Democrats Eye Evangelical Vote (they don't get it)

Focus on the Family ^ | January 18, 2005 | Keith Peters

[DBeers]

The party of abortion has tapped a leader from the religious left to help it get back in the good graces of the red states.

Democrats are looking for ways to tap the evangelical vote that went so strongly for Republicans and President Bush in November, so they've enlisted the leader of Sojourners, Jim Wallis, to help improve their party's poor image in the eyes of Christians.

Wallis, one of the leaders of the evangelical left, told The New York Times that Democrats have a problem: They are being perceived as secular fundamentalists.

Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, said they're perceived that way because that's, in large part, what they are — thanks to the Hollywood elite, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other secular interest groups.

"It's a very secular, very humanist philosophy that they embrace, and it's very hostile to evangelical Christianity," he explained. "So until that changes, Democrats are not going anywhere with evangelical voters."

Wallis also said Democrats must better explain the moral and religious foundations behind their policies designed to help the poor. Wildmon doesn't buy it.

"Democrats traditionally have favored big government programs," Wildmon said, "and the Republicans supported by a lot of evangelical Christians have been in favor of free market ideas or private charity ideas or people getting jobs who are able to work."

Dr. Janice Crouse, who heads the Beverly LaHaye Institute at Concerned Women for America, said Wallis and the Democrats seem to think all the solutions to what society needs can be found in government.

"Anybody who has looked at history," she said, "will understand that you cannot change social structure and change people's hearts, you have to begin by changing people's hearts, thereby changing the social structure."

Wallis was not available for comment.

[DBeers]

LMAO - they still don't get it....

From: Sounds Like a (Liberal) Theocracy to Me

-snip-

"The big lie is on its way. The rhetoric will shift to moral values of another type: the environment, helping the poor, health care, and war and peace issues. For decades, liberals have been saying that religion must be kept separate from politics, unless, of course, the Bible can be used to support a liberal agenda. Last night, I heard Cornell West of Princeton cite the passage from Amos 5:24 that appears on the civil rights memorial in Montgomery, Alabama: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." For him, "justice" is using civil government to take money from "the rich" and give it to the poor. Theft, even if it's done by politicians, is not justice. In reality, the poor are hurt by high taxes. It's spending, saving, and investing that makes an economy grow. There would be no shortage of jobs if taxes were reduced by at least 50%."

"Just prior to the election, I debated Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine. Wallis took the position that the Bible addresses more than just abortion and homosexuality. He claimed that there are 2000 verses that speak to poverty. This may be true, but he never said how the Bible actually describes how the poor should be helped. Like Cornell West and Jesse Jackson, who's using the same post-election moral rhetoric, his solution is to give civil government more authority to confiscate wealth and redistribute it to the poor. As Gary North writes, liberal "values are about sticking a gun into a successful person's belly, taking his wallet, removing an unstated percentage of the money, and handing the wallet back. 'See you at the next election.'""

-snip-

[hiredhand]

SHHHHH! Don't tell them anything! Let them spend their money, and expend their efforts!

In the end, they'll simply have less money, and be frustrated.

You're correct. They do NOT get it.

[MisterRepublican]

"Wallis, one of the leaders of the evangelical left, told The New York Times that Democrats have a problem: They are being perceived as secular fundamentalists."

Well, now see that's just wrong. Most Democrats are atheists.

[GOP_1900AD]

They probably sensed some of the frustration on the parts of cultural conservatives with the Center Right, current majority faction in the GOP. However, how can leftists win those who are to the Right of the current GOP controllers? Of course they could only do it by trickery.

[bray]

BTW, how did that Roundy Rounder vote go for the Rats??? This strategy seems about as likely!

Pray for W and Our Troops

[steplock]

He's a "evangelical left" ???

Well, in that case, I am the best COMMUNIST republican you can find! If you want to know anything good about communism, socialsm, fascism - I am your man!

I am the pre-eminent authority on all things tyrannical!

[PistolPaknMama]

very hostile to evangelical Christianity," he explained. "So until that changes, Democrats are not going anywhere with evangelical voters."

Do they want to change the Demoncrats to fit in with the Evangelicals or do they want to change the Evangelicals? Somehow the National and World Councils of Churches came under this secular dogma. Some of their web pages look like thier lift right off the UN website...the antithesis to freedom and Christianty.

