Richard Cizik
Encyclopedia
Richard Cizik was the Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals
(NAE) and one of the most prominent Evangelical
lobbyists in the United States
. In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities were setting the organization's policy on issues and lobbying the White House
, Congress
, and the Supreme Court
. Cizik also served as NAE's national spokesman and edited a monthly magazine, NAE Washington Insight. Since 2003, Cizik has been active in a type of environmentalism known as "creation care"; his stance on global warming
has drawn both support and criticism from fellow Evangelicals. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
.
In 2008, he and Nobel Prize
winner Eric Chivian, as a team, were named one of the 100 most influential scientists and thinkers
by Time
. On December 11, 2008, Cizik gave his resignation from his position with NAE after a December 2 radio broadcast of NPR
's Fresh Air
in which he voiced support for same-sex civil unions. His comments and his resignation has generated both strong support and strong criticism within the evangelical Christian community.
In January 2010, Cizik launched the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
together with David P. Gushee, professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, and Steve Martin, a pastor and documentary filmmaker. The faith-based non-profit, which represents the merger of the previously distinct but sometimes interrelated efforts of the three founding partners, reportedly exists "to advance human well-being as an expression of our love for Jesus Christ, which is itself a grateful response to his love for us and for a good but suffering world."
He was also awarded post-graduate fellowships from the Scottish Rite Foundation to study at the George Washington University and by the Rotary International Foundation to study at the Political Science University in Taipei, Taiwan. Cizik sits on advisory boards of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy
, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, and the Evangelical Environmental Network.
conservative
" and generally took conservative positions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion
, and stem-cell research. As the organization's primary lobbyist, Cizik was influential in pushing conservative Evangelical-supported legislation at a national level. However, he began moving more towards the center in the 1990s.
As national spokesman for millions of evangelicals, he has worked successfully with both Democrats and Republicans. In the fall of 2008, however, he began to publicly criticize John McCain ("I thought John McCain was a principled person," "But John McCain...seems to be waffling on issue after issue"). He voted for Barack Obama during the primaries, and strongly implied that he had voted for Obama in the general election. This, along with statements about abortion and same-sex civil unions, did not represent the NAE's position, and he resigned a week later.
present evidence on global warming
in 2002, Cizik was convinced that environmentalism, and especially climate change, should be a part of the Evangelical political agenda.
Cizik calls this environmentalism "creation care." He differentiates "creation care" from other environmentalism because of the former's roots "not in politics or ideology, but in the scriptures." Cizik cites several Bible
verses to support his position, including Genesis 2:15 and Revelation 11:18.
Cizik has been criticized for his global warming advocacy by fellow evangelicals and conservatives. He has responded to some of these critics by asking whether his critics are possibly being influenced by ties to the conservative movement or oil and gas companies.
Cizik's name appeared as a signatory on an initial draft of the 2006 Evangelical Climate Initiative
's "Call to Action," but it was absent from the final draft. In an interview with Bill Moyers
, Cizik indicated that pressure from his colleagues at the NAE caused him to remove his name from the statement. In fact the Executive Committee, responding to twenty Evangelical leaders who asked the NAE not to take a stance on global warming, had passed a resolution stating that "global warming is not a consensus issue" and instructing its staff "to stand by and not exceed in any fashion our approved and adopted statements concerning the environment contained within the Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility." (The 2001 document, For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility, includes a section on "protect[ing] God's creation" but does not mention climate change.)
In January 2007, Cizik and Eric Chivian co-hosted the launch of a collaboration between scientists and Evangelicals, presenting it as a joint project of Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment and the NAE. The 28 participants released "An Urgent Call to Action," which presented human-induced climate change as a primary concern and called for prompt public policy solutions. Critics of the collaboration pointed out that the NAE had not changed its position on climate change, but in response to a reporter's question Cizik insisted that the NAE board had approved "this dialogue."
In March 2007, James Dobson
, head of Focus on the Family
, and 24 other evangelical leaders signed a letter asking "the NAE board to ensure that Mr. Cizik faithfully represents the policies and commitments of the organization, including its defense of traditional values," and suggesting that Cizik resign "if he cannot be trusted to articulate the views of American evangelicals on environmental issues." A number of other evangelical leaders declined to sign Dobson's letter on the grounds that it was un-Christian. Richard Land
of the Southern Baptist Convention
noted, "I didn't feel that it was the most productive, most redemptive way to address the problem," and Leith Anderson
, NAE president, stated that his mail was "overwhelmingly supportive of Rich." Cizik has responded by saying that "It's time we return to being people known for our love and care of the earth and our fellow human beings."
In December 2008, NAE President Leith Anderson reiterated that For the Health of the Nation contains the NAE's only official position on the environment, and confirmed that "we don't [have a specific position] on global warming or emissions. [Cizik] has spoken as an individual on that."
In 2008, TIME magazine named Richard Cizik and Eric Chivian to its list of most influential "Thinkers and Scientists" list called the "TIME 100."
and recently signed his name to a full-page ad in The New York Times
accusing the LGBT community
of "anti-religious bigotry", especially against Mormon
s, and "trying to start a religious war." In response, a gay rights group placed another full-page advertisement in The Salt Lake Tribune
titled "Lies in the name of the Lord" and featuring Pinocchio
carrying a whitewashed "Cizik Version" of the bible
.
