FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 20, 2011
Contact: Paul Chesser, [email protected]

As a few environmental activists secretly gather signatures for a document designed to portray mainstream evangelical theology as “Green”-minded, American Tradition Institute executive director Paul Chesser calls attention to their underhanded methods and Scriptural misinterpretations in an opinion piece published today by The Washington Times.

The effort has been undertaken by the Earth ministry Flourish, run by the same individuals responsible for the 2006 statement “Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action.” Flourish leaders Rusty Pritchard and Jim Jewell were able to collect the signatures of nearly 200 church pastors and Christian ministry leaders – most of whom fall into the category of “social gospel” proponents – for that document, but intentionally did not present it to leaders in mainstream evangelicalism, which the public properly recognizes as conservative. When the 2006 proclamation was released it was transmitted widely by the media, and gave the public a distorted view of evangelicals’ views on global warming.

Now Pritchard and Jewell are covertly circulating a new statement, titled “Caretakers of Creation,” to purportedly represent the proper evangelical perspective on the environment, with hopes the media will again help liberals mislead the public. If there is any doubt about Flourish’s underhanded intentions, it is clear by their proviso they have posted at the top of the statement on their Web site: “Please do not publicize this link except to potential signatories.”

In his Washington Times commentary today, Chesser unmasks the real worldview behind the Flourish effort:

“Who’s responsible?” he writes, “Well, capitalist Christians appear to be a big part of the problem, based upon Flourish’s statements that humans must ‘repent of the abuse and misuse of God’s creation,’ that ‘through ignorance or selfishness, we have often failed to faithfully discharge our stewardship responsibilities’ and that ‘the ‘common good’ is neglected in a world of fragmentation and consumerism.’”

Chesser adds that if Pritchard and Jewell acted with integrity, they would have introduced their document for all leaders within evangelicalism to consider and provide input. Instead they again followed a strategy of scripture-twisting and political maneuvering to advance their own “Green” agenda.

Update 10:10 a.m., May 20, 2011: Sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on the morning of May 20, Flourish removed their proviso, “Please do not publicize this link except to potential signatories.” Below is a screen-capture of their Web page with the proviso:

“This just demonstrates how calculating and conniving the leaders of Flourish have been in their brazenly political maneuvering with this document,” Chesser said. “Now with the removal of this proviso, they have shown their true colors. Fortunately we saved the evidence so the truth will be known.”

To read Paul Chesser’s entire Washington Times commentary, go to http://tinyurl.com/5vfbl8b.

For an interview with American Tradition Institute executive director Paul Chesser, call (202)670-2680 or email [email protected].

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