They are politically uneducated people with basically conservative values. They mean well but have no idea what they are talking about or how dangerous power can be. They are narrow, one-directional people. They can see that being a good samaritan is good, but they are blind to the evil of certain means or the nulification of the justness of the deed when it comes about by force and with the use of other people's money. Charity is not charity unless the money is your own. But they don't get it. Generally nice people though. Oh...and let me say that they are worse on theology than they are on politics. Our churches have been lazy and negligent about teaching doctrine and now scam artists (like Brian McLaren) are leading masses astray. You only think the majority in this country is Christian. No, the majority still uses the label, but they don't have any idea what it really means. It's like being American, or maybe like being asian or hispanic...a heritage you are born with. So they want to do good and prove their Christianity, but they don't really want to do too much good with their own money. They want the glory without the sacrifice basically. They want to feel good about themselves and simply use the poor and steal from the industrious in order to bring this feel-good state to themselves. Oh..and they want to feel good by doing good (with little self-sacrifice) but they reveal their phony faith in that they don't really want to be good. They are the world.
I still say most are well-meaning, just blind.
There is a significant shift taking place. Though it is more of an exposure of weakness than a changing of minds.
How much this harms the Republicans or benefits the Democrats is not that clear because the Republicans are undergoing a major shift to the left as well. That I would blame on the "power over principle" crowd. You are always vulnerable when power is your highest value. Stupidest part of that is, it takes a lot of ridiculous guess work. You have to foretell which shifts in ideology will bring you the power you crave. Where should you sellout? With no value trumping the pursuit of power, a shifting ideology is a given, but where you will end up is a total crapshoot.
Who is the principled conservative (Christian or not) supposed to vote for? Neither party's top-tier candidates are people my conscience can support. So what if the too-dumb-to-know-socialism-is-evil people vote for Obama. Maybe we need a little of that to remind ourselves why it's the wrong road. And maybe, just maybe, true conservatives with backbone will rise up and turn things around.
There are many interesting changes taking place in the political factions that make up our political system. The left is benefiting the most from these shifts right now. But these things can change in a hurry. It ain't over till it's over. Just be glad the presidential election is not this November.
Our churches have been lazy and negligent about teaching doctrine and now scam artists (like Brian McLaren) are leading masses astray. You only think the majority in this country is Christian. No, the majority still uses the label, but they don't have any idea what it really means.
fishtank, if you want to understand the emergent church and their emergent guru, you've got to read McLaren. He truly is issuing a challenge to Dobson, in that emergent sort of way that he has.