Cizik made a statement on the National Public Radio program "Fresh Air" in December 2008 in which he said that he supports same-sex civil unions and is “shifting” on gay marriage. He also commented that about 4 in 10 young evangelicals have a LGBT friend or family member and about 5 in 10 favor either same-sex marriage or civil unions. Cizik later appeared to shift his position, releasing a statement reading: "I am now and always have been committed to work to pass laws that protect and foster family life, and to work against government attempts to interfere with the integrity of the family, including same-sex 'marriage' and civil unions." However, in a return visit to "Fresh Air" in July 2010, Cizik reiterated his support for same-sex civil unions and expressed his ambivalence about same-sex marriage. His NPR remarks led Cizik to resign from his position with the NAE.
Cizik's statements found support by some older evangelicals such as Jim Wallis
and by many younger evangelicals, some of which ABC News
says consider Cizik as a "hero". In contrast, the NAE stated that Ciziks positions do not "appropriately represent the values and convictions". David Brody, Christian Broadcasting Network
correspondent, commented on the divided reaction by saying that "At the end of the day, evangelicals are not going to budge on the life and marriage issues."
. He has stated that "younger evangelicals [...] are decidedly pro-life" and that "health care is just as important to younger evangelicals as is abortion."
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...
(NAE) and one of the most prominent Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
lobbyists in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities were setting the organization's policy on issues and lobbying the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, and the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Cizik also served as NAE's national spokesman and edited a monthly magazine, NAE Washington Insight. Since 2003, Cizik has been active in a type of environmentalism known as "creation care"; his stance on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
has drawn both support and criticism from fellow Evangelicals. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions is one of seven interdisciplinary research institutes at Duke University located in Durham, North Carolina...
.
In 2008, he and Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner Eric Chivian, as a team, were named one of the 100 most influential scientists and thinkers
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
. On December 11, 2008, Cizik gave his resignation from his position with NAE after a December 2 radio broadcast of NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's Fresh Air
Fresh Air
Fresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
in which he voiced support for same-sex civil unions. His comments and his resignation has generated both strong support and strong criticism within the evangelical Christian community.
In January 2010, Cizik launched the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good is a faith-based nonprofit group that offers a renewed Christian public witness for the sake of the Gospel and the common good.-Mission statement:...
together with David P. Gushee, professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, and Steve Martin, a pastor and documentary filmmaker. The faith-based non-profit, which represents the merger of the previously distinct but sometimes interrelated efforts of the three founding partners, reportedly exists "to advance human well-being as an expression of our love for Jesus Christ, which is itself a grateful response to his love for us and for a good but suffering world."
Biography
Cizik graduated with a B.A., cum laude, in political science from Whitworth College, received an M.A. in Public Affairs from the George Washington University School of Public & International Affairs, now called the Elliot School of International Affairs], and earned a Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary. In 2005, he was awarded the Ecclesiastical Degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causae, by The Methodist Episcopal Church, USA.He was also awarded post-graduate fellowships from the Scottish Rite Foundation to study at the George Washington University and by the Rotary International Foundation to study at the Political Science University in Taipei, Taiwan. Cizik sits on advisory boards of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Institute on Religion and Public Policy
The Institute on Religion and Public Policy is an international, inter-religious non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring freedom of religion as the foundation for security, stability, and democracy. President Joseph Grieboski founded the Institute in 1999...
, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, and the Evangelical Environmental Network.
National Association of Evangelicals
Cizik was a staff member at the NAE from 1980 to 2008. He described himself in the early years as a "pro-BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
" and generally took conservative positions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, and stem-cell research. As the organization's primary lobbyist, Cizik was influential in pushing conservative Evangelical-supported legislation at a national level. However, he began moving more towards the center in the 1990s.
As national spokesman for millions of evangelicals, he has worked successfully with both Democrats and Republicans. In the fall of 2008, however, he began to publicly criticize John McCain ("I thought John McCain was a principled person," "But John McCain...seems to be waffling on issue after issue"). He voted for Barack Obama during the primaries, and strongly implied that he had voted for Obama in the general election. This, along with statements about abortion and same-sex civil unions, did not represent the NAE's position, and he resigned a week later.
Environmental activism
After hearing scientist and fellow Evangelical John HoughtonJohn T. Houghton
As co-chair of the IPCC, he defends the IPCC process, in particular against charges of failure to consider non-CO2 explanations of climate change. In evidence to, the Select Committee on Science and Technology in 2000 he said:...
present evidence on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
in 2002, Cizik was convinced that environmentalism, and especially climate change, should be a part of the Evangelical political agenda.
Cizik calls this environmentalism "creation care." He differentiates "creation care" from other environmentalism because of the former's roots "not in politics or ideology, but in the scriptures." Cizik cites several Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
verses to support his position, including Genesis 2:15 and Revelation 11:18.
