Richard Cizik
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Richard Cizik is 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.[1][2] In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities are setting the organization's policy on issues and lobbying the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court.[1] Cizik also serves as NAE's national spokesman and edits a monthly magazine, NAE Washington Insight.[1] Since 2003, Cizik has been active in a type of environmentalism he calls "creation care", a stance that has drawn both support and criticism from fellow Evangelicals.[3]
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[edit] Biography
Cizik graduated with a B.A. in political science from Whitworth College, received a M.A. in public affairs from George Washington University, and earned a Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary.[4] In addition to his position with the NAE, Cizik sits on the advisory boards of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.[4]
Cizik has been married to his wife, Virginia, for over twenty years and the couple has two boys.[4]
[edit] Career
[edit] National Association of Evangelicals
Cizik has been a staff member at the NAE since 1980.[4] He describes himself as a "pro-Bush conservative" and takes conservative positions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and stem-cell research.[2] As one of the organization's primary lobbyists, Cizik has been influential in pushing conservative Evangelical-supported legislation at a national level.[5][6]
[edit] Environmental activism
After hearing scientist and fellow Evangelical John Houghton present evidence on global warming in 2002, Cizik was convinced that environmentalism should be a part of the Evangelical political agenda.[3]
Cizik calls this environmentalism "creation care."[2] He differentiates "creation care" from other environmentalism because of the former's roots "not in politics or ideology, but in the scriptures."[2] Cizik cites several Bible verses to support his position, including Genesis 2:15 and Revelation 11:18.[2]
Cizik has been criticized for his environmentalism by fellow evangelicals and conservatives.[3] He has responded to some of these critics by asking whether his critics are possibly being influenced by their close ties to the conservative movement or oil and gas companies.[3]
In January 2006, the NAE released a letter stating that "global warming is not a consensus issue" that was signed by twenty prominent Evangelical leaders, indicating that the organization would not take a stance on the issue.[7] Cizik opposed the NAE's statement.[3]
Cizik's name appeared as a signatory on the initial draft of the Evangelical Climate Initiative's first statement on the environment, 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.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c National Association of Evangelicals Executive Leaders
- ^ a b c d e http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2005/10/05/cizik/ "Cizik Matters: An interview with green evangelical leader Richard Cizik", by Amanda Griscom Little, Grist Magazine, October 5, 2005
- ^ a b c d e f Is God Green?, by Bill Moyers, Moyers on America, PBS, 2006
- ^ a b c d Cizik biography at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions' website
- ^ Christian lobbying finds success, by Farah Stockman, Boston Globe, October 14, 2004
- ^ Evangelical Christian lobbyist pushes environment, by Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters, September 25, 2006
- ^ Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative, by Laurie Goodstein, New York Times, February 8, 2006
