Posted on 04/09/2006 5:35:41 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
AUSTRALIA must beware the rise of the "religious right" in politics, American Christian activist Jim Wallis has told a Melbourne audience.
Mr Wallis said religious faith would be the most influential force in Australian politics for the next decade, but the country was in danger of allowing the religious right to dominate.
"It is clear from … the abortion debate and the rise of Family First that Australia, like many countries, is witnessing a new religious force that could change the political landscape," he said.
Mr Wallis is in Melbourne to launch the Australian edition of his book God's Politics: Why the American Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.
"The other danger is the way Australia has so often followed in lock-step with some of America's worst mistakes and policies, defying the world on Iraq or Kyoto or torture," he told The Age. "This needs to be challenged, and it's better challenged by friends."
Mr Wallis spoke about tackling poverty at the Town Hall yesterday for the Micah Challenge, the Christian arm of the Make Poverty History campaign. "People of faith can change the nation — they've done it in the past," he said.
A spokeswoman for Family First senator Steve Fielding said Family First was not a Christian party. Brigadier Jim Wallace, founder of the Australian Christian Lobby, said he had read the first few chapters of Mr Wallis' book and agreed with everything. "Where he's coming from is exactly where the Christian Lobby tries to be," he said.
These lies get tiresome. There's nothing compassionate about creating government programs that waste money and increase proverty - and create generational poverty. Moreoever, the government taking actions is not reflective of personal morality. When the Bible says to help the poor - that exactly what we are supposed to - not offload it on another entity. That's not walking the walk.
Their influence is now quite deep into parts of [evangelical] Christianity. For instance, we have this Christian that leans dangerously to pacifism:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1610532/posts
And of course, Christians outside the West are leftist when it comes to their attitudes towards America, war, and economics, no matter that they are as conservative as Jerry Falwell (or even more) on doctrinal issues and moral issues like gay marriage:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1582728/posts
He's an Asian Christian who gets it.
I couldn't agree with you more.
I'd love to debate one of these leftists.
I guarantee you the first thing I'd do is spend as much time as necessary asking questions to figure out if they were even saved.
Love Doc
Hey Jim!
Jesus did not come to earth to help 'poor' people.
He came to get back what Adam lost in the Garden of Eden.
I guess you could argue that since man could be said to be impoverished by virtue of Adam's actions, that he was here for poor people.
But not in any way close to the manner in which I understand you've tended to present the case.
You wouldn't believe how bad things are among Asian Christian teachings. In 2003, I remember seeing a sermon recording from a Pastor Lau based in a Chinese-speaking church in the US. He was very ambivalent about war on terror and I think the only concession he made was that "If you are a US citizen or a permanent resident and the US government calls you to serve in the military, then you should go." This is about as close to supporting WOT from Chinese-speaking pastors, and only because he is based in the US!
Pastors in Asia, eg Pastor M.H. Cheung pastor of Kowloon City Baptist Church in Hong Kong, are far more openly against the war and Bush. Pastor Cheung bashed Bush openly in sermons he delivered when in Hong Kong ( http://www.baptist.org.hk ).
That's kind of sad.
I hope you will be encouraged to know that, 25 years ago, THE VAST MAJORITY of born again Christians in this country were CLUELESS about politics.
I remember visiting a church where the pastor is now a fire-breathing patriot of the first order and gets it completely when it comes to politics.
But back in 1992 when I visited his fellowship the week after the Democratic National Convention, he was saying stuff about Clinton like - 'Hmmm...a new face...Looks like he's got a good chance.'
I was embarrassedly (for him!) at how politically ignorant he was.
His church's basic philosophy at the time was 'Pray and God will tell you who to vote for.'
Well, I'm happy to report that, in recent years, they've been giving God a LOT OF HELP in educating their members about where each party is coming from when it comes to issues that affect the Body of Christ :)
A wolf in sheep's clothing.
I'd like to comment on that, but I don't know what you mean. Could you give me a specific example?
When I was Peace Studies secretary, Jim Wallis and his magazine "Sojourner" were well thought of. That alone should tell you something. He may be 'religious' but he's no true Christian. He's very political but I doubt he knows the Lord Jesus Christ personally. His actions sure don't reflect that.
LOL!! 'The Religious Right' has become such a boogie-man for the liberals and the 'religious left'.
It's spiritual warfare. Our adversary the devil hates Christians, especially in public life, and his minions, the liberals, carry his water for him. Why do you think Bush is so hated? It's because he's right in the middle of this warfare because of his stand for God.
And if a less than complimentary cartoon is published about them, they are not likely to want to riot or chop someone's head off!
PRECISELY.
I used to think, that behind closed doors, liberals had a grip on the REAL reason why they are filled with such FANATICAL hatred for President Bush.
Now, I'm convinced you could administer sodium pentathol to most of 'em and they would still insist it's because of other reasons (like the war etc.)
That just illustrates how COMPLETELY out of touch they are. Not only with reality, but with themselves.
LoveDoc
Wallis is a paid democrat consultant who was hired to teach the DNC how to speak "christian". Basically "me too"
The fact he was shipped to Austrailia speaks volumes of the unity of the leftists. This is about GLOBAL control. The clinton/socialists vs the american/free capitalists.
Walis is really speakings against the americanization of the world.
Ooohh...that is juicy if true.
Can you provide some documentation?
That kind of evidence would rightfully discredit him, if what you are saying is in fact true and provable.
The fact he was shipped to Austrailia speaks volumes of the unity of the leftists. This is about GLOBAL control. The clinton/socialists vs the american/free capitalists.
Then Wallis would be in for a real shock. For good or bad, Australia's political Right is full of people that we would call South Park conservatives these days - and they have been so for at least two generations now. What this types hates the most is the political Left disguised as devout Christians preaching nanny state control. They have far too much Irish irrevence towards the authority to have respects towards such types.
Ping!
More fear mongering. When I see Christians whether of the right or left running around with bombs strapped to their waists I'll start to worry. In the meantime, if the Christians help to prevent the excesses of "feel good liberalism" becoming part of Australian society they'll be doing all a favour.
Jim Wallis is like a Bob Brown or Gough Whitlam that happens to have an evangelical clothing (or so he claims). The only concrete difference between Wallis and Whitlam would be porn would not be legal, no gay rights, abortions would not be legalized, and absolutely no humour in his speeches LOL. Leftists who dress as Christians are notoriously PC-minded like the Canadian do-gooders - the type that Australian electorates hate the most.
As a Christian I can see my fellow bretherns are divided. Some believe the Bible teaches feel-good liberalism (and indeed I was taught this is the biblical view when I was a boy), while most others think free market is more Christian (Acton Institute, Concerned Women for America, John MacArthur, etc). Welfare will destroy rather than help the needy, and mushy pacifism is national suicide.
I have confidence that Australian Christians won't be deceived by Wallis and put the ALP Left into power - although I can't say I have much confidence among the Christians from ethnic minority backgrounds.
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