Posted on 05/11/2008 4:12:39 PM PDT by The_Republican
Michael Dudley is the son of a preacher man.
He's a born-again Christian with two family members in the military. He grew up in the Bible Belt, where almost everyone he knew was Republican. But this fall, he's breaking a handful of stereotypes: He plans to vote for Democrat Barack Obama.
"I think a lot of Christians are having trouble getting behind everything the Republicans stand for," said Dudley, 20, a sophomore at Seattle Pacific University.
Dudley's disenchantment with the GOP isn't unique among young, devoutly Christian voters. According to a September 2007 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 15 percent of white evangelicals between 18 and 29, a group traditionally a shoo-in for the GOP, say they no longer identify with the Republican Party. Older evangelicals are also questioning their traditional allegiance, but not at the same rate.
But, Howard Dean, don't count your chickens quite yet. College-age and 20-something Christians may be leaving the GOP, but only 5 percent of young evangelicals have joined the Democrats, according to the Pew survey. The other 10 percent are wandering the political wilderness, somewhere between "independent" and "unaffiliated."
Shane Claiborne, a Philadelphia Christian activist and author of "Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals," has a different name for these folks: "political misfits."
Claiborne has traveled around the country the past several years, speaking and preaching mostly to college-age Christians who are "both socially conservative and globally aware." That makes them disenchanted with both major parties, he said.
"It's not about liberal or conservative, or Democrats or Republicans," he said. "I don't think it's a new evangelical left. ... There's a new evangelical stuck-in-the-middle."
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
What next, pedophile Muslims for McCain.
That pretty much explains everything
This guy is really naive. What do the Democrats stand for?? Punitive taxation, abortion, homosexuality, weak defense, anti free enterprise, anti private property, global warming hysteria, and, oh yes, anti CHRISTIAN!!
Christian cigarettes
But I'm sure he has no problem with Obama's support of infanticide.
Young evangelicals are no wiser than young non-evangelicals. Who cares what they think?
I think he’s a phoney. Purporting to be a Born Again Christian. Additionally, at his age, his brain is not even fully formed. Leave it to the old media to search out such a person to support their bias.
Dudley Dad. Find a job.
Why Dad?
You'll need the money.
Why Dad?
Cause the checks ain't coming your way any more and you ain't coming this way any more either — CLICK!
Could’nt be too hard to find an anti Republican Dud in Seattle.
There’s too much going on in “evanglical churches and colleges” like that Messiah College where the “compassion forum” of Obama-Clinton was held recently.
Leftist socialist dogma about Multiculturalism and Climate Change is being put into the minds of young people in these “Christian” circles
The middle is really a scam for the left to hide itself.
Socialist “evangelicals” love to portray themselves as “moderates” or being “in the middle.”
The left defines itself as “middle” to avoid being labelled “left.”
And it smells like that what’s going on here.
Democracy and the free market--mechanisms which allow your life to be shaped by your nitwit neighbor's kid.
Yes, Christians who always vote Republican are all over the streets of Seattle. The guy is probably a communist coming back from a sojourn to a bathhouse.
But if it was legit, (right) we just take our marching orders from naive twenty year olds who buy into whatever communist appears on their tv screen and magically gives an interview to the Seattle Times about it. Yep, they sure got my vote.
Bogus. Abortion and Christ cannot mix.
Uh, unlike everything the Rats stand for? Please. Your immaturity is showing.
how can a Christian be for obama when he embraced a pastor who taught the cult of liberation theology for 20 years, baptized his kids and named a title of a book after his sermon?
Liberation theology” is a Christian school of thought that sees Jesus not just as a redeemer, but as a liberator of the oppressed. It is often cited as being a form of “Christian socialism” since it mixes politic and religion. This is where the problems lie. The principle criticism of liberation theology is its embrace of Marxism. Pope Benedict XVI, while he was still a cardinal, strongly opposed radical liberation theology. In fact, the Vatican twice condemned the liberationists’ acceptance of Marxism and violence
Did you notice it said sophomore at Seattle Pacific Univ...under the influence..
“Satan comes as an angel of light to deceive even the very elect”, and as college professors.
Born again and cannot get behind Republicans but he can get behind pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, anti-military, anti-Christian, etc policies of the dems.
The fellow is either an idiot or a liar.
Obviously, there’s alot of confusion with the young people today! They’ve been minimized as humans from pre-school on,being told they must fit the ‘norm’. That’s in addition to being taught the new history of our country, as seen by the Academia Illiterata(sarc) Liberals feel we can talk our way to understanding anything, and coexisting with the Jihadists and other mongrels on the planet. As poor a choice as McCain is, he is a quantum leap from ruining our nation with either of the Rats!
yes...his main problem? He’s only 20!!! KIDS that age (including myself at the time) don’t know s**t from shinola. My proposal - the voting age should be raised to 25, when at least they’re out of school a couple of years, working and paying taxes, with the ONLY exception being those who are serving in the military, defending our country. When I first voted, you still had to be 21 (which was young enough to still not know much!), but lowering it to 18 was an absolutely horrendous mistake.
What next, pedophile Muslims for McCain.
Good analogy. Scary, scary time, this election year.
yes, plus “Michael Dudley is the son of a preacher man.”
