Religious Left Says It's Ready for Major Political Push

Newhouse News ^ | 9/2/2004 | Mark O'Keefe

[Incorrigible]

Clergy members of many different faiths sing together at Riverside Church in New York during a Let Justice Roll rally Tuesday. (Photo by Harry DiOrio) The Rev. James Forbes, pastor of Riverside Church in New York, delivers a sermon at the Let Justice Roll rally. Riverside is a focal point of the revitalized religious progressive movement. (Photo by Harry DiOrio)

VALUES AND PHILANTHROPY Religious Left Says It's Ready for Major Political Push BY MARK O'KEEFE More Mark O'Keefe Stories

NEW YORK -- With a full-page ad in the New York Times, a flashlight-illuminated protest on Broadway and a plea from rock star Bono for spiritually motivated, poverty-fighting activism, the religious left has sent a message to the presidential candidates and the voters during the Republican Convention.

After years of impotence, their movement is back, progressive religious leaders say.

While it is hard to tell if that assertion has real political muscle behind it, political analysts on the right as well as the left agree that the movement appears determined to make the case that God is not a Republican.

"What we're seeing in this campaign is a reinvigoration of the progressive religious voice," said John Podesta, president of the Washington-based Center for American Progress and a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

A major force in the 1960s civil rights movement and war on poverty, the religious left has been overshadowed in recent decades by a highly organized religious right employing high-tech communication and old-fashioned political strategies to energize grassroots voters.

Scores of state and national nonprofit groups like the Christian Coalition have shown they can light up congressional switchboards, overpower e-mail servers and put issues on the national agenda.

In the past, religious progressives -- their preferred term, as opposed to liberals -- have tried to counter these efforts, but they have lacked the institutional breadth and structure that translate into real political power. Even supporters of the left say the movement's impressive display of activism during convention week in New York may be a matter of geography. Many progressive religious organizations, such as the National Council of Churches, are based here.

A full-page ad in The New York Times, signed by dozens of liberal religious leaders, had a super-sized headline saying, "God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat." That was noticed, but the test will be how effective the movement is outside one of the country's most liberal large cities.

"This may be a case of too little too late," said Podesta, because there is no strong "nationwide organization backing this up."

Michael Cromartie, director of the evangelical studies project of the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, said the religious left is preaching to the liberal choir, not religious swing voters.

"They already have this (liberal) vote," he said. "This National Council of Churches crowd is not about to vote for Bush anyway."

Cromartie and other conservatives cite surveys that show the more religious a person claims to be, measured by church attendance, the more likely they are to say they'll vote for Bush.

But Democrats are fighting to close this "God gap."

It was Clinton who, with prophet-like fervor, uttered this week's first cry from the religious left's wilderness.

"Political involvement dictated by faith is not the exclusive province of the right wing," the former president said at a Sunday service in New York's interdenominational Riverside Church.

In religious language, Clinton accused Republicans of lying about the Vietnam war record of the Democrats' candidate, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

"Sometimes I think our friends on the other side have become the people of the Nine Commandments," Clinton said. "It is wrong to bear false witness."

Riverside, an ethnically diverse megachurch, is the mother ship of "Mobilization 2004" and "Let Justice Roll," nationwide efforts advocating "prophetic justice principles" for this year's voters and candidates.

The Rev. James Forbes, Riverside's pastor, said he has traveled to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Eugene, Ore., Minneapolis, Rochester, Minn., and Boston preaching that "the elimination of poverty" must be a core faith value. He and others say they will keep up such visits until the election.

"What we're seeing is a revitalization of progressive religion," said Paul Sherry, the National Council of Churches' poverty mobilization coordinator, who has traveled with Forbes. "This is far beyond an isolated phenomenon. We've been impressed, even surprised, by the depth of commitment we're seeing in all the cities."

Spiritual commitment was the theme Tuesday at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church a few blocks from the convention site. No candidates were endorsed, but Irish rock star Bono challenged an interfaith crowd of about 250 people to work for social justice by changing political equations.

The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World Institute, a Washington-based hunger-fighting organization, urged activists to "give some money and give some time to a candidate who you believe will help bring justice to the poor and hungry."

In an interview, Beckmann said his group has never been as politically active as they have been this year, and it's having an impact. He said John Edwards, Kerry's running mate, has used poverty statistics in his "two Americas speech" and Kerry has promised to double what Bush has spent to fight AIDS in Africa. That came after Beckmann and other activists met with Kerry's foreign policy advisers at the campaign's request.

