Evangelical leaders applaud Nobel Peace Prize to Obama
Christian leaders meeting in Landover, Maryland today congratulated President Barack Obama for winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, noting the Nobel Committee's mention of the President's vision and pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) said, "I first heard the call for a world free of nuclear weapons from President Ronald Reagan when he addressed the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) over twenty-five years ago. The Nobel prize for President Obama acknowledges and perpetuates the Reagan vision.” With support from Ploughshares Fund, Tyler Wigg-Stevenson co-founded and directs the Two Futures Project, which is working to engage the evangelical community in a movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Says Wigg-Stevenson, “The road to a world free of nuclear weapons is daunting and long. But this Nobel Prize highlights the importance of setting that goal to guide our steps in the short term as we seek to shape a more secure world." He notes that the NAE has a long history of speaking out on nuclear issues.
