Evangelical Association Petitions President Trump for Ambassador with “Biblical Values”

This afternoon, Donald Trump was officially inaugurated as the forty-fifth President of the United States of America. He succeeds Barack Obama, who appointed Carlos Moreno, former California Supreme Court judge, as U.S. Ambassador to Belize. But from the moment of Moreno’s arrival, the local Evangelical community protested against him, on the basis that he was too permissive of the LGBT culture. Moreno openly said he was supportive of a wider spectrum of protection under human rights. Among other things, the ambassador allowed a “rainbow” flag, symbol of the LGBT community, to be flown at the Embassy, and declared support for the amendment of Section Fifty-Three of the Criminal Code which was overturned in a court challenge by Caleb Orozco last August. As the new U.S. President takes office, the National Evangelical Association of Belize, the primary opponents of LGBT rights and proponents of Christian family values, has written to ask him to appoint an ambassador that would be the anti-thesis of Ambassador Moreno. Reverend Lance Lewis, President of the Association, tells us more via telephone.

On the Phone: Lance Lewis, President, National Evangelical Association of Belize

“We want to ask the new President – we have asked; we have sent a letter, asking that he sends an ambassador that is more for family values, Biblical family views, man and woman. That is essentially what the letter was saying. As a new President, sending an ambassador to Belize requires – we would like him to send an ambassador that believes in strong family values as shown in the Scriptures. Essentially that is what was set out in the letter.”

Reporter

“When was the letter sent and are you expecting any response?”

On the Phone: Lance Lewis

“Yeah earlier this year it was sent…”

Reporter

“So a couple weeks ago…”

On the Phone: Lance Lewis

“Yeah, a couple weeks ago…”

Reporter

“And in terms of a response…”

On the Phone: Lance Lewis

“Well, we expect to get a response – I’m not sure if a response has come in, I haven’t seen it, but we expect that we would get a response. Of course you know that today is the inauguration of the new President, so we didn’t expect anything too quickly; but it was written before he became President which is today.”

Ambassadors were asked to leave their offices at least ten days ago. No schedule has been set for the appointment of new Ambassadors to countries other than former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to the United Nations, which is a Cabinet post; her confirmation hearing is underway at the Senate. When we asked Pastor Lewis whether this was outright attempting to influence the selection, he responded that the new President “was elected in many ways because people were looking for a change for the better in many ways to include the moral and spiritual.” As for where the new President stands on LGBT issues, he is against marriage for same-sex couples, but would otherwise protect their basic rights.