VIDEO: CBN News Reports on Providence Event

Providence magazine presented an event at the Regent University on Tuesday, April 19, about Christians’ response to ISIS. The event was entitled “Evil, Compassion, and ISIS” and garnered the attention of CBN News.

Panelists at the event included Providence Editor and IRD President Mark Tooley; Providence Managing Editor Marc LiVecche; Providence Publisher and Philos Project Executive Director Robert Nicholson; and Providence Contributing Editor and Dean of Regent’s Robertson School of Government Eric Patterson. The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) created Providence last year as a journal presenting a Christian perspective on American foreign policy.

CBN News Reporter Mark Martin published an article about the event entitled “Christian Response to ISIS a Love-Hate Approach?” on April 20. In an interview with Martin, LiVecche emphasized that “the Church has a role to play even in matters of statecraft and foreign policy,” including the fight against ISIS.

“The distance between the Christian church and the state, while real, isn’t absolute,” LiVecche said.

CBN News also produced a video with anchor Efrem Graham that summarized the event (see below). It included an interview with Nicholson. Following is a transcript of the video:

GRAHAM: How should Christians respond to ISIS? A panel discussion at Regent University addressed that topic Tuesday. Speakers included the editor and publishers of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. The title of the lecture was “Evil, Compassion, and ISIS.”

NICHOLSON: Christians should respond to ISIS I think in two ways. We should acknowledge that they are human beings, that in some way, even though it may surprise us, they are loved by God. They were created by Him. But at the same time as we’re feeling that sort of sympathy, that compassion, we should be absolutely against the evil that they’re doing, just like we should be against any evil doers. God hates evil. He calls us to hate evil as well. And we should be supportive of our state, our country, as that country seeks to destroy that evil and to eradicate it, and to protect those who are suffering under their hand.

GRAHAM: Robert Nicholson believes the American Church should speak out in thoughtful and constructive ways, but also in forceful ways, about ISIS and other terror groups. He says Americans have some responsibility to intervene and help those who are suffering.