Religion in America: Making the tent bigger
Richard Cizik is the lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 30 million members. While the religious right has received attention recently for its opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion, and the Senate Democrats' filibuster of conservative judicial nominees, Cizik is aiming to widen the movement's agenda to include environmental protection and advancement of human rights.
Last week, the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins announced that he and other prominent Christian-right activists–including Gary Bauer and James Dobson–plan to form a committee to interview Republican presidential candidates in 2008, possibly endorsing one. A good idea?
During a Republican primary, they'd make a big difference, there's no question. But the candidate could carry the baggage of being the candidate of the Christian right into the general election. And if the candidate doesn't win the nomination, where's your access then? It's a very thin gangplank to walk, and you can easily fall off and hurt yourself.
Are you suggesting electability matters more than ideology?
Evangelicals have shown in 2000 and 2004 that they want a winner. Evangelicals want a horse that could go to the finish line.
In Congress, legislation has been introduced that would allow clergy to be more politically active without jeopardizing their churches' tax-exempt status.
Some believe that the current prohibition on church political activity was a contrivance of LBJ and has outlived its usefulness. But it's more complicated than that. I still believe it's better to protect the integrity of local churches from charges that they're political institutions. We need to find out where the line is and step back.
After the 2004 election, Democrats are trying to appeal to religious voters, consulting with liberal Sojourners magazine Editor Jim Wallis. Do you put much stock in that effort?
It's more than window dressing–there's real soul searching going on. But it can't be a case where they try to append the word God to the end of all their policy discussions. I don't think it will work until they change some policies. I don't begrudge Jim Wallis his due, but I'd say, "Pass any bills lately?" Where's his ability to translate moral values into public policy?
The National Association of Evangelicals has recently promoted tackling global warming and increasing Third World aid, hardly issues typically associated with the evangelical movement.
A broader agenda enables the religious right to be more effective. If we are atwo-issue movement, we will be relegated to the margins.
Some activists in the religious right don't consider you a conservative.
I am a solid conservative. But as a young man, I supported George McGovern in 1972. I opposed the Vietnam War. My parents were union members. I'm a whole lot more sensitive to what it means to be a liberal, because I once was one.
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