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Evangelicals lobby Bush on Sudan crisis
Yahoo/AP ^ | 10/18/2006 | Rachel Zoll

Posted on 10/19/2006 9:26:09 AM PDT by unspun

/snip/

The U.N. wants to send 20,000 U.N. troops to Darfur to replace an ill-equipped and understaffed African Union force that has not been able to quell the violence. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir argued that U.N. forces would start a "re-colonization" of Africa.

Evangelical leaders said they are not calling for U.S. military intervention, but instead want the U.S. to use its authority as a world leader to get a multinational force into the country.

The campaign includes print newspaper ads, a letter-writing campaign to Bush and other activities. Among the supporters are some of the top names in the evangelical movement: the Revs. Ted Haggard and Rich Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals; the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; and the Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe of the World Evangelical Alliance.

Leaders are asking to meet with Bush to discuss their concerns.

/snip/

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: darfur; genocide; persecution; sudan; tedhaggard
The UN has hardly shown themselves to be the answer.

Where is a coalition of the truly willing?

And where are African nations? How about wonderful South Africa?

1 posted on 10/19/2006 9:26:09 AM PDT by unspun
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To: unspun
U.S. to use its authority as a world leader to get a multinational force into the country.

I'll take "None of our Business" for $200, Alex.

2 posted on 10/19/2006 9:29:42 AM PDT by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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To: unspun

In some ways Africa makes the mideast look like a walk in the park.


3 posted on 10/19/2006 9:30:45 AM PDT by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: nonliberal
I'll take "None of our Business" for $200, Alex.

We'll mark you down in the isolationist, hold back on the war against worldwide jihadist takeover, don't care about genocide, don't care about Christian persecution category.

4 posted on 10/19/2006 9:33:30 AM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: unspun

I agree. I am deeply offended by those ads in the Washington DC and New York papers that make it sound as if what's going on in Sudan is somehow Bush's fault, or the fault of the United States, and withhold the fact that it is Muslims who are doing the killing and starving of Africans there. The UN should call on some of its non-contributing members for a change if it wants to go into that particular quagmire.


5 posted on 10/19/2006 9:33:34 AM PDT by 3AngelaD
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To: unspun

I consider myself an evangelical Christian, but I have never heard of these "leaders".

I also question the wisdom of asking for UN help. To me that is like asking the ACLU for help defending Christian's free speech.


6 posted on 10/19/2006 11:02:54 AM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: unspun; All

"The campaign includes print newspaper ads, a letter-writing campaign to Bush and other activities. Among the supporters are some of the top names in the evangelical movement: the Revs. Ted Haggard and Rich Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals; the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; and the Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe of the World Evangelical Alliance."

Can any Evangelical Freepers tell me what they know about the actual standing of these Evangelical Groups among American Evangelicals? Are they legit, or are they groups that hijak an identity so as to appear to represent all those one would think have that identity (like the NACCP).


7 posted on 10/19/2006 11:31:29 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli; unlearner
Can any Evangelical Freepers tell me what they know about the actual standing of these Evangelical Groups among American Evangelicals?

The National Association of Evangelicals is solid. Ted Haggard is true-Bible-based-blue.

That I haven't heard of the other groups I sadly attribute to my own ignorance. Maybe I'll have/take the time to look them up (on a non-Google search engine).

8 posted on 10/19/2006 1:56:40 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: Wuli; unlearner

http://www.nae.net
http://www.tedhaggard.com

http://www.nhclc.org

http://www.worldevangelicalalliance.com/
http://www.wearesources.org/

There is an increasing tendency to lump all evangelicals together with a new round of 'easy believism' that can be traced to some of the mega churches. That would be a mistake, expecially compared to the concerns of these councils.


9 posted on 10/19/2006 2:05:40 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: unspun; All

I only asked because I went to a big "Save Darfur" event in New York City a short while back, sponsored by the Save Darfur Coalition, which includes Christian groups.

The event was (1)dominated by Amnesty International in terms of physical and dominant visual presence (to them it was used for their own membership drive and anti-US political program), (2)used Madeline Halfbright as the keynote speaker, who ended her speech and kicked of the rest of the speakers with anti-Bush jabs (3)which a number of speakers used to say (and I'll paraphrase) "either BUSH gets a UN force into Darfur or WE won't forget that in November", and (4) implying that Bush alone has some magic mojo to move China and Russia closer to the U.S. position on Darfur (which wants a stronger UN force in Darfur).

I left in disgust and told my local "Save Darfur" Christian friends that I was withdrawing my support until they withdrew from the Save Darfur Coalition.


10 posted on 10/19/2006 2:10:19 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli
I think you've hit a nail on the head, as to why these evangelical leaders have been so relatively exclusive as to their approach to President Bush and the publicity surround it!
11 posted on 10/19/2006 2:12:59 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: unspun

I just wrote Ted Haggard.

I gave him my eyewitness report of the "Bush bashing" Save Darfur event that the coalition hosted in New York City in September.

I explained to him how more than one speaker (1)tried to imply that Bush alone could get a UN force into Darfur and (2)if he didn't that fact should not be forgotten in November.

I told him that in my view the American left is doing, in the Save Darfur Coaltion, what it always does. It hijacks and issue and appends it to its own political agenda. That is what they see as the role of the Save Darfur Coaltion - just another tool in their political war against Bush.

The Ted Harrgard's of this world should (1)acknowledge the political subversion being forced on their good intentions and (2)regroup as a separate Jewish-Christian alliance on the issue of Darfur.


12 posted on 10/19/2006 2:46:50 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: unspun
My never having heard of these people or groups does not mean much. The brief investigation I did into their sites led me to believe they are doctrinely-sound, Bible-believing, Christians (rather than like so many phony organizations which front for leftist causes or money-making machines for the leaders).

I think it is unwise for a Christian organization to align with non Christian ones to do Christian work. That does not mean they should stay out of politics, just avoid the focus being diverted and end up becoming a political pawn. Christians can employ unbelievers to do work, but they should never forfeit control of the work (i.e. Christian ministry) to unbelievers.

Red flags go up for me when any Christian group asks for help from the UN.
13 posted on 10/19/2006 6:40:18 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: unlearner
Good points. And according to the article, these evangelical leaders are asking Bush to press further for an independent coalition of the willing, instead of the current incompetent actions of the UN.
14 posted on 10/19/2006 6:59:43 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: unspun
hold back on the war against worldwide jihadist takeover, don't care about genocide, don't care about Christian persecution category.

Dead wrong on the first part. Most of the Christians in the Sudan have already been killed or rescued by groups like Christian Freedom International. What you have left is Muslim v. Muslim. Islam is pure evil and when you have competing forms of evil killing each other off, it is best to just stand by and let them fight.

How is this our problem?

15 posted on 10/20/2006 6:13:45 AM PDT by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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To: unspun

Aha. Thanks for the clarification.


16 posted on 10/20/2006 11:13:25 AM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: nonliberal
Most of the Christians in the Sudan have already been killed or rescued by groups like Christian Freedom International. What you have left is Muslim v. Muslim.

You contradict yourself. There are plenty of Christians left. Also, animists.

17 posted on 10/20/2006 9:14:00 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: unspun
There are plenty of Christians left

Even if there are, which I doubt, that still does not make Darfur "our" problem.

18 posted on 10/21/2006 11:25:01 PM PDT by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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