[ViLaLuz]

I'm a liberal Democrat and I believe in God.

I AM GOD!

[umgud]

I believe that DU represents a good cross-section of the far left. I also believe that the far left is in control of the dem party. I go to DU for kicks and also to see their thought process. I've seen their threads on Michael Nudow and his fight against prayer, the evolution threads and many others. Trust me, those in control of the dem party are never gonna get the evangelical vote.

[bilhosty]

I think this is one thing that actually galvanized the religious right in the 1980's. these people had actually took over many main line and other church's and alienated everybody causing a reaction.

I give it about a zero chance of working. I grew up in a church on a college campus where about half of the congregation were from the campus and half were ordinary people from the community. We were blamed for poverty, racism, the Vietnam war etc. We were told that when we ate something somebody in India starved and on and on an on. I found out that the people from the congregation who were not affiliated with the campus completely saw through them and while they stayed quiet they were totally unmoved.

That won't deter liberals. They are good arguers and very verbal. That is one of their strong points and also their weak point. They think they can just talk people into accepting their point of view by persuasion and debate. They of course thought we could persuade the Soviets to give up their arms by just appealing to the goodness that exists in every bodies heart etc.,etc. Of course they lost 7 out of 10 elections which just goes to show about how their persuasive powers are.

The weak point of this is, people who are good talkers are poor listeners. And listening is the crucial skill of a politician, The Republican's are better listeners.

[xJones]

Let's see, um, first they could haul Michael Moore around to a few Full Gospel churches, and after the deliverence (which might take weeks) he could attend a few Southern Baptist, Church of Christ, Nazarene, and Assembly of God churches. And if Evangelicals could film all that and make a movie of it, we might even love him.:)

[DBeers]

Wallis, one of the leaders of the evangelical left, told The New York Times that Democrats have a problem...

Yes, their problem is they have the same modernist immoral values as Wallis...

LOL! -the blind leading the blind...

[holyscroller]

"Wallis, one of the leaders of the evangelical left, told The New York Times that Democrats have a problem: They are being perceived as secular fundamentalists."

Uh, wrong Wally. They're perceived as hell-bent heathen baby-killers. You can put lipstick on this pig, but it's still gonna be a pig.

[carlr]

"Do they want to change the Demoncrats to fit in with the Evangelicals or do they want to change the Evangelicals?"

Neither.What they wan`t is the Jimmy Carter trick.Fool people into believing that they support a evangelical religious life when in truth they have no use for it past the voting booth.
Carter ran as an evangelical but his cozying up to some of the worlds most anti-Christian monsters would indicate something other.

[hiredhand]

Good points! I "think" the issue here is one of the heart. The leftists have a goal, or "agenda" to appeal to us evangelicals. Although some of us might even smile and talk to them, they are easy to spot, and soon give themselves away and show their vile personalities.

To them, this is a strategic endevour. They have no real desire to actually spend THEIR money, or time helping those in need. THAT sort of action takes a correct "heart" which only comes from the Lord.

God's Word is indeed correct when it states that you can tell a tree by it's fruit.

It's just ironic that they lack the ability to be sincere....which is exactly what they must be to win evangelicals.

[DBeers]

well said!

[bilhosty]

Their view of biblical literature is that whatever is left is the biblical way. And what is not left is not biblical. Just like their lawyers whatever is left is the constitution and whatever is not is against the constitution. They seem to have no passion for anything that is not on their political agenda. No wonder they love the constitution and the bible so much. You can see straight through them.

[joesnuffy]

The only benefit democrats will ever get from Christian Evangelical conservatives...is that moderate conservatives may cause them to stay home next election day...

-broken promises on social issues

imo

[PistolPaknMama]

Fool people into believing that they support a evangelical religious life

The libs may own whorleywood and the main scream media, but the conservatives own the internet and the radio. If the internet had been as big in the Carter days, he would ever have won. Voters today are more savy and educated and certainly have access to more information than CBS, NBC and ABC would like you to have.

[FeeinTennessee]

Funny...ROTF! Desperation in the democrat camp has turned to full blown insanity!