DALLAS (ABP) – Twenty-four evangelical leaders — both progressive and conservative — placed full-page ads in leading U.S. newspapers Oct. 18 calling for President Bush and the American public to stop genocide in Darfur.
The leaders requested an immediate session with the president to discuss economic sanctions and deployment of United Nations peacekeeping forces to stop the ethnic cleansing in western Sudan.
Since African rebels fought against the Sudanese government in 2003, extreme government repression by its military and a murderous Arab militia have left more than 200,000 people dead in the Darfur region and more than 2.5 million displaced, according to relief groups.
Along with radio ads, the print ads ran in the Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times and USA Today, plus selected local dailies. The 24 evangelical leaders who signed the ad represent more than 50 million constituents nationwide.
And with leaders from both conservative and progressive organizations on board — from Ted Haggard to Brian McLaren — the call could mark a tipping point in ongoing efforts to intervene in Darfur.
When Washington “feels the heat” from so many varied constituents, it will “see the light,” said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
“What we're seeing is concern, concern, talk, talk, but no action, action. And people are dying,” Land said. “I believe the president does care deeply about this. I see this [request] as helping to strengthen the president's hand. To enable the president to do what is in his heart to do.”
Other members of the group called Evangelicals for Darfur said the ads demonstrate that modern evangelicals care about more than just domestic issues. Rich Cizik, the vice president for government affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals, said evangelicals are the new internationalists. As such, they are in the best position to voice outrage at the atrocities in Darfur.
“I believe the voice that is needed and is, frankly, the most influential is the evangelical voice,” he said. “I believe, in the political and international arenas, that when evangelicals speak, governments listen. If, frankly, if we fail as evangelicals, I think people die. So it is incumbent on our own community to raise its voice and agree together … on this topic.”
Other panelists who spoke during an Oct. 18 telephone press conference emphasized their commitment to backing Bush and then taking the same message to leaders in China and the European Union. The United States should play a pivotal role in pressuring the government in Khartoum, Sudan, and sending humanitarian relief, they said.
Jim Wallis is the head of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, the nation's largest progressive Christian network. He said President Bush should do everything in his power to make Darfur a national priority.
“The U.N. peacekeeping force must be deployed now,” he said. “Whatever is necessary to deploy that force must be done. Those of us who are speaking have not often spoken together on many matters. But because of this we have come together. We cannot let this happen again, yet every day it is happening.”
Part of the trouble in keeping Darfur high in the national conscience is fear. And lack of popular support in the administration and Congress allows Americans to forget the magnitude of the problem, panelists said.
“What I'm afraid is occurring here is an unwillingness to push [the issue] lest we upset a Muslim capital that is led by extremists who will then call in other extremists to attack the ‘crusader' West,” Cizik said.
According to Land, who called the situation a “profound moral test for the world community,” concerned countries must overcome that fear and defy, if necessary, the Khartoum government.
“Every passing day, Khartoum gets closer to its goal of genocidal ethnic cleansing of Darfur,” he said. “Without a multinational force with the teeth — the military teeth — necessary, this genocide will continue. We cannot say we didn't know. We know, and knowing, we have a moral imperative to act.”
Evangelicals for Darfur includes: Rob Bell, founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., author of Velvet Elvis; Charles Blake, pastor of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, founder of Save Africa's Children; Tony Campolo, Baptist evangelist and international speaker; Rich Cizik, vice president for government affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals; Luis Cortés, Jr., president of Esperanza USA; Wes Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of Reformed Church in America; Ted Haggard, president of National Association of Evangelicals; Roberta Hestenes, former president, Eastern University; Joel Hunter, president of Christian Coalition of America; Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, leader of Willow Creek Association; Harry Jackson, president of High Impact Leadership Coalition; Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious; Liberty Commission; Brian McLaren, author, leader in the emerging church; David Neff, editor and vice president of Christianity Today; Glenn Palmberg, president of Evangelical Covenant Church; Bob Roberts, Jr., founding pastor of NorthWood Church, Keller, Texas; Samuel Rodriguez, Jr., president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; William Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA; Ron Sider, founder and president of Evangelicals for Social Action; Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director for the World Evangelical Alliance; Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, author of God's Politics; Gloria White-Hammond, co-founder of My Sister's Keeper; Barbara Williams-Skinner, president of the Skinner Leadership Institute; and Lauren Winner, author and visiting professor at Duke Divinity School.
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