Creating a religious left
It's one of the hottest trends in politics today. Prominent Democrats are suddenly quoting from the Bible - as John Kerry said recently, "I went back and reread the whole New Testament" - but what's truly striking is the determination of liberal Christians to create an effective religious left.
That's why Tim Simpson trekked to Washington this week. A Presbyterian pastor from Tallahassee, Fla., he wants to counter the power of the religious right, which works in tandem with the Republican party, and, as he sees it, "has taken control of the language of our faith ... to promote an extreme and divisive political agenda."
As religious affairs director of the newly minted Christian Alliance for Progress (which was unveiled this week at the National Press Club), Simpson said in a subsequent interview, "We decided we could continue to sit around and grouse, or we could do something about it." So this fledgling grassroots organization, headed by a trio of devout Christians with seed money from private Florida donors, argues that progressive values mirror the teachings of the gospel.
It's a Democratic-friendly message - the same message that the bestselling liberal evangelist Jim Wallis has been imparting to Democrats in private - and it's designed to close the God gap that has increasingly plagued the party at election time. It's also a priority message for ex-Clinton White House aide John Podesta, whose think tank, Center for American Progress, has been hosting events this year for people of faith. [Source]
Proving once again that they just don't get it. Wrapping up some "values" like abortion, homosexual marriage, sex outside of marriage without consequence in religion will fool some but not all. These are the same arguments used about liberal talk radio that if only they had access to the markets and people could hear their message that they would be successful. In this case it is not the medium but the message that is the problem.
Known as 
What next? Abortionists for Christ? I mean, that's how perverse this is. Gives a new meaning to Liberation Theology . . . "following the gospel mandate to free women from their oppressive fetuses". Ugh.
I would look for Gumbleton to be on the advisory board.
It's a very interesting site. You should go have a look if you have a few minutes. Fr. Jake writes a very long and earnest letter about being accepting of diversity and extolling the virtues of toleration. Until, that is, a more conservative commentator notes that Jesus did speak of the consequences of one's behavior. That commentator received his come-uppance quickly and in a most un-diverse like manner.
The interesting thing is, they try this every few months or so. A "religious left" in their sense of the term -- i.e., the agenda of The Nation magazine, sprinkled with "faith" rhetoric -- never seems to get seriously started, to judge from the number of times someone says "hey, we need to start this."
An authentically Catholic "left" would be something else entirely. E.g. Dorothy Day, who was pro-life to the nth degree and had doubts about the hippies who started joining her movement in the '60s....
The Democrat party, in general, holds that a faith filled person helps the poor. I believe that's true as well, but I believe that the Democrat party's ideas to help them are wrong.
Currently, the Democrat party believes that helping the poor =
contracepting the poor, failing that,
aborting the poor, failing that,
taxing the productive to give a measured amount to the poor chaining generation after generation to a life of indignity, failing that,
dehydrate them to death.
O.K., so that last one was a little over the top... but I'm seeing the left aligning themselves in that direction.
This stuff is a flat as old beer sitting too long in a stein. Old and flat and filled with the same old "progressive" platitudes that have been floating around since the 1960s. Someone kindly needs to tell them to turn off their Phil Ochs, John Lennon and Peter, Paul and Mary records, take off the love beads, shave and get a real job.
"We Did Overcome" is now the marching song.
It would seem that just about the time that the Republican Christians have found their footing and can once again breath above water, you have the Democrates now coming along with their spin on things. They will distort, and confuse, but all in the name of Christianity. They are so afraid of the right wing Republicans it's almost, almost funny. So be prepared for that smack on the head by the Democatic paddle with their take on the New Testament. This should be interesting if not numbing.
We should refer to it as...the "religious bereft"...
(deep breath) Last year, after never belonging to either major political party, but always voting pro-life (either Republican or Conservative), I signed up with the Democratic Party. This is not because I believe in them or anything they stand for- I am trying to convince as many people as possible who do not belong to either party, and are prolife, to become dems. Why? For one, to give a sincere prolife dem a vote IN THE PRIMARIES should it ever happen, and two, to have the satisfaction of saying I'm a Democrat who votes Republican- heh! A stat against themselves. If every independent prolifer became a dem, their stinking platform would have to change... it certainly would be a wrench in their works- and it would give us the chance to reverse the damage they have done and will do- (embryonic research, euthanasia, gay marriage). I can't watch this anymore and not do something- I am praying for the wisdom to act according to God's will- and hanging on to hope for dear life... and am also tired of hearing we can't vote our beliefs... says who?
Thanks for the space to vent
as John Kerry said recently, "I went back and reread the whole New Testament"
While crossing the Cambodian border on Christmas of 1968.