Posted on 09/19/2006 11:59:16 AM PDT by Froufrou
The Red Letter Christians, a "progressive" group, says it offers an alternative to the religious right in the discussion about moral values in American politics. The liberal group claims Christian conservatives focus too heavily on abortion and homosexuality.
"Since the 2004 election, the term 'values voters' has become a mainstay of the political discussion, and we're hearing it again this fall. But the discussion has generally been very narrow and discusses particularly one specific type of voter -- a conservative, white, evangelical, Republican," said Rev. Jim Wallis, founder and editor of Sojourners Magazine, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
"I would say most voters are values voters," Wallis said, but added that until now, there has been only one voice for the religious community. "The monologue of the religious right is ending," he claimed.
Wallis said the religious right focuses on two "wedge issues," namely abortion and homosexuality.
"It is arrogant to assume that moral values only involve two issues," said Wallis.
He added that because there is a focus on two issues, poverty, peace, environmentalism, and racism have become a "selective moral ethic."
"There is no consistent ethic of life on the religious right," he said. "Neither party has a pro-family agenda."
Tony Campolo, founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education and former spiritual advisor to former President Bill Clinton, said that because of the United States' lack of aid for the poor, "America is losing its stature in the eyes of the world."
Campolo said the religious right, particularly individuals at the Family Research Council's "Value Voters Summit" later this week, must address poverty.
"We challenge the religious right that meets at the end of this week to do something about the poor of this country if they are really serious about their pro-life agenda," said Campolo.
The Family Research Council did not return multiple phone calls seeking comment for this article.
There are no poor in this country. People in Haiti are poor. We have the "richest" poor in the world.
Right and right again.
Liberals say conservatives should focus on losing issues like increasing government spending.
That is why I strongly support growing the economy (lower taxes, less regulation) and quality education for all (vouchers). An education and a growing economy gives all Americans the chance to get a job and improve their lives.
Social programs promoted by liberals (socialism) ALWAYS lead to a lower standard of living for all people.
Democrats have no right to complain. It is they who made abortion and homosexuality public policy issues, not the right. It turns out to be a stinking turd in their laps, but there's no disowning it now:
Democrats, the party of dead babies, perversion, and sexually transmitted disease... hope y'all are proud of yourselves!
"The Family Research Council did not return multiple phone calls seeking comment for this article."
They were still languishing on their fainting sofas, after hearing the bad words on the 9/11 documentary.
Don't hold back, now. Tell us how you really feel! ;o)
Fine, close the border. Eliminate marketing in illegal, largely unskilled labor. Provide them with jobs.
~snorrfle!~
Tony Campolo is an idiot. What are all the other nations in the world doing to aid the poor as compared to Americans? Let them ask their taxpayers and private donors to dig deeper into their wallets. Americans already do plenty on a public and private basis.
Red Letter Christians? They got the "red" part right.
Conservatives want nothing more than to drop the subject. Cource that means we keep the status quo. Which means folks OTHER THAN CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES will keep bringing it back up.
They should have the Scarlet Letter "A" for abortion.
The subject of homosexuality (esp. marriage).
"Progressive Christians" - atheists!
They're already doing quite a bit of that. :-/
I don't care that much about the homosexuality issue. I think it is wrongful and sinful behavior, so I don't do it. I do oppose homosexual "marriage" because it dilutes what marriage means.
As for the abortion issue, however, it IS an important issue to most conservatives, and indeed to most thinking people. Even those who support abortion rights think that abortion should be rare (at least most of them do). Why? Because they know in their hearts that abortion is wrong (just inconvenient).
Because it is such an important issue, you will continue to hear about it. It is like a baby who needs to be fed. Telling him to shut up doesn't change the fact that he is hungry. Telling him you know he is hungry doesn't change the fact that he is hungry. He is hungry, and until you feed him, he will cry.
Until the abortion issue is resolved you can expect those of faith, conservatives and honest thinking people to retain it as an issue.
Intellectually dishonest people
There are no poor in this country. People in Haiti are poor. We have the "richest" poor in the world.
Indeed we do. We also have a federal agency who gives out debit cards like candy when a disaster happens.
