[Finny]

I want my guy to state he believes in God and has a personal relationship with Him.

Somehow, I doubt very much that Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Paine, John Hancock, James Madison, et al, went around talking about their personal relationships with Jesus. Frankly, Mr. Leland, I also doubt seriously that they were not in attendance at many great parties with the day's equivalent of rock 'n roll and booze, etc. The question was, is, and will always be: Does the man behave honorably toward his fellows? For Pete's sake, evalengelicals -- lighten up!!!

There is nothing new under the sun.

[John Leland 1789]

Biblicists irk you, don’t they. They always will. There’s nothing new under the sun. I asked the question, “What if . . . ? Would it so destroy your confidence in a president to have high personal standards?

[John Leland 1789]

“For Pete’s sake, evalengelicals — lighten up!!!”

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I am not an “evangelical.” If this were 1880, I would accept and use the term, and perhaps up to about 1925. But I consider the majority of churches that use the term in 2007 to be quite liberal and worldly compared to the evangelicals prior to WWII.

That said, I think your use of “lighten up” is actually a way you have to tell us:

1. keep your mouths shut;
2. don’t express your views;
3. don’t say anything that would imply that “conservatism” has become a term only for economic free market politics, and nothing else.
4. basically, any reference to God, the Bible or American Christian history and heritage has no place in any discussion.

[mmanager]

I said personal relationship. Meaning between that person and God. Not running around having to tell the world. I like Fred’s stance on this.