Christians from political left and right sign 'Civility Covenant'

CNN ^ | March 25, 2010 | Dan Gilgoff

[Colofornian]

A group of more than 100 prominent Christians ranging from evangelical minister Jim Wallis on the political left to...Chuck Colson on the right released a document Thursday calling for an end to the fight club tone of the national political discourse.

...the "Civility Covenant"...says...churches have too often "reflected the political divisions of our culture rather than the unity we have in the body of Christ."

SNIP

...the covenant...has 114 signatories from a broad swath of Christian traditions, including the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, the head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and the general superintendent of the Assemblies of God...

The list...includes...conservative Christian leaders like Harry Jackson -- who led the unsuccessful fight against gay marriage in Washington -- to Morna Murray, president of the progressive Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which is close to the Obama White House.

SNIP

Quoting the New Testament, the new covenant urges Christians to "put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."

"We owe a certain responsibility to each other as believers," said Colson, an influential evangelical Christian voice. "This doesn't mean I haven't challenged some people's theology. But the document says we're not going to challenge each other's motives or engage in ad hominem attacks."

SNIP

...Wallis organized a boycott of Beck's show but says the timing of the covenant's release is incidental.

Colson said the document "wouldn't apply to Glenn Beck because we're talking about the conversation in the family of believers ... Glenn Beck is a Mormon."

Many Christians don't consider Mormons...to be Christians, though Mormons consider themselves Christian...

[Spudx7]

. “Don’t go left, don’t go right: go deeper.”

I can’t stand it when those who claim to serve Christ use silly catch phrases like this. Go deeper into what? I’d be shocked if he meant go deeper into God’s word, they usually don’t. Man centered religion has crept into the mainstream evangelical churches big time, and many believers spend so little time in the Bible, they fail to recognize false teaching. Christianity does NOT promote socialism: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “...if there were any, which would not work, that he should not eat.”

[cripplecreek]

I just took a look at Sojourners magazine April 2010 edition online. Here are a few of the articles.

“You Get What You Pay For
Taxes are worth it — but ours are weighted against the poor. By Jennifer Hope Kottler “

“Hearts & Minds: To Cut the Deficit, Cut Military Spending
By Jim Wallis”

“Godstuff: Human Failing and Easter Grace
Jimmy Carter is imperfect; that’s what makes him appealing. By Cathleen Falsani”

[Recovering_Democrat]

Feel free. No one will speak for me except me.

[Tennessee Nana]

Colson said the document “wouldn’t apply to Glenn Beck because we’re talking about the conversation in the family of believers ... Glenn Beck is a Mormon.”
______________________________________________

Oh, SNAP...

[TruthConquers]

Obviously, you did not read the entire post.

It is an idea to do WITH THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of other people.

It WOULD collapse the system.

But, if you are willing to just sit there and pretend that you are a good responsible person, and the other people who want everything you have aren’t going to have Ozombie give it ALL to THEM, well, enjoy your pretty little dream.

This is no longer America, or haven’t you noticed?

[Recovering_Democrat]

Isn't it AMAZING how, as the left enslaves us to government, they wring their hands and ask for us to lie back and "put some ice on it"?

They brag how they've fought hard for this for 100 years, uphill all the way, and finally they're victorious....they bribe their way to 4 extra votes....and now we're supposed to just shut our mouths!

No thanks. Sam Adams didn't shut up. George Washington didn't shut up. Andrew Jackson didn't shut up. Abe Lincoln didn't shut up. George Patton didn't shut up. Ronald Reagan didn't shut up. And I won't either.

[Tennessee Nana]

Many Christians don’t consider Mormons...to be Christians, though Mormons consider themselves Christian...
_____________________________________________

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It appears the mormons have just lately they have decided that they are uber-christians...

after nearly 200 years of hating Christianity...

[Boucheau]

“So, what then? Do we shoot to kill everyone who disagrees with us? If we’re not supposed to be civil, then what?

Remember something: The Christians that were persecuted by the Roman Empire were burned at the stake, crucified, fed to lions, attacked, ridiculed, and so forth. In no instance I can ever remember did I ever hear of them fighting back.

Meek is not weak. It is power under control. We can rationally argue our case without being ‘in your face’. We can be civil. Commies, libs, and Marxists cannot. They attack us, who looks better?

Yes...we turn the other cheek. If you’re a Christian, even if you are KILLED, it matters not. WE know where we GO when we’re done on this Earth. And we know where THEY go as well.”

WOW!

Holy happy slave, Batman!

This is the precise kind of unconsciousness, and destruction of the survival instinct, that communists and ALL tyrants seek, including those in the church.

You are the perfect subject.

Well done.

[Liberty Ship]

I’ve noticed many calls for “civility” since the evil ones took over.

Now is not the time for civility.

[Carley]

What is so civil about killing your unborn baby in your womb?

[eeevil conservative]

just curious here....

have you ever listened to Beck?

are you claiming that Beck does not have a relationship with Christ?

I always understood being a Christian as having a relationship with Christ....

[eeevil conservative]

well said!

thank you!

