The American Association of Evangelicals (AAE) is a new coalition of evangelical Protestant and Catholic clergy and lay leaders who “see that biblical wisdom is the highest love for human beings.” One of AAE’s first order of business? An open letter to pastors, leaders and believers pushing liberal political agendas counter to traditional Christian teaching.
As of October 18, 1,269 evangelical Christian clergy and lay leaders had signed AAE’s letter strongly condemning the Christian Left’s role in advancing anti-Christian political policies.
“As recent leaked documents confirm, and as Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners eventually admitted, wealthy, anti-Christian foundations, following the lead of billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, fund and ‘rent’ Christian ministers as ‘mascots’ serving as surprising validators for their causes,” the letter reads. “We must reclaim the Church’s witness in the world. Biblical truth and wisdom are the highest love for human beings.”
The coalition is organized by Kelly Monroe Kullberg, author of Finding God at Harvard and founder of the Veritas Forum. During an interview with The Stream, Kullberg, who serves as the group’s spokesperson, explained the open letter is the result of multiple failed attempts to engage progressive Christian leaders in conversation.
“Why would religious leaders keep pushing such damaging ideas and policies on the nation,” asked Kullberg. “We think there are answers and we’d like them to join us all in national repentance and renewal.”
AAE points out that left-wing political policies have had real consequences on the Church, the family, the nation, minorities, and the Church’s global witness. According to the open letter, these consequences include:
- A growth industry trafficking in human baby organs and body parts – funded and defended by the Democratic Party.
- The abandonment of a biblical view of marriage that protected and liberated children and adults from centuries of pagan slavery, poverty, polygamy and non-life-giving sexuality.
- The Transgender agenda imposed by Obama-government edict, including gender re-education to be forced on our citizens, businesses, schools, military and churches.
- Doubling of our national debt, economic stagnation and increased welfare dependency.
- Increased minority unemployment, poverty and violent inner city lawlessness, with an accompanying loss of opportunity, self-determination and family stability.
- Heightened racial division and tension, and the growing phenomenon of paid demonstrators being recruited and dispatched to instigate protests that often become riots.
- Open borders and ‘sanctuary’ cities increasing drugs, disease, crime, gangs and terrorism.
- Forced refugee resettlement in hundreds of American cities without citizen consent, mandated by the federal government in collusion with the United Nations. “Refugees” are primarily non-assimilating Muslims, while authorities reject persecuted Christians.
- Hostility towards Judeo-Christian religious liberty in our courts, media and universities including the suppression of conservative speakers, free thought and moral education.
- The widespread, political use of the IRS to intimidate conservative, patriotic and Christian groups that disagree with the current political establishment.
Kullberg insists the AAE isn’t a Christian veneer for Republican power, but the hope that “citizens will dive deeper into, and speak louder of, the life-giving nature of the Bible, the U.S. Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights.”
“The danger is that the Christian faith, evangelical and Catholic, is being used, manipulated, weakened and redefined. It would be good to de-politicize the Church and get back to the gospel, the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that charges life with meaning, and all things with hope. The gospel is actual social renewal.”
Many prominent Christian leaders and cultural influencers have signed onto the letter including, researcher George Barna, author Eric Metaxas, pro-life activists Dr. Alveda King, Priests for Life’s Fr. Frank Pavone, theologian Dr. Wayne Grudem, and Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr.
To read AAE’s letter in its entirety or add your signature, visit http://americanevangelicals.com/.
Comment by Folklight on October 19, 2016 at 3:34 pm
I applaud your efforts to lead them to the ‘Living Water’… Let’s Pray they are willing to Drink it!
Comment by Dan on October 20, 2016 at 12:14 am
Just because someone proclaims himself or herself a Christian evangelical does not make either so. The terms Christian and evangelical have been redefined (or defined down, if you like) and co-opted by the left so they can confuse laity and seekers as to what constitutes authentic Christianity and evangelism in a bid to trivialize and demean both. Some of the worst offenders in this area are preaching in the pulpits of churches every Sunday, particularly the mainline Protestant ones like the UMC, PCUSA , and TEC.