PK’s (Preacher’s Kids) - biggest rebels around (I know, I dated a couple :-))
“Liberation theology” is a Christian school of thought that sees Jesus not just as a redeemer, but as a liberator of the oppressed.”
In the case of Wright’s church/advocacy, only the oppressed of a particular race! See, the full name used in all their literature, website, etc., is Black Liberation Theology.
Reverse racism - still is racism.
“The fellow is either an idiot or a liar.”
These hoardes of “youth for Obama” eerily remind me of many 70’s Sci-Fi “B movies. Thoroughly hypnotized, rapturous and ready to drink the koolaid.
Myabe even to the age of 30, although I personally don’t have the problem of my adult children having their head up their own ass like this kid does.
If I were his father, I’d yank him out of THAT indoctrination center ASAP - some young adults just aren’t so resistant to the brainwashing as others.
Not all of us youngins are deaf, blind, and retarded. Some of us have brains capable of understanding reason. I happen to put myself in the latter category. Of course, in college I happen to be majoring in Computer Science, and not gay black women of Nowhere, Alaska studies, so that may be the reason.
I am 18, and I will be voting for McCain.
If you want to ban the retards from voting, simply pass an amendment requiring all college students major in something tangible to be eligible to vote, and college liberals everywhere will lose their vote.
Are not evangelicals by nature pro life? How can these people then be supporting a candidate who is 1000% pro abortion?? By going with Obama they seem to be voting against their own ideals. After he is president they will certainly regret their decision, unless they were never really religious and rightist to begin with.
Move along here people, nothing to see. If the statistics of this article are to be believed, 95% of young self-identified evangelicals will still vote republican (if they vote at all). Heck, Obama and Romney didn’t even garner that much of their respective black and Mormon voters.
Ever since 2004 the left has been furiously attempting to grab the religious vote on this country, a difficult task considering they refuse to adopt any of the issues that matter to the demographic - yet they keep trying (and failing).
Educated in Washington? Seattle?? Why wouldn’t he be disenchanted with what Republicans believe?!
...a sophomore....at a university....says it all.
The question is really simple: What do the Republicans in 2008 stand for? What do they believe and what are the chances they will act on those beliefs vs. enactly Democrat Lite policies? Why should a 20 year old, have any clue what the Republican Party stands for, what they'll do or even what conservatives stand for? Where was he going to learn about this?
I realize the Seattle Times seeks out disgruntled Republicans, who people they can portray that way.
"I think a lot of Christians are having trouble getting behind everything the Republicans stand for," said Dudley, 20
So instead he is going to support the unborn baby killing enabler candidate.
My what Progressive Christians.
I think I'll go vomit now.
I’m not Evangelical, but for what it is worth, we have friends who are and they have had so much trouble keeping their older kids in their faith.
We (the mom & I) were talking one day and she said that a lot of the high school & college age kids leave the faith at their church.
It is sad, indeed.
He's as much as evangelical as a seminary student. Read this quotation from him: "I just keep thinking, if Jesus were alive now, he wouldn't necessarily be voting Republican,". Evangelical? Seminary student? My foot!
“I am 18, and I will be voting for McCain.”
Zach - bless you, both for your wise and articulate post, and for giving my heart hope!! BTW, I’m in love with a “computer science/sys admin” guy.
Well said, and I apologize for generalizing, but I think you got my concern (so often justified). Wow, you have an uphill battle with your peers if you speak your views, yes? Tell us more about your experiences on this.
“Maybe even to the age of 30, although I personally don’t have the problem of my adult children having their head up their own ass like this kid does.
If I were his father, I’d yank him out of THAT indoctrination center ASAP - some young adults just aren’t so resistant to the brainwashing as others.”
Welllll, I was thinking 30 also, but that would NEVER fly :-)) As for his father (or mother) - I wonder how many parents even have a clue (or communication line) as to just what their kids are being spoon-fed AND what they think on important issues.
“Not all of us youngins are deaf, blind, and retarded. Some of us have brains capable of understanding reason. I happen to put myself in the latter category.”
PS to you, Zach - in the words of our friend Sean, you’re a great American. (And blessed to have been raised well.)
I believe the far left media are scared to death Obama can't be elected and are trying to discourage Republican voters,hoping we will all stay home on election day and give the unelectable Obama an easy shoo in.
“I believe the far left media are scared to death Obama can’t be elected and are trying to discourage Republican voters,hoping we will all stay home on election day and give the unelectable Obama an easy shoo in.”
Very insightful observation, and I really hope you’re right (I remain cautiously optimistic, so much remains up to McCain et al). Our future is at stake.
However, unlike all the Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians (USA) Methodists and others the gays have successfully misled with their campaign of subversion of their doctrine in various places the evangelicals are not as easily swayed or fooled.
First...this person is no evangelical. And even if he swears he is it is title only for the express purpose to mislead others to do the same. I see them the same way I do so-called Evangelical Gay's who lay claim to that sect of Christianity but have to lie to themselves, God and people to do so. Without even a semi-honest approach they explain away the obvious without batting an eye.
With the worlds’ pleasures beckoning our chilldrens senses, it is indeed a struggle to keep them focused on priorities. Much of the groundwork must be done early and mirrored by the parents! Free will and feeling indestructible enable our young people to make unwise or deadly choices. No parent ever stops worrying about their kids,and most like me wish they could have spent more time on the groundwork!
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