US evangelicals warn Republicans

BBC ^ | 3/17/6 | Jamie Coomarasamy

[Crackingham]

Prominent leaders from the Christian right have warned Republicans they must do more to advance conservative values ahead of the US mid-term elections. Their message to Congress, controlled by Republicans, is "must do better". Support from about a quarter of Americans who describe themselves as evangelicals was a factor in President George W Bush's two election victories. The Republicans will need to keep them onboard if they are to retain control of Congress in November.

At a news conference in Washington, some of America's most influential conservative leaders said the current perception among evangelical Christians was that the Republican majority was not doing enough for them. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said that apart from confirming two conservative judges to the Supreme Court, "core values voters" did not feel that Congress was advancing their interests.

The leaders appear to be reflecting a growing sense of frustration among the Christian right, over what they see as a lack of legislative progress on issues such as banning same-sex marriages.

[Godebert]

".....did I really need 4 pistols when one would do? "

Take a good look folks. You think guys like this Wombat101 give a rat's @$$ about your 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms? No wonder they shill for that gun-grabbing, gay-rights abortionist from New York city.

[McGavin999]

They need to be more specific. What is it that needs to be done, you can't just say you're not doing enough.

I would say that two conservative judges on the USSC was a phenomenal success and that doesn't even mention all the appointments to the lower courts.

One of the things republicans do not understand is that when they bash President Bush they are making it far less likely that they will be able to advance their agenda because bashing weakens the president and weakening the president makes the congress run for the hills.

[NZerFromHK]

I grew up in Asian Christian scene. Non-Western Christians are evangelicals, but politically they are a little like flipping around the policy platforms of Southpark republican. I have been taught from a young age to: oppose porn, drug legalization, abortion, gay marriage, support pacifism, UN-maultinational "peace", social welfare system, state intervention of the economy. "Every political right-winger are warmongering anything-goes on morality!" is a caricature they print on the minds of Asian Christians.

An earlier article shows what these Christians in Asia think:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1582728/posts

This probably reflects the US ethnic minority evangelical Christians' attitudes.

[CobaltBlue]

On second thought, if people like you hope to run the party in my absence, I'd rather stick around and kick you out.

[ladyinred]

This makes me sick to my stomach. We will have people like this to thank when the liberals take over again. What are they thinking? It appears some want robots or a theocracy. We separated from Mother England for that very reason. Grow up and think! (I don't mean you of course!)

[Godebert]

"I'd rather stick around and kick you out."

If you get your wish and either Julieannie or McLame get the nomination you won't have to worry about "kicking me out"......i'll be finished with the GOP for good.

[ModelBreaker]

Conservatives in general (fiscal and social) get most upset when the moderates court their vote on election day and then actively oppose conservative goals when governing. So here in Colorado, we have a party that is controlled at the state level by folks who just supported a huge tax increase and a removal of constitutional limits on spending. Of course, they campaign as 'conservatives' every two years because that's how you get the nomination.

Most conservatives understand reality. You can't get everything you want every time. The folks you elect cannot perform miracles. But conservatives also understand when so called 'conservative' leaders actively oppose conservative values. That's when they stay home. It happened in 1982. I'm very worried it's going to happen again in 2006. That would be a disaster for W's third, and most important, supreme court nominee.

[WalterSkinner]

..conservatives have never won by being anything but conservative...

Let Democrats be the party of "I want everbody to feel good about me and themselves"-- without vision, principle or morality.

[fortheDeclaration]

Well the fact is that the Republican Party is more conservative then the Democrat.

And since this nation is really only a two Party system, you must realistically work through one or the other.

[fortheDeclaration]

I can't say for sure but it appears that(in general terms) in most cases the bigger the Church the smaller the Bible My reference was to all the "politics" that go on inside the churches. The power grabs and "clicks" etc.

I can agree with that.

[MayflowerMadam]

Isn't Paul Weyrich quite ill -- or might I be thinking of someone else?

[Sam Gamgee]

Well, yeah. I'm in Canada so we have even more leftist parties, if that can be imagined. In my small little church we have a woman that campaigned for the NDP, even though they are pro-abortion and gay marriage. I don't know how she justifies that.

[Sam Gamgee]

I would be ashamed to know any evangelical who doesn't exercise their right to vote. In a society that seeks to marginalize Christianity, we should exercise what little power we do have.

[Sam Gamgee]

Yeah, good point. They can choose to not vote. My disgust was the 25% that throw for the pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage DemoRats. You are speaking of Bush Snr, correct? I didn't like it either when I heard his "New World Order" talk. Is he not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations? I don't like or trust these one world order types at all. And I agree that somehow the US must get beyond the 2 party system. But it doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon with the extreme position and candidates taken by the DemoRats. I remember by father-in-law crowing about how Democrats love to spend money, only thinking "how are Republicans any different?".

[antceecee]

I don't look at it as MY reality, I look at it as the (sad) reality in the world we live in.

[Nachoman]

With a leadership void in both parties, I think 2008 is the best opportunity for a third party candidate yet.

[Wombat101]

The reason for the quote had nothing to do with where the man (Giuliani) stands on issues, but rather with one of the biggest knocks on him: that he's an adulterer.

In my Catholic school days, we were taught to love the sinner and hate the sin. I uess this no longer holds true.

[Wombat101]

"Okay, but what's with the "Julieannie" spelling? I don't get it..."

Giuliani once appeared in a skit with Julie Andrews in which he was in drag. According to some people (religious nuts without a sense of humor), this is yet one more example of the man's complete lack of morals.

I'm telling you, Julian Bond was right: there is a Taliban wing of the republican party (as much as it pains me to say that...)

[steve-b]

But God forbid someone asks you to obey a series of laws, legally passed by elected representatives, that infringe upon your right to arm yourself

A law prohibited by the Constitution is, by definition, not "legally passed".

[steve-b]

Evangelicals were all up in arms,and politically active, in the battles over Gay Marriage and Supreme Court nominations, but were curiously silent on other "Conservative" issues like reigning in Fed'ral spending and entitlement reform.

Evangelicals were not, however, silent on the President's attempt to reform Social Security into a legitimate savings plan. They went out of their way to stab him in the back.