[piasa]

In a front-page story Tuesday on the President and his compassionate conservative agenda, the New York Times said that, “some religious supporters of Mr. Bush say they feel betrayed by promises he made as a candidate and now, they maintain, he has broken as president.” The story relies heavily on quotes from one Reverend Jim Wallis, whom the Times describes as an, “early supporter” of the President. Wallis tells the Times Mr. Bush has, “failed the test.” He is the only person in the whole story identified as a Bush supporter. But Wallis is, in fact, an ardent Democrat, who did not vote for Mr. Bush, and who edits a liberal religious magazine called Sojourners, which has consistently criticized the President and his administration. None of this is mentioned in the Times story.(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...-———Bogus Betrayal? [New York Times (mis)identifies livid lib as disillusioned Bush supporter]
Fox News “Special Report” - “The Grapevine” ^ | 28 August 2003 | Brit Hume
Posted on 08/28/2003 9:40:41 AM PDT by Stultis

[DarthVader]

I am suprised Harry Jackson and Colson have taken part of this. To sign off with “Christians” who do not promote traditional Biblical values are not Christians. Unless they intend to be civil and still tell the other side they are considered heretics.

[cripplecreek]

If I didn’t know Beck was Mormon, I certainly wouldn’t figure it out from watching his show. He does a better job of teaching Christian ideals than a good many evangelicals.

[upsdriver]

Oh good! Shaking hands with the devil.

[piasa]

1976 : (MARXIST JIM WALLIS FOUNDS SOJOURNERS; LATER IT GETS SOME "SUGARED UP" BY THE IPS TO MAKE IT MORE PALATABLE TO THE PUBLIC - See THE POST AMERICAN, IPS, RICHARD BARNETT) Sojourners was founded by Jim Wallis in 1976, the offspring of the Post American, which was published by a few radical theology students who banded together communal-style in Chicago in the late 1960s. Encouraged by Richard Barnet [of the Institute for Policy Studies], Gordon Cosby [of World Peacemakers], and others, Wallis decided to move his ragtag Christian hippie community to Washington. [Richard] Barnet's influence was soon felt at Sojourners, for after [Jim] Wallis moved the Sojourners commune to Washington and came in contact with IPS, the appearance of the magazine improved and its rhetoric was toned down. But when Wallis addresses his colleagues in the elite theological circles, he makes no effort to conceal his politics. He told Mission Tracks in 1979, in the article "Liberation and Conformity", that he hoped "more Christians will come to view the world through Marxist eyes. . ." ------ From S. Stephen Powell, Covert Cadre: Inside the Institute for Policy Studies, 281-3 via 31 posted on 06/15/2004 8:14:52 PM PDT by Fedora

[eeevil conservative]

exactly....

I have heard a lot of “stuff” about Mormons...

of all the Mormons I have heard talk about their faith, I have heard the most from Beck....so I just refuse to judge an entire group and claim they are not Christians....

I know many more Christians who fall short than I do Mormons...which leads to believe that Christians may need to look at ourselves before we start throwing stones...

[piasa]

SEPTEMBER 18?, 2006 Monday : ('RED LETTER CHRISTIANS' IS LAUNCHED BY SOJOURNERS/CALLTORENEWAL ) WASHINGTON - Liberal evangelicals, weary of a Republican-centric image, launched a campaign Monday to promote Christian values beyond the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. Red Letter Christians, a project of Sojurners/Call to Renewal, announced plans to establish a grass-roots network of 7,000 moderate and progressive clergy members.
"A debate on moral issues should be central to American politics, but how should we define religious values?" said Jim Wallis, an activist and executive director of the Christian ministry, which also publishes the liberal Sojourners Magazine. The project's name comes from the color of some Bible's type, with words directly attributed to Jesus appearing in red.
Wallis said Christian conservatives have limited the discussion to abortion and same-sex marriage, two fears that mobilized voters in 2004, and that voters care about more than two the issues. "We must insist that the ethics of war — and whether we tell the truth about going to war — these are moral values issues too," Wallis said. Democrats have pinned part of their midterm strategy on voters' restlessness with the war in Iraq.
The Red Letter Christians campaign plans to use voter guides for congregants and briefings for their leaders to argue education, poverty and the environment are all evangelical issues. Wallis also launched a new blog this week at BeliefNet.com, debating with former Christian Coalition head and failed Republican Georgia lieutenant governor candidate Ralph Reed.
The faith-based group also hired a full-time coordinator in Ohio, where conservative Ken Blackwell is running against Rep. Ted Strickland , a former Methodist pastor. Another coordinator is soon to arrive in Pennsylvania, where Sen. Rick Santorum faces a tough re-election bid. Faith-based get-out-the-vote efforts registered scores of new voters during 2004's presidential election. The Southern Baptist Convention's iVoteValues.com campaign alone reached 400,000 voters, the majority of whom voted for President Bush. And later this week, the Family Research Council will have its Values Voters Summit in Washington, D.C. Speakers will include Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Wallis said the Christian conservatives have lost their independence with too-cozy ties to the Republican Party. He also is quick to note his group is not an extension of the Democratic Party. * He is openly critical of Democratic politicians and titled his best-selling book "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It."------- "Liberal evangelicals begin campaign," Philip Elliott - ap, AP via Yahoo, 9/18/06
[*MY NOTE: Apparently it's more akin to being an extension of the communist party]

[cripplecreek]

I don’t believe a lot of the things that Mormons believe, but I do know that they aren’t exploding on planes or hacking the heads off non believers.

That said, Mitt Romney can still go pound sand.