Isn't America great though?
"What a country!"
The way I see it, you can be a homosexual or you can be a Christian, you cannot be both.
Debit cards used to gamble, visit strip clubs, and buy X Boxes, no less.
Let's see...
Abortion at any time...
Homo's get'n allowed to marry...
And it's a Hitlerite rep problem...
The answer from I think, US conserveratives is what's next...
Poligomy???
Inheritance legally to the DOG you've been F'n for the last 15 years (Last I looked you had to be a mentally sound person to be a party to a real estate deal).
Socialism passing itself off as religion.
Well, most Christians I know believe very much in helping the poor, ending racism, and all that. But they believe in actually doing something about it themselves, as God commands, rather than taxing everyone else to death and trusting the government to "take care of it".
Their side is wanting to redefine family from Mother/father/children to any flexible collection of people that shack up together.
Tony Campolo,oh brother...
The left has already had its say in the war on poverty,racism,etc,and totally snafu'd it. LBJ's "great society",etc.
The left are the ones who made abortion and homosexuality the issue by trying to legislate acceptance of the one,and passing into law the other(murdering of babies). Stopping the murder of babies is fundamental-no other issue can matter to a dead human,whose life was taken before birth.
The left is cynically trying to co-opt "religion",without understanding how the religious Right came into being-it was a grassroots movement,with Christians banding together to try to stop the steamroller of decadence engulfing our culture. The left just doesn't understand-they think it was like one of their artificial "movement"',drummed up for cynical political gain,with no real passion for the stated goals.
This was made clear when their "feminists" refused to decry Bill Clinton's antics with women,after the stances they had taken all the years before making men the villians and saying things like "all men are rapists".
They couldn't care less about Christianity,they've just seen the light that people with religious convictions have become a voice in this country and in the political conversation,and they want a piece of it,if they can get it without also taking on two of the things that the religious right is all about-the sanctity of life,and of marriage between one man and one woman. That would be in opposition to their "principle" of moral relativism.
Isn't Tony Campolo one of the proponents of the "we are all God,He is in all of us" heresy?
For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. Matthew 26:11
The pro-choice activist don't think abortion is wrong. They think it right. It pares down the number of "undesirables" in the country and on this earth. Scratch a Planned Parenthood type and you would a zpg' er or a eugenicist.
who thing of the country and the earth itself as a lifeboat with too many passengers.
So their "values" support abortions and gay sex?
This is also a class struggle. On the pro-abortion side are most of the upper-class; on the pro-life sides, the middle class.
flyer, thank you for your service. I do the the potential for the tables to turn. And how.
NOw I'm to understand that with all the crap that surrounds this society in every form of media EVERY day from abortionists and the sexual indentity first crowd--that we are to blame for--what is it, liars--the "focus."
Yeah--that's our fault. What a bunch of pure phnoies. One cannot claim to be Christian and vote democrat, socialist or communist. They are incompatible terms.
Now THERE'S a mark of distinction!! I wonder if the Clintoon followed his advice...or failed to follow it? Either way, what a loser.
I had never heard of him until now. He sounds like a National Council of Churches wacko - and I am not a Christian - just somebody who respects devout Christians who believe in the sanctity of life.
I thought Jesse Jerkson was Clinton's "spiritual advisor" (like Nathan advising King David, I believe was the comparison during Monicagate).
The upper class (a bunch of libs) practices eugenics against minorities. And the minority population continues to vote for the lib politicos who support this atrocity!
Liberals say conservatives should focus on losing issues like increasing government spending.
Imagine what these moral-phobics would say if we ever get down to the bare essentials, i.e., SIN and REPENTANCE.
"Two cars and three TV's are just not enough," Campolo added. /sarcasm
I've known too many working poor and disabled poor to believe that. While there may be undeserving poor, you cannot condemn all poor with that broad a brush.
God, I love that clip! It totally encapsulates who and what Bill Clinton really is-a cynical actor and manipulator of emotion.
IOW: "With the help of the left-wing dominated media, we're going to present a credible facade of knowing what we're talking about regarding spiritual matters, which should be plenty good enough to fool the majority of stupid Americans who really know nothing about Christianity anyway."
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