Free Republic

A classic clip from Rush's old 1992-96 tv show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdEhmVBH4IA

SEVERAL DOZEN PROMINENT evangelicals have released a letter to President Bush in an effort to distinguish themselves from ardent pro-Israel evangelicals and to urge evenhandedness between Israel and the Palestinians. The letter's authors got the idea while visiting the U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar, where, according to the New York Times, they "met Muslim and American diplomats who were shocked to discover the existence of American evangelicals who favored a Palestinian state." The organizers plan to translate their letter into Arabic and distribute it internationally. "As evangelical Christians committed to the full teaching of the Scriptures, we know that...

A group of self-described "progressive" Christian evangelicals calling themselves "Red Letter Christians," and led by the left-oriented Sojourners magazine and left-oriented religious pundits like Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo, has recently emerged in the body politic. These self-proclaimed "progressives" have been making a lot of noise recently complaining about the ties that other Christian evangelicals have long held with the conservative movement in the United States, including the conservative movement in the Republican Party. One policy under attack by these "progressives" is the conservative effort to "cut programs to the poor." They say that such a policy goes against Jesus...

For the Christian left to claim connection to true Christianity is to deny its leftist tendencies, and for them to claim connection to the aims of the political left is to deny its Christianity. They seem to share more anger for fellow Christians than they do toward evil. And this reality, while unexplainable, is nevertheless present and growing in influence. This week I entertained one of the main spokesmen for the movement, Dr. Tony Campolo. I asked him directly why his new book, "Letters to a Young Evangelical," seemed to have such great disdain for the Christian right. He responded,...

A group of self-described "progressive" Christian evangelicals calling themselves "Red Letter Christians," and led by the left-oriented Sojourners magazine and left-oriented religious pundits like Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo, has recently emerged in the body politic. These self-proclaimed "progressives" have been making a lot of noise recently complaining about the ties that other Christian evangelicals have long held with the conservative movement in the United States, including the conservative movement in the Republican Party. One policy under attack by these "progressives" is the conservative effort to "cut programs to the poor." They say that such a policy goes against Jesus...

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,...

"Liberation Theology" was the theological justification for Western church groups that backed Marxist revolution 20 and 30 years ago. Its influence waned with those failed revolutions, especially in Latin America, but it continues to shape intellectual life in the Middle East, as a tool against Israel. The Jerusalem-based Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center coordinates the anti-Israel advocacy of U.S. church groups. Sabeel guides and leads U.S. church delegations when they come to the Middle East, where they are exposed primarily to a pro-Palestinian perspective. When Sabeel conducts conferences in the U.S. or Canada, North American denominations host and promote the...

Dan Wakefield wants to make it clear that he is not calling for "holy war." True, the title of his new book, The Hijacking of Jesus: How the Religious Right Distorts Christianity and Promotes Prejudice and Hate (Nation Books, $23.95), may sound like a shot across the bow of, oh, about half the churches in America.

Capitalism is not economic anarchy. When properly defined, it recognizes several necessary conditions for the kinds of voluntary relationships it supports. One of these is the existence of inherent human rights, such as the right to make decisions, the right to be free, the right to hold property, and the right to exchange peacefully what one owns for something else. Capitalism also presupposes a system of morality. Under capitalism, there are definite limits, moral and otherwise, to the ways in which people can exchange. Capitalism should be viewed as a system of voluntary relationships within a framework of laws that...

Did anyone catch Tony Campolo's interview with John Kasich on Fox News' "Heartland" this evening? He claims that Republicans have "hijacked" evangelical Christianity, and solely on the basis of the abortion issue. During the interview, he tried to position himself as politically neutral--"Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat; He would be mad at both parties," yet his website describes him as an "Evangelical Democrat." His biggest beefs with George Bush apparently relate to what he perceives as his indifference to the poor and the environment. (Bush the friend of billionaire polluters, etc.)

FORT WORTH, Texas - (KRT) - Sixteen prominent theologians and religious leaders, some with ties to former President Clinton, have called on President Bush to stop asking Republican Party volunteers for church membership directories. The Rev. Tony Campolo, a former spiritual adviser to Clinton, helped write a letter to Bush that was mailed Friday. Ron Flowers, a retired religion professor at Texas Christian University, added his name to the letter. He said he wants to call attention to the Bush campaign's attempt to "politicize churches." He said the letter, which urges both Bush and Democratic Sen. John Kerry to respect...

Evangelical/Moderate Religious Leaders Criticize Bush Campaign for Misuse of Churches; Call on President to Repudiate Violations8/13/2004 10:43:00 AM To: National Desk Contact: Jamie Shor, 202-628-7772 or jshor@venturecommunications.com WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A group of prominent Evangelicals and moderate to conservative religious leaders have sent an open letter to President Bush condemning the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign's improper collaboration with church leaders and use of congregational directories. The signatories, all of whom teach ethics, ask President Bush to repudiate his campaign's violations of fundamental principles of democracy and the sanctity of their houses of worship. The letter was written in...

One of the great untold stories of the Middle East conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is that one side is guilty of the worst kind of ethnic cleansing and advocates a genocidal policy of extinction toward the other. It is official policy of the Palestinian Authority and its supporters through the Arab and Muslim world that Jews cannot live in their territories and in any future Palestinian state. It remains to this day the official policy of the Palestinian Authority that the Jews of Israel must be wiped out, their state destroyed and its people annihilated. Meanwhile, Israel grants full...

Liberal Dunce In Evangelical Clothing Again Takes Questionable Stand On Controversial IssueBy Frederick Meekins Toogood Reports [May 26, 2002; 12:01 a.m. ET] Matthew 10:16 warns the believer to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Yet it seems many Christians do everything within their power to throw common sense to the wind, foremost among them being Christian author Tony Campolo. At a Baptist conference in North Carolina covered by the Evangelical Press, Campolo elaborated upon his position regarding the war on terrorism. Americans should thank G-d each night that this minister is not charged with formulating strategic...