Beckmann dislikes the term religious left, arguing that hunger is a bipartisan issue. Former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole is on Beckmann's board.

Beckmann said Bush political strategist Karl Rove closely analyzes data from anti-hunger groups. One survey showed that 78 percent of voters say they would rather hear candidates' plans for fighting poverty than their position on gay marriage. It's no coincidence, said Beckmann, that Bush has begun to address hunger in some of his speeches.

Opposition to Bush policies motivated Michelle Whitfield of New York to join a demonstration Tuesday night on her 42nd birthday. Like others lining Broadway, she pointed a flashlight to the heavens near Riverside Church, the demonstration's main rallying station. Organizers said thousands participated at other points along Broadway and throughout the city.

"The right has for a long time hijacked the notion that they are the only ones that have something to say about God or spirituality," said Whitfield, a legal secretary. "But progressive people are spiritual people. Who was more spiritual than Martin Luther King?"

When asked if progressives will have a major impact this election year, Whitfield acknowledged she has been disappointed in the past.

"It might this time," she said. "It should. But I won't say it will."

Sept. 2, 2004


(Mark O'Keefe can be contacted at mark.okeefe@newhouse.com)

Not for commercial use.  For educational and discussion purposes only.

[Incorrigible]

Kerry has promised to double what Bush has spent to fight AIDS in Africa.

This is the first time I'm hearing this bit of news.

Kumbaya My Lord, kumbaya...

[cripplecreek]

Religious Left = oxymoron.

[Rutles4Ever]

God will not be a puppet.

[linear]

"It is wrong to bear false witness"

And, Mr. Clinton, you ought to know. This man lives as if everyone else in the world was born yesterday.

[John Thornton]

Spiritual commitment was the theme Tuesday at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church a few blocks from the convention site. No candidates were endorsed, but Irish rock star Bono challenged an interfaith crowd of about 250 people to work for social justice by changing political equations.

They only got 250 people even with a rock star in attendance? Yeah, right, this is a movement to fear.

[2banana]

Q. What makes a good Christian when it comes to choosing a ruler or can government do the work of God?

A. What I have read and understood from the Bible is that God and Jesus wants us to help each other by using our own time, treasure and talent and to give from our hearts. Nowhere have I found anything along the lines of “Go out and institute huge bureaucracies that will take money from some people at the point of a sword and give that money to other people as a politician sees fit.”

Our Founding Fathers were Christian and very pious men. They founded this country under strong Judeo-Christian tenets and reflected on their religious beliefs on all their decisions. They wrote nothing into the Constitution of any type of government “aid” to help the poor, children or anyone else on purpose. They wanted a very limited government for good reason. Limited government is the best way to ensure that freedom will be preserved. The Scottish philosopher Alexander Tytler, who lived during the time of the American Revolution and writing of the US Constitution, summed these views:

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure.

From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years.

These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage."

There are many interesting questions if citizens rely on government to do “God’s Work.”

If a government takes a portion of a man’s wages and does good with it, has the man also done good? If a government takes away a portion of a woman’s property and does evil with it, has the woman also done evil? When a rich man pays more in taxes than a poor person, is he more Godly? If the government then does evil, is he more to blame? A woman works for the government and uses other people’s tax money and does “God Work” with it, is this government woman now a good/Godly woman? If I legally try to avoid paying taxes, does that not make me an “Ungodly” man?

Today, the US government takes nearly 50% of a middle-class person’s paycheck after all taxes are factored in (income taxes, Social Security, sales tax, real estate taxes, gas tax, death taxes, phone taxes, highway tolls, sad etc.). Uncle Sam will spend more money in just this year (2004) than it spent combined between 1787 and 1900 - even after adjusting for inflation. I cringe at those numbers. The Founding Fathers wanted nothing like the tax-consuming monster that we have as a government today. I also think of all the good work that could have be done if people were allowed to keep more of their own money and give it to organizations/people that they believe in their heart are doing God’s work. Maybe it comes down to trust. Will people do the right thing with their own money or must a government take a huge chunk of it to do the “right things?”

Except government rarely does anything right except for those tasks that were explicitly outline in the Constitution as the Founding Father intended. I could cite many examples (such as where would you rather put $10,000 in retirement money - in Social Security or in your own 401k plan?) but the plight of black America illustrates this failure beyond comparison.

In 1965, the US government was going to wipe out poverty by the “Great Society” programs, in which to date over 3.5 trillion dollars has been spent. These federal programs were designed to “help families and children” or “buy votes” depending on your political viewpoint.

