Liberal Christians mobilize to counteract the religious right

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/16/politics/campaign/16christian.html?oref=login

MADISON, Wis., Oct. 9 - The efforts of conservative Christians to mobilize voters against same-sex marriage and abortion and in support of President Bush have stirred a growing backlash among more liberal believers. And they are taking their cues from the religious right.

Members of the First Unitarian Society here, Claire Box and Linda Knox are part of a broad effort by moderate and liberal religious people to register voters, especially in swing states like Wisconsin and in poor areas with low voter participation.

....

Ms. Knox has not been so politically active in 30 years. But as is the case with so many fellow volunteers, the politics of conservative Christians and President Bush have taken her to places like Maple Glen, she said.

"The religious right is defining what it means to be a patriotic American, and they're patriotic because they believe in their God, they have Bush, and they are convinced they have the answer," Ms. Knox said later. "But as Unitarians, we don't believe there is a single right answer."
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and bloated with Jack Boot self righteousness to the point they may soon proudly paint swastikas on their own churches and start building ovens for the final solution for the unbelievers of the Absolute WORD of their god.

we better get organized SOON and shout together with a loud voice.. the Supreme court has said that the god refference in the pledge is simply "Tradition" and no one even squeeked.

i live in Tennesse and i am scared shitless of the condasending armtwisting attitudes about not being in the Church system.. it is totally pervasive and insidious..

I've been fighting these anti-Americans since 1994.

"In this election, some religious voices say all our beliefs can be boiled down to - I'd say strangled by - two hot-button issues, abortion and gay rights," the Rev. Jim Wallis, convener and president of Call to Renewal, said in a sermon here.

Mr. Wallis, whose group is committed to reducing poverty, added: "We have Southern Baptists who wear buttons that say, 'Vote your values.' I say, 'Vote all your values.' The cries of the poor ring from cover to cover in my Bible. God hears the cries of the poor. Do we?"

<snip>

Through its Let Justice Roll antipoverty network, the National Council of Churches said it had registered more than 100,000 voters, with 40,000 in Oregon.

<snip>

"If Bush is re-elected, the work continues, and if Kerry is elected, the work continues," the Rev. Dr. John C. Lentz Jr. of the Forest Hill Church, a Presbyterian institution in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, said. "Just because Kerry is elected doesn't mean we have the kingdom of God here on Earth."

Edited to add emphasis

So the Left finally wakes up and says "who ARE these bigots, and what have the done with Jesus?"
They'd better get cracking, or they'll find themselves in the "Re-education Centres" with us Atheists.

from another skeptic

You know, I've had this wacky idea for years, that the Religious Right would end up building an effective coalition on the Left - composed of all those groups that the Wingnuts hate and demonize. No matter what differences they may have, they have on thing in common: If they don't work together, the Religious Right will burn their asses at the stake!

The difference between agnostics/atheists/non-theists and liberal christians and every other non-fundie is so small compared to what they share