"NAE is adopting the sad trajectory of the National Council of Churches, speaking to detailed political issues beyond its traditional moral purview and the consensus of its constituency." -- Mark Tooley, IRD President
Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) Board of Directors has passed a resolution on immigration that effectively endorses liberalized policies. Passage of the October 8 resolution continues the NAE on a path away from primarily advocating on behalf of moral issues such as the sanctity of life and defense of marriage, and into a more politicized role aligned with the Evangelical Left.
Last week, NAE's president testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. As part of a panel of religious leaders that advocated loosening immigration policies, Anderson called for Congressional action, while admitting that some members of NAE churches will not agree with NAE's resolution. New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, committee chair, welcomed the NAE stance.
In recent years the NAE has embraced policies on the environment and U.S. "torture," now immigration, and appears poised to address nuclear disarmament.
IRD President Mark Tooley commented:
"There is no clear Christian stance on correct immigration law. But NAE is adopting the sad trajectory of the National Council of Churches, speaking to detailed political issues beyond its traditional moral purview and the consensus of its constituency.
"The NAE resolution acknowledges that 'the Bible does not offer a blueprint for modern legislation,' but then it offers a blueprint. So who is speaking here, if not the Bible? It's not the membership of NAE local churches.
"Like the National Council of Churches for which the NAE was founded as an alternative, today's NAE elites are too quickly adopting political stances in God's name and without consideration for their own churches' members. The ultimate outcome for NAE, as of the NCC, may unfortunately be irrelevance."
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
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