Religious Liberals Gain New Visibility

Washington Post ^ | 05/20/06 | Caryle Murphy and Alan Cooperman

[Pikamax]

Religious Liberals Gain New Visibility A Different List Of Moral Issues

By Caryle Murphy and Alan Cooperman Washington Post Staff Writers Saturday, May 20, 2006; A01

The religious left is back.

Long overshadowed by the Christian right, religious liberals across a wide swath of denominations are engaged today in their most intensive bout of political organizing and alliance-building since the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s, according to scholars, politicians and clergy members.

In large part, the revival of the religious left is a reaction against conservatives' success in the 2004 elections in equating moral values with opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Yes, they **use** the name Jesus as a weapon to try and take control of people (more welfare!!!) and take their money (higher taxes!!!1 bigger govt!!! govt is the answer!!!). I'm not sure which religion that is but it's not Christianity. Ask any liberal if they believe the New Testament and 99% of them will say "no, but it has a lot of good lessons in it." In other words, they are nonbelievers.

[LA Conservative]

Uh oh! Tighten your butt-cheeks, here come the fascists.

[SteveMcKing]

Is it "Doctor Reverend Jackson" or "Reverend Doctor Jackson"?

Because his is BOTH, definitely. I just want to make sure which ever he is more of - a reverend or a doctor - that I address him correctly...

[SuziQ]

I'm glad they're coming out now. There are so many religious people who just don't know what these folks stand for. It will be good for them to see some clear cut differences between the religous and the religious left.

[LADY J]

"In large part, the revival of the religious left is a reaction against conservatives' success in the 2004 elections in equating moral values with opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage."

So - the religious right just made up those moral values? Nothing in God's Word speaks of them and it's only a fantasy?

The Lefties are going to show their moral values on abortion and same-sex marriage and just make up their own religion.

[DeweyCA]

"As religious people we're offended by the idea that if you're not with the religious right, you're not moral, you're not religious," said Linda Gustitus, who attends Bethesda's River Road Unitarian Church and is a founder of the new Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture. "I mean there's a whole universe out there [with views] different from the religious right. . . . People closer to the middle of the political spectrum who are religious want their voices heard."

Sure, they are religious, they just aren't Christian.

[DeweyCA]

Janel Bakker, 28, a graduate student at Catholic University who attends Washington Community Fellowship on Capitol Hill, an evangelical church affiliated with the Mennonite denomination, said she grew up in a "relatively conservative religious home" where "the big issue was considered to be abortion."

But Bakker, who has attended several rallies against the Iraq war, said she now regards poverty, peace and the environment as important spiritual issues ignored by the religious right. "The religious right has assumed that capitalism is the way to go and is the most moral way to organize society," Bakker added. "Young people are questioning that."

Girl, if you think that capitalism is bad, and that socialism or communism is good, I suggest that you live in a communist country for a couple years. What an idiot. It figures that she is a graduate student. Somebody has to be indoctrinated in order to believe such tripe. Tell me how moral those other economic systems are, since they inevitably lead to stagnation, poverty, lack of work ethic, envy, lack of personal growth, and antagonism toward Christianity.

[madprof98]

Conservative Christian activist Gary L. Bauer said the religious left "is getting more media attention" but "it's not clear" that it is getting more organized.

They get a handful of these lunatics together to rant and rave at a Unitarian "church" in DC, and now they're supposedly appearing in droves all over the country. Only in the dreams of the editors of the NYTimesWashPost!

[right-wingin_It]

They're certainly trying hard to popularize the oxymoron. The bumper stickers are out in force (to coincide with the media reports such as this). But the fact of the matter is they're simply just "left"; that endless abyss devoid of God.

[chesley]

The thing is, Christianity is about a personal faith, a personal, relationship with God

While God, no doubt, wants us to help our fellow man, I believe that He doesn't want us to break His other commandments while doing it. I'm thinking in particular of "thou shalt not steal".

Further, Christianity is a religion that can be practiced no matter what kind of society you live in. If Christians are oppresses they can practice in secret. Christians are responsible for their own behavior, not that of others.

[right-wingin_It]

There is a certainly a "Religious Left" campaign going on..and totally orchestrated in advance with the media to be the "hot news" item for the short term.

You've go to build on something like this WAY in advance of the '08 DNC convention, don't-cha know;) LOL...The left is so predictably pathetic!..hahaha

[BenLurkin]

Bump

[I got the rope]

He nevered earned a doctorate and he never was ordained or finished seminary.

I want to change my nickname to Rev. I got the rope

[ClaireSolt]

Just one tiny story about how Bush reorganized government agencies to cooperate with faith-based orgs to reduce homeless by 30% while these people were flapping their gums.

[muawiyah]

There are no real Christians on the left.

[kb2614]

But Bakker, who has attended several rallies against the Iraq war, said she now regards poverty, peace and the environment as important spiritual issues ignored by the religious right. "The religious right has assumed that capitalism is the way to go and is the most moral way to organize society," Bakker added. "Young people are questioning that."

The only task that should matter to Christains is to spread the Gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world. Are "Religious Liberals" doing that?? If the above comment is what is typical from them, then I doubt it.

Just sayin'

[siunevada]

In large part, the revival of the religious left is a reaction

Hmmm. That phrase probably acknowledges their irrelevance as far as practical politics go. They won't be swaying any votes.

[wintertime]

In large part, the revival of the religious left ...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

There isn't any revival of the religious left. On in the mainstream media's wet dreams.

[GOP Poet]

ping