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Shock: Evangelical Leader Believes in Gay Civil Unions, Says OK to Vote for Obama

By John-Henry Westen
 
WASHINGTON, December 3, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Chief Lobbyist and Vice President for Governmental Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) gave an interview to National Public Radio yesterday in which he admitted to shifting on gay “marriage,” voting for Barack Obama and having a marked distaste for Sarah Palin.  Richard Cizik, spokesman for the NAE, which represents 45,000 US churches, told NPR yesterday that he voted for Obama in the Virginia primary but didn't want to reveal how he voted in the general election. 
 
"I happen to think in the primary he was the best choice," said Cizik of Obama.  Cizik explained that he held party philosophy and the character of the candidate above particular issues.  He thus suggested: "It would be possible for Evangelicals to disagree with Barack Obama on same sex marriage and abortion and yet vote for him."
 
Cizik expressed an obvious distaste for Sarah Palin, citing her stand on the environment as "ignorance" and accusing her of lacking in humility, a trait which he says he admired in Obama.
 
Asked if he had changed his mind on homosexual “marriage,” Cizik replied, "I'm shifting I have to admit.  In other words I would willingly say that I believe in civil unions. I don't officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition I don't think."
 
He advocated that Evangelicals change focus away from the homosexual “marriage” debate.  Revealingly, he said on the subject, "Maybe we need to reevaluate this and look at it a little differently. I'm always looking for ways to reframe issues. Give the biblical point of view a different slant."
 
Cizik said he would "absolutely" support Obama in his scheme to reduce abortions by "government supplying contraception."  He explained, "We're not Catholics who oppose contraception per se."
 
Listen to the NPR interview here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist...

To Contact the National Association of Evangelicals: 

PO Box 23269
Washington, DC 20026
202-789-1011

Contact A Specific Department:

Office of the President
Executive Director

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