Most evangelical leaders still support the war in Iraq and want US troops to "stay until the job is done", according to a survey released Monday.
Even those who say the invasion of Iraq was a mistake based on faulty intelligence believe that it would be wrong to now leave, according to the National Association of Evangelicals' (NAE) February 2008 Evangelical Leaders Survey.
"We should not have gone in," said one respondent, who was only identified as a denominational CEO by the NAE. "But we are going to need to stay in long enough to prevent chaos and to stabilise the country."
Other evangelical leaders insisted the war is just, President Bush was right in his decisions, and the US should weather the course.
"Iraq represents that existential threat we have from global Islamic Jihadists," responded another unidentified leader. "We must defeat it in Iraq, Afghanistan and then act preemptively to destroy it wherever it emerges."
Still others said they have no opinion about the start of the war, but believe that the US cannot now just leave.
"Most evangelicals in America subscribe to the theological position called 'Just War Theory,' that it is morally justified to go to war under certain conditions," explained Leith Anderson, president of the NAE, in a statement.
"However, there is also a strong evangelical voice in the 'Peace Church' tradition that opposes all war."
A number of vocal Christians have condemned all violence and point to the Bible saying the New Testament shows that Jesus is opposed to war.
In November, the United Methodist Council of Bishops called for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and no more deployments of troops to the country.
