven Life.”
Other signers included Barrett Duke, the ERLC’s vice president for public policy; NAE President Ted Haggard; Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel; Walter Kaiser, president of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary; Diane Knippers, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy; David Neff, editor of Christianity Today; John Perkins, founder of Voice of Calvary Ministries; Ron Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action; and author and apologist Ravi Zacharias.
The NAE represents 30 million people in 45,000 churches and has 51 member denominations.
(BP)
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