GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The president of Calvin Seminary believes American Christians are being called away from their core beliefs by a political leaders and media who are "directly challenging our most fundamental Christian convictions."

Jul Medenblik is a leading signer of an online petition in which thousands of pastors, theologians and lay leaders are criticizing the "easy blasphemy" of today's political climate.

Medenblik, president of Calvin Seminary for the past five years, is one of eight Christian leaders who signed an advertisement promoting the petition in the April edition of Christianity Today, a magazine aimed at evangelical Christians.

So far, Medenblik said he has only heard positive responses to his participation in the petition. Despite the nastiness of recent GOP presidential debates, Medenblik notes he signed the petition in early December, 2015 - before the current political season began in earnest.

Richard Mouw, a philosophy professor at Calvin College for 17 years and former president of Fuller Seminary, also signed the advertisement.

Ronald Feenstra, the academic dean for Calvin Seminary, also signed the petition, Medenblik said. The 139-year-old institution trains pastors for the Christian Reformed Church and other evangelical denominations.

Although it does not mention any candidates by names, the petition decries candidates and media who "try to win our votes for themselves or their candidates by demonizing the refugee and immigrant."

The petition also calls for gun control. "Because of fear we have armed ourselves beyond all reason and beyond reasonable restrictions," the petition said. "We resist such illusions and pledge that we will seek to limit the proliferation of guns in the U.S.

Immigration also is a focal point of the petition. "Because of fear our politicians and too many in the media try to win our votes for themselves or their candidates by demonizing the refugee and immigrant," the letter said.

"If we follow them we will turn from following Jesus who was once a refugee in a foreign land, and we will ignore the rich biblical injunctions to welcome the stranger. We resist such enticements and pledge to be advocates for laws that regulate in a just and orderly manner the flow of refugees and immigrants."

The "Appeal to Christians in the United States" also calls for Christians to honor the dignity of all people.

"Politicians and too many in the media stereotype African Americans, Asian Americans, people from Hispanic background and followers of Islam," the letter said. "If we follow their lead, we slander our neighbors and blaspheme against the one God of all peoples.

"We resist such stereotypes and pledge to work for laws and practices that honor the dignity of all people."

Medenblik, who was a lawyer and pastor before joining the seminary, said he is a political independent who did not participate in Michigan's open primary election last month.

"There is too much at stake for easy blasphemy. Let us resist publicly all politicians and leaders who exploit fear and pride," the petition concludes.

"Let us help shape the character of our much loved land not by an abandonment of our most cherished Christian convictions but by following the counsel of the Prophet Micah--to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God."

Click here to read the entire petition and review the list of signees.

Jim Harger covers business for Mlive Media Group. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.