Cizik has been criticized for his global warming advocacy by fellow evangelicals and conservatives. He has responded to some of these critics by asking whether his critics are possibly being influenced by ties to the conservative movement or oil and gas companies.
Cizik's name appeared as a signatory on an initial draft of the 2006 Evangelical Climate Initiative
Evangelical Climate Initiative
The Evangelical Climate Initiative is an initiative by some American evangelical leaders and organizations to mitigate global warming. ECI's first statement, calling for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, was initially signed by 86 evangelical leaders. Signatories included Rick Warren, the...
's "Call to Action," but it was absent from the final draft. In an interview with Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
, Cizik indicated that pressure from his colleagues at the NAE caused him to remove his name from the statement. In fact the Executive Committee, responding to twenty Evangelical leaders who asked the NAE not to take a stance on global warming, had passed a resolution stating that "global warming is not a consensus issue" and instructing its staff "to stand by and not exceed in any fashion our approved and adopted statements concerning the environment contained within the Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility." (The 2001 document, For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility, includes a section on "protect[ing] God's creation" but does not mention climate change.)
In January 2007, Cizik and Eric Chivian co-hosted the launch of a collaboration between scientists and Evangelicals, presenting it as a joint project of Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment and the NAE. The 28 participants released "An Urgent Call to Action," which presented human-induced climate change as a primary concern and called for prompt public policy solutions. Critics of the collaboration pointed out that the NAE had not changed its position on climate change, but in response to a reporter's question Cizik insisted that the NAE board had approved "this dialogue."
In March 2007, James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
, head of Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
, and 24 other evangelical leaders signed a letter asking "the NAE board to ensure that Mr. Cizik faithfully represents the policies and commitments of the organization, including its defense of traditional values," and suggesting that Cizik resign "if he cannot be trusted to articulate the views of American evangelicals on environmental issues." A number of other evangelical leaders declined to sign Dobson's letter on the grounds that it was un-Christian. Richard Land
Richard Land
Dr. Richard D. Land, aka Chief Red Bull, is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission , the moral and ethics concern entity of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States, a post he has held since 1988...
of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
noted, "I didn't feel that it was the most productive, most redemptive way to address the problem," and Leith Anderson
Leith Anderson
Leith Anderson is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has served as senior pastor of Wooddale Church, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, since 1977.-Biography:...
, NAE president, stated that his mail was "overwhelmingly supportive of Rich." Cizik has responded by saying that "It's time we return to being people known for our love and care of the earth and our fellow human beings."
In December 2008, NAE President Leith Anderson reiterated that For the Health of the Nation contains the NAE's only official position on the environment, and confirmed that "we don't [have a specific position] on global warming or emissions. [Cizik] has spoken as an individual on that."
In 2008, TIME magazine named Richard Cizik and Eric Chivian to its list of most influential "Thinkers and Scientists" list called the "TIME 100."
Gay rights issues
Cizik supported the passage of Proposition 8California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
and recently signed his name to a full-page ad in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
accusing the LGBT community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
of "anti-religious bigotry", especially against Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s, and "trying to start a religious war." In response, a gay rights group placed another full-page advertisement in The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
titled "Lies in the name of the Lord" and featuring Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
carrying a whitewashed "Cizik Version" of the bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
.
Cizik made a statement on the National Public Radio program "Fresh Air" in December 2008 in which he said that he supports same-sex civil unions and is “shifting” on gay marriage. He also commented that about 4 in 10 young evangelicals have a LGBT friend or family member and about 5 in 10 favor either same-sex marriage or civil unions. Cizik later appeared to shift his position, releasing a statement reading: "I am now and always have been committed to work to pass laws that protect and foster family life, and to work against government attempts to interfere with the integrity of the family, including same-sex 'marriage' and civil unions." However, in a return visit to "Fresh Air" in July 2010, Cizik reiterated his support for same-sex civil unions and expressed his ambivalence about same-sex marriage. His NPR remarks led Cizik to resign from his position with the NAE.
Cizik's statements found support by some older evangelicals such as Jim Wallis
Jim Wallis
Jim Wallis is an American evangelical Christian writer and political activist. He is best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, and of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian community of the same name....
and by many younger evangelicals, some of which ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
says consider Cizik as a "hero". In contrast, the NAE stated that Ciziks positions do not "appropriately represent the values and convictions". David Brody, Christian Broadcasting Network
Christian Broadcasting Network
The Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
correspondent, commented on the divided reaction by saying that "At the end of the day, evangelicals are not going to budge on the life and marriage issues."
Abortion and Health Care
Cizik has described himself as a "advocate for pro-life policies without exception." He supports government distribution of contraceptionContraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
. He has stated that "younger evangelicals [...] are decidedly pro-life" and that "health care is just as important to younger evangelicals as is abortion."
See also
- God's WarriorsGod's WarriorsCNN Presents: God's Warriors is a three-part CNN Presents documentary produced by Christiane Amanpour in which she examines the rise of religious fundamentalism as a political force in the world. The documentary was filmed in the United States, Europe and Middle East...
, a controversial CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
news programNews mediaThe news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
where Christiane AmanpourChristiane AmanpourChristiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...
labeled Cizik as one of "God's Christian Warriors".