At the beginning of the 1960’s, the black out of wedlock birth rate was 22%. In the late 1975 it reached 49% and shot up to 65% in 1989. In some of the largest urban centers of the nation the rate of illegitimacy among blacks today exceeds 80% and averages 69% nationwide. As late as the 1970’s there was still a social stigma attached to a woman who was pregnant outside marriage. Now, government programs have substituted for the father and for black moral leadership. The black family and culture has collapsed (and white families are not that far behind).

Illegitimacy leads directly to poverty, crime and social problems. Out of wedlock children are four times more likely to be poor. They are much more likely to live in high crime areas with no hope of escape. In turn, they are forced to attend dangerous and poor-performing government schools, which directly leads to another generation of poverty.

Traditional black areas of Harlem, Englewood and West Philadelphia in the 1950s were safe working class neighborhoods (even though “poor” by material measures). Women were unafraid to walk at night and children played unmolested in the streets and parks. Today, these are some of the worst crime plagued areas of our nation. Work that was once dignified is now shunned. Welfare does not require recipients to do anything in exchange for their benefits. Many rules actually discourage work or provide benefits that reduce the incentive to find work.

The black abortion rate today is nearly 40%. Pregnancies among black women are twice as likely to end in abortion as pregnancies among white and Hispanic women.

The “Great Society” programs all had good intentions. Unfortunately, their real world result are that they have replaced the traditional/Christian models of family/work with that of what a government bureaucrat thinks it should be.

I could make an excellent argument that if the US government had hired former grand wizards of the KKK to run the “Great Society” programs, and if they had worked every day from 1965 to today without rest, they could have hardly have done better in destroying black America than the “Works of God” that the government has done or is trying to do.

I have visited many countries in which the government “guarantees” that everyone has a job, a place to live, education, health care and cradle to grave “government help” for all children and families. It all sounds great except that the people in these countries are/were miserable. They wanted to escape but were forced by their governments, at the end of a gun, to stay. The “worker’s paradises” of socialist and communist counties are chilling reminders of letting governments do “God’s Work.”

The Bible clearly states that we are to help those in need. The question is “Who should help those in need?” I firmly believe that scripture and the historical evidence strongly support that individuals, private organizations and churches should be the ones doing the heavy lifting. Government help should be the last resort.

Written by yours truly,

2banana

[headsonpikes]

Lenin's 'useful idiots' placemarker.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

the religious what? oh, you mean atheists with crosses . . .

[WoodstockCat]

The guy from Riverside Church is a perfect example of a wolf drapped by sheepskin only.

[sauropod]

Riverside ping! Time for a FReep!

[CA Conservative]

I'm sure the (cough,cough)Rev.(snort) Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State will be coming out to denounce this improper insertion of religiosity into the political process at any moment...

[/sarcasm off]

[elbucko]

"God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat."

But the Devil belongs to one or both. That's why there are elections.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

"Political involvement dictated by faith is not the exclusive province of the right wing," the former president said at a Sunday service in New York's interdenominational Riverside Church.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em? LOL! Don't look for the media to point out their hypocrisy. The good news is, God is back in the public square. We will see how well their arguments hold up.

[Gingersnap]

I think this is pretty much smoke and mirrors. The real test of any Christian religious movement is how many people show up on Sunday. All the progressive, mainline churches in my neck of woods have been losing people for years.

In fact, of the people I know who are religious, most have been moving toward more traditional and bible-based churches. Those that aren't very religious just stopped going.

[Unam Sanctam]

The "religious left" is not religious, it just wants to dress up left-wing social movements in semi-religious terms. And apparently the kids of religious leftists aren't even going to church anymore. Who can blame them? If Christ has not died and risen from the dead, then all that is preached is in vain... There really is no point to church shorn of real Christianity.

[niteowl77]

"What we're seeing is a revitalization of progressive religion," said Paul Sherry, the National Council of Churches' poverty mobilization coordinator, who has traveled with Forbes. "This is far beyond an isolated phenomenon. We've been impressed, even surprised, by the depth of commitment we're seeing in all the cities."

Translation:

"We are whipping up socio-economic hatred," said Paul Sherry, the Apostate Humanist Churches' minister of propaganda, who has been Forbes' appointed kommissar. "Decades of keeping city people dependent and gullible (read: Democrat) have fooled more of them than we had hoped for.

At least, that is the impression we want to convey."

