Creation Careless

Evangelical policy director chastised for speaking out on climate change

Rev. Richard Cizik, policy director for the National Association of Evangelicals, says global warming is human-caused and the God-fearing should take it seriously. Science-based belief? Quelle horreur! Last week, a group of conservative Christian leaders unaffiliated with NAE wrote a letter urging the NAE board to shut Cizik up or fire him. "[W]hat is being done here," says signer Tony Perkins, "is a concerted effort to shift the focus of evangelical Christians to these issues that draw warm and fuzzies from liberal crusaders." In his "relentless campaign" against global warming, say the right-wingers, Cizik is not focusing enough on abortion-protesting and gay-bashing, and "cannot be trusted to articulate the views of American evangelicals." Mr. Warm'n'Fuzzy turned the other cheek -- kind of. "I speak with a voice that is authentically evangelical on all the issues, from religious freedom around the world to compassion for the poor," he said. "And yes, creation care is one of those issues."