UPDATE ON PRO-LIFE EVANGELICALS FOR BIDEN

The response to our announcement via national press conference (zoom) last Friday, October 2, has been fantastic!

The major story in the WASHINGTON POST  and Richard Mouw’s  and my  OPED  in the CHRISTIAN POST have produced a bunch of spinoffs, comments, attacks – – and gobs of new signatures!

Spinoffs include:  a story on Joel Hunter in the Orlando Sentinel; an attack on Rich Mouw in the IOWA STANDARD; affirmation in BLACK CHRISTIAN NEWS; a story in the politically conservative WASHINGTON EXAMINER;  brief mention on MSNBC; and the top item by Robert Jones (he is one of the most important pollsters on religion and politics in the US)  in his regular PRRI update released this morning. Some people are having “fun” – for example, one person signed as Adolf Hitler. And a few comments are angry and nasty. But overwhelmingly they are very positive.

Already, over 2000 people have added their names at:  www.prolifeevangelicalsforbiden.com.

 Two more former presidents of major evangelical seminaries have joined our list of well-known signers: Samuel Logan, Westminster Theological Seminary and Dennis Hollinger, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. 

Obviously, we have hit a crucial nerve.  For evangelicals,  it is a very central issue in this election. If you will help us spread the word, we can truly influence the outcome on November  third! 

YOU CAN HELP!

Let me list some things each of you can do to spread the word. Most important, share the basic announcement (below, I have printed the Friday blog so you can easily share the statement). Send it to all your friends and relatives – – including those who may disagree! It may lead them to rethink their choice this year. Send it to all your email list. Consider doing an OPED for your local paper (feel free to adapt Mouw’s and my OPED in the CHRISTIAN POST—attached). Or do a 100 word letter to the editor; these are very widely read. And in everything, include the link to sign: www.prolifeevangelicalsforbiden.com and encourage people to sign.

Remember, Donald Trump became President because of about 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan in 2016. This year, these states are in play and so are many others. So let’s do all we can to avoid another four, even more disastrous, years of the Trump presidency. [If your friends need more evidence, give them the book I edited:The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump:30 Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth and Moral Integrity.)

Thank you very much for all your efforts. Together we can make a difference!

Here are the documents you can use: the OPED in the CHRISTIAN POST and my Friday blog with the statement.

Click here to get the OPED in the CHRSTIAN POST:https://www.christianpost.com/voices/fri-2nd-embargo-for-noon-we-are-pro-life-evangelicals-for-biden.html

MY FRIDAY BLOG:

SOMETHING BIG HAS JUST HAPPENED!

In a press conference today (zoom ,of course)that I chaired, prominent evangelical leaders publicly launched the statement, “Pro-life Evangelicals for Biden” (see below). In addition,  The Christian Post, which has tens of millions of views each month, published an OPED  by Rich Mouw and myself on this statement. And Friday morning, the Washington Post published a story on us.

The signers include many prominent evangelicals known and respected in the evangelical world for decades: Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline; Roberta Hestenes, president emeritus of Eastern University; John Huffman, prominent evangelical pastor and board chair emeritus of Christianity Today; Jerushah Duford, author, speaker and Billy Graham’s granddaughter; Brenda Salter McNeil, author and longtime IVCF staff; Joel Hunter, for years, pastor of a Florida megachurch; Richard Mouw, president emeritus of Fuller Seminary; and more (see below).

The group is diverse. At least one signer voted for Donald Trump in 2016. It includes at least one lifelong Republican. There are several who never before publicly endorsed a presidential candidate but now feel compelled to do so this year. Richard Mouw and I organized this effort. 

And we want you to join us!  Add your signature (see below).  And forward this blog to all your friends!

Here is the statement of Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden:

“As pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with Vice President Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion. But we believe a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from beginning to end.

“Many things that good political decisions could change destroy persons created in the image of God and violate the sanctity of human life. Poverty kills millions every year. So does lack of healthcare and smoking. Racism kills. Unless we quickly make major changes, devastating climate change will kill tens of millions. Poverty, lack of accessible health care services, smoking, racism and climate change are all pro-life issues. As the National Association of Evangelicals’ official public policy document (FOR THE HEALTH OF THE NATION) insists, “Faithful evangelical civic engagement and witness must champion a biblically balanced agenda.“  Therefore we oppose “one issue” political thinking because it lacks biblical balance.

“Knowing that the most common reason women give for abortion is the financial difficulty of another child, we appreciate a number of Democratic proposals that would significantly alleviate that financial burden: accessible health services for all citizens, affordable childcare, a minimum wage that lifts workers out of poverty.

“For these reasons, we believe that on balance, Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump. Therefore, even as we continue to urge different policies on abortion, we urge evangelicals to elect Joe Biden as president.”

Richard Mouw.                                                                  

President emeritus                                                             

Fuller Seminary

Ronald J Sider

President emeritus

Evangelicals for Social Action

Brenda Salter McNeil

Reconciler, Professor, Pastor

Jerushah Duford

Speaker, author

Billy Graham’s granddaughter

John Huffman

Board Chair emeritus

Christianity Today

Roberta Hestenes

Former President

Eastern University

Claude Alexander

Bishop

Joel C Hunter

Faith community Organizer

Richard J. Foster

Author, Celebration of Discipline

Founder, Renovare

Myron S. Augsburger

President emeritus

Eastern Mennonite University

Ray Bakke

Professor of Global Urban Mission

David Black

President emeritus

Eastern University

Bryant L Myers

Professor, Fuller Seminary

Manfred Brauch

President emeritus

Palmer Theological Seminary 

John Perkins

Founder, Christian Community Development Association   

Go to www.prolifeevangelicalsforBiden.com to add your signature. 

And as always, invite your friends to join my free blog: ronsiderblog.substack.com.