[Awestruck]

I guess old Paul's not as popular as he once was.. these ex irish hacks are still using the same tired old rhetoric.. heck, I'm of irish descent and I don't even like him.

[jmaroneps37]

Its people like this that we at catholicsagainstkerry.com
are fighting and warning about every day. They have big money but we have the truth. These phonies should be ashamed of themselves, but of course they're not.
They have sold their souls to the Democrat party.
Help us in our fight.
We have a 60 second radio spot that we are running. Come to our site. Listen to our spot. Help us with a donation. Even 12.00 will get us a minute in a small market station.
THIS IS THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED. THIS IS THE TIME TO HELP!!!!!!

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

"Religious Left = oxymoron"

Amen.

[opus86]

God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat.

Very true. However the God of the Bible recognizes the child in the womb, and doesn't care much for homosexuality. You do the math.

[Fedora]

"Political involvement dictated by faith is not the exclusive province of the right wing," the former president said at a Sunday service in New York's interdenominational Riverside Church.

Churches & Organizations Promoting Liberation Theology

The Riverside Church Disarmament Program (RCDP), run by activists in the leadership of the Marxist Institute for Policy Studies, is a propaganda organization active in the spread of liberationism. RCDP also is closely allied to the communist World Peace Council.

[ArGee]

Riverside, an ethnically diverse megachurch, is the mother ship of "Mobilization 2004" and "Let Justice Roll," nationwide efforts advocating "prophetic justice principles" for this year's voters and candidates.

I'd like to know what they define as "prophetic justice principles." I don't see that here.

The Rev. James Forbes, Riverside's pastor, said he has traveled to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Eugene, Ore., Minneapolis, Rochester, Minn., and Boston preaching that "the elimination of poverty" must be a core faith value. He and others say they will keep up such visits until the election.

James FORBES? James FORBES? Any relation to John FORBES Kerry? I've found a definite connection here. These people are acting illegally in concert with the Kerry campaign and must be stopped.

(BTW: Reverend Forbes, I think Jesus made it quite clear that the elimination of poverty is impossible, but I digress.)

"What we're seeing is a revitalization of progressive religion ... No candidates were endorsed, but Irish rock star Bono challenged an interfaith crowd of about 250 people ...

About 250 people???? Now I'm scared.

Who turned this into a "news" story, that guy from the post WWII era that President Bush quoted last night?

Shalom.

[firebrand]

We had people yelling at us on the sidewalk, "Do you love Jesus?" We walked right on by, as it was obviously a commie deception to get us interested and then these "Christians" would insult us.

The most obscene, to me, was a woman who stopped in front of our prolife protest as she marched on Seventh Avenue, faced us, bowed her head piously, and then prayed for us. When she was finished, she made the little cross signs on her forehead, lips, and heart the way the priest does before he reads the Gospel. I constantly remind myself not to react to them, but this blaspheming piece of garbage with her belly showing just turned my stomach.

Yes, we must freep this babyish, nauseating attempt to possess God. As soon as the National March Against Terror is over, let's concentrate on this.

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

What now...whacking Republicans with the bodies of late term abortion babies??

[Beckwith]

Next weekend this tent show goes to the Glide Memorial Church.

It will be a warm-up to the mime-transvestite-siamese twin-goat wedding ceremony.

All donations should be made out to the Kerry-Edwards Campaign or NAMBLA.

[HamiltonJay]

The "Religious" Left in my experience has been a lot of folks who know very very very little about Religion. Their "religious" beliefs are watered down catch phrases that have little to nothign to do with the teachings they claim to follow.

Such tripe as:

God (or Christ) is Love.

Yes, God love's all his children, and his love is unconditional. That does not mean however that God loves every action of every person and condones it. God loves a Rapist, but rape is not moral or condoned by god. God loves the murderer but murder is not condoned by God. God loves the homosexual, but that does not mean that God smiles upon their actions either! This limp wristed pansie catch phrase being portrayed as a religion in and of itself is hogwash.

Leftists that claim to be religious by and large in my experience have the theological depth of a golf divit.

[N. Theknow]

Stained glass window of the Religious Left

[oblomov]

Their religion is state worship.

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

"The right has for a long time hijacked the notion that they are the only ones that have something to say about God or spirituality," said Whitfield, a legal secretary. "But progressive people are spiritual people"

The big difference is that the Left can get away with carrying on politics IN THE CHURCH (Clinton has spoken at churches many times). Conservatives, on the other hand, are threatened with loss of tax exempt status if they mention politics.

