Posted on 10/19/2007 5:54:47 AM PDT by Terriergal
A Different Dialogue for 'Values Voters' (by Jim Wallis)
I'm preparing for a dialogue with Richard Land at the FRC Action's Values Voter Summit tomorrow. This has caused me to reflect on how the definition of "moral values" has changed. Evangelical activism to protect God's creation is now publicly visible in a new way, including Christian concern over global warming. A host of other issues are now part of a broadened and deepened evangelical agenda—most connected to poverty, human rights, and social justice. Even American military and foreign policy has begun to come under critique by Christian scholars (including evangelicals), who focus on the ethics of war and the dubious morality of the U.S. response to terrorism. Slowly, even the media is reporting on the widening evangelical concern over human life and dignity.
Consider two recent examples. Last week, Laurie Goodstein wrote about new evangelical leaders in The New York Times and noted that
These new leaders are pushing evangelicals to expand their agenda beyond abortion and homosexuality to include issues like poverty, AIDS, and global warming. Like other Americans, evangelicals tell pollsters they care a great deal about the war in Iraq, health care, immigration, and security. If evangelicals more and more vote like average Americans, it becomes increasingly complex for the candidates to calculate how to win them over.
And Sandi Dolbee commented in The Saramento Bee on the significance for the 2008 election
Three years ago, more than 80 percent of evangelicals who attended church weekly cast their vote for President Bush's reelection, according to polls conducted for the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. It was the culmination of a bond going back to 1980, when Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority helped put Ronald Reagan in the White House.
But this year's Pew polls show the Christian right's support for Republicans shrinking to 60 percent. The slide is deeper among other religious voters who supported Bush – down to less than 40 percent among practicing Catholics and 20 percent for other Christians.
"That's really quite a dramatic change," said John Green, a political scientist at the University of Akron and a senior fellow in religion and politics at the Pew Forum.
Why is this change occurring?
An important dynamic, he said, is that many conservative Christians are increasingly expressing concerns about such things as the war in Iraq, AIDS in Africa, and global warming. "There's pressure to broaden the agenda ... to apply the Gospel to a broader list of questions," Green said.
This broadening and deepening of the evangelical social agenda signals a fundamental sea change in the religious community's relation to politics - a healthy change. Say a prayer that tomorrow will not just be about winning a debate, but will also begin an important dialogue.
What a CROCK! It's occurring because the Republican party IS MOVING LEFT toward THESE pharisees!
Professing to be wise, they became fools.
What does Jesus dying for sinners have to do with global warming???
Wallis has been coo-coo for years. Background: http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1833
He apparently falls into the Dominionism theology http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/dominionism.htm
No true child of God should pay him much mind, except to tell him “Repent! Believe on the Lord Jesus and His righteousness and be saved.”
***What does Jesus dying for sinners have to do with global warming???***
Some people are going to get really warm? Can you say “Lake o’ Fire?” :>)
AGW™ ping
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