NRB Spearheads PSA Campaign to Get Christians to Polls

Oct 22, 2004 05:25 PM EDT

The National Religious Broadcasters is spearheading a radio and television campaign, involving dozens of evangelical leaders, to encourage Christians to vote this election.

The association of Christian broadcasters produced dozens of Public Service Announcements in which 25 prominent evangelical voices such as Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, Break Point’s Chuck Colson, Family Life’s Dennis Rainey, Concerned Women for America’s Beverly LaHaye, evangelist Luis Palau, and Christian Broadcasting Network’s Pat Robertson speak in a 30 to 60 second clip emphasizing the importance for Christians to vote.

Every clip was unique yet sent one core message to Christians: Vote.

Dobson told listeners, “Your involvement in your nation’s political process this year is critical. I beg you to register and vote and to spend just 5 minutes a day to pray for the upcoming elections.”

While many speakers quoted famous Christian figures, Rainey’s bit put a little twist to an seemingly ordinary question. “Did you remember our date?” he asked, later revealing that he was referring to the election date.

“Voting is as essential to democracy as food is to your body,” said Rainey.

Colson had a powerful message to those who might sit at home during the elections. “As I look at the issues of appointing judges, terrorism, marriage and family, protecting life, I’m struck at how critical it is for Christians to be involved,” he said. “We need to study what the candidates say and then apply a biblical worldview on it to test it and then we can decide.”

Colson said he was not telling Christians who to vote for but telling them to vote.

He concluded, “Just don’t put your head in the sand and stay in the church as if these things don’t matter because they do matter. The future of our nation is on the line. “

Palau said he was an immigrant who has come to appreciate the freedom America offers.

“The freedom America offers is unsurpassed,” said the evangelist. “Please don’t take this freedom for granted.”

He reminded Christians that the results of the election are with the Lord.

“It is God who judges. He brings one down. He exalts another,” said Palau, citing Psalms 75:7.

“Let God use you and vote.”

At the end of each bit, a speaker would tell listeners to visit Operation Vote.com and attribute the message to National Religious Broadcasters.

The bits are intended to be non-partisan.

NRB President Frank Wright, who is coordinating the effort, told Citizen Link it was easy to get Christian leaders to join the campaign.

"We are seeing a level of interest on the part of America's Christian leaders that we haven't seen in a generation," he noted. "In a government like ours, the very minimum level of participation is at the voting booth. We want all of our citizens to be able to cast informed ballots."