Press Release
Two Futures, One Choice: Younger Christians Mobilize to Eliminate Nukes
Younger Leaders Are Redefining Evangelical Political Engagement
(AUSTIN, TX) - Signaling a new era of evangelical political engagement, a rising generation of Christian leaders today launched a new initiative that defies ideological categorizations and partisanship: a broad-based citizen mobilization dedicated to the worldwide abolition of nuclear weapons.
Joined by Reagan-era Secretary of State George Shultz, best-selling Christian author and pastor Rob Bell, well-known urban minister Shane Claiborne, Southern Baptist creation care advocate Jonathan Merritt, and author and activist Lynne Hybels -- Tyler Wigg Stevenson, a 31-year-old Baptist minister from Nashville, TN, introduced the Two Futures Project on a conference call with journalists this afternoon.
"Nonpartisan security experts are telling us that abolition of nuclear weapons is the only alternative to their eventual use, and scientists are telling us that we have the ability to do away with them," said Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, who brings a decade of experience on nuclear weapons issues. "Christians have the capacity to bring moral clarity to an issue that is about enacted blasphemy: who do we think we are to claim authority over life itself and the welfare of all future generations? That power belongs to God alone...I believe that American Christians--especially the rising generation--can and should be at the vanguard of a movement to ensure this important work is accomplished."
According to George Shultz, "We ought to have a world free of nuclear weapons. How do we get there? Remember our Declaration of Independence ---'all men are created equal.' In 1776... not all men were created equal, but that 'ought' was where we wanted to go. The 'is' is not up to the 'ought,' but it's getting there. The power of the 'ought' is tremendous and the 'ought' has staying power.... Ronald Reagan had a dream of a world without nuclear weapons, and I share that dream. The 'ought' is an idea whose time has come."
Additional supporters of Two Futures' goals include John Stott, Bill Hybels, Cameron Strang, Leith Anderson, David Neff, Chuck Colson and Tony Hall. Endorsers also include three members of the President's Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - Dr. Joel Hunter, Rev. Noel Castellanos, and Jim Wallis. (See full list of prominent endorsers here.)
"As we attempt to mirror the ministry of Jesus Christ by promoting compassion, justice and peace, we seek to transcend partisanship and welcome the opportunity to partner with people of mutual goodwill," said Jonathan Merritt, Southern Baptist creation care advocate and son of a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. "As we rethink how we can make the world better and safer for future generations, a first step is clearly to beat our nuclear swords into plowshares."
"God does not bless bombs. We cannot simultaneously love our enemies and prepare to kill them en masse. It's time to imagine a different future... and end the instruments of war and move closer to the things that bring life" said Shane Claiborne, best-selling author and leader in urban ministry from Philadelphia, PA.
In two recent national surveys, evangelicals ranked controlling or stopping the spread of nuclear weapons as the top foreign policy issue--a strong indicator that evangelicals have the potential to be mobilized on the issue.
"As a Christian who believes in the profound value of life, I must oppose a weapon that has such vast powers of indiscriminate destruction. To me, this is part of a consistent ethic of life," said Lynne Hybels, who with her husband Bill founded the influential Willow Creek Community Church.
The Two Futures Project will mobilize Christians online and in schools and churches across the country, in partnership with organizations like former Sen. Sam Nunn's Nuclear Threat Initiative. The Two Futures website urges Christians to sign a statement of conviction in support of the abolition of nuclear weapons and to contact President Obama and their elected representatives to express their support for this goal.
"Life is beautiful and nuclear weapons are ugly. But the Two Futures Project isn't just a dream or a slogan or an idea, it's a smart, practical, absolutely necessary reality," said Rob Bell, founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church near Grand Rapids, Michigan and one of the most influential voices among a rising generation of pastors.
In advance of the 2008 election, Two Futures founder Wigg Stevenson organized a private letter signed by dozens of Christian leaders addressed to the then-undetermined president-elect, requesting that he publicly proclaim his support for a world free of nuclear weapons nuclear weapons. They welcomed President Obama's Palm Sunday speech announcing plans to eventually eliminate nuclear weapons. The launch of this initiative comes on the heels of that speech and a week before diplomats from across the globe will gather in New York to prepare for a critically important review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Not incidentally, the Two Futures Project debuted in-person and via this afternoon's conference call during "Q" in Austin, Texas, a premiere annual gathering of top Christian leaders and culture makers.
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