[blue-duncan]

Religion has always been the opiate of the masses for it leads them to feel that works merit standing. What the bible calls for is not religion but a life commitment to a Person that conforms one into the life image of Him in thought and living.

[Freakazoid]

This is only going to increase for these reasons:

1) The mainline churches are hemoraging true believers. The leftists remain and become a larger percentage of the (declining) membership of these churches. This will cause the 'echo chamber effect' to increase their agreement amongst themselves. This is similar to the N.O.W. gangs increase in their polarizing language.

2) The media are sympathetic to their views and will give them a platform for their ideas (feeding back into and reinforcing item 1 above).

3) I expect to see their membership numbers turn around as liberals percieve a friendly environment and start attending church to assuage their latent feelings that they are missing out on something. They'll find a 'home' that matches their needs.

It's quite sad and disturbing. I would say that Martin Luther is spinning in his grave but I know that's just a pile of dust on a hole. Martin is busy laying his crown at the feet of Lord.

[Bob J]

This is nothing more than a Kerry/DNC effort to put a Jesus face on their communism.

[John Lenin]

After years of impotence, their movement is back, progressive religious leaders say.

There is No such thing as the progressive religious movement. Jesus for choice ? I don't think so.

[TonyRo76]

preaching that "the elimination of poverty" must be a core faith value

Uhh...could this Leftpreacher point me to whatever passage in Scripture says humans/governments are supposed to eliminate poverty???

And here I thought the Great Commission was all about making new disciples by bringing people to Jesus.

[TonyRo76]

Sounds like Riverside Church itself is a perfect example of a whited tomb.

[Tempest]

yep, my thoughts exactly

[RedWhiteBlue]

The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World Institute, a Washington-based hunger-fighting organization, urged activists to "give some money and give some time to a candidate who you believe will help bring justice to the poor and hungry."

Or, if you REALLY, TRUELY care about the poor and hungry, you'll give that money to a soup kitchen and volunteer some of your time to actually help feed them. Unless, of course you are a socialist and expect the government to do it.

[hobbes1]

"Political involvement dictated by faith is not the exclusive province of the right wing," the former president said at a Sunday service in New York's interdenominational Riverside Church.

Hmmmm.....And today, Beelzebubba is Where?????

Bypass Surgery?

Curious timing indeed...

[xsmommy]

yes, sunday he was out front of that church telling Geraldo that Pres Bush had born false witness. i screamed blue murder when i heard him utter the words.

[kaehurowing]

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Time to start filing complaints with the IRS to strip these groups of their tax exemptions.

[hobbes1]

Well, If this is as sudden as they say it is, maybe someone else disagreed as well ; )

[sport]

This should surprise no one.

kerry has promised to double everything.

What he has not promised to double, he has promised o immediately overhaul, change, or fix.

[ZULU]

Religious PROGRESSIVES!!!????

I guess this term describes who people who think God feels its O.K. to break his commmandments, don't believe in the personality of Satan, feel every conceivable perversion is acceptable, feel religions should dictate foreign policy, oppose the death penalty, help smuggle illegal invaders into the Country, and don't believe in the death sentence or the Second Amendment.

"Undenominational" Church indeed. More like Unitarians.

[george wythe]

These left-leaning churches have been active forever. Nothing new here.

It reminds of the Coral Gables Congregational Church near Miami, Florida. The "church" provides Sunday School guest teachers such as the leader of the Florida branch of People for the American way. She's an avowed atheist.

Similarly, a guest speaker for the middle-of-the-week Bible study was Howard Simon, the president of the ACLU. A secular Jew is how he describes himself.

Of course, the current senior pastor told the Miami Herald:

'We live in a period when an irregularly elected president is presiding over two undeclared wars, giving away the national treasury to the rich, hurting the environment and calling those of us who oppose him unpatriotic.

No political bias there.

[SunkenCiv]

wholeheartedly agree.

[RinaseaofDs]

Perfectly succinct analysis.

Kudos.

[mewper]

Great! May I mail this to friends?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"What we're seeing in this campaign is a reinvigoration of the progressive religious voice," said John Podesta, president of the Washington-based Center for American Progress and a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

Yeah...God is a secular humanist socialist. Sure, right... He reads The Nation and supports abortion and slaughtering human embryos for stem cells. Any other howlers the Kumbaya mafia would like to share???

[chesley]

I always like 'kumbaya' when I was growing up. HOw the hell did the 'progressives' hijack it?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

The goofier aspects of Vatican II had something to do with that. Vietnam protests and folk guitar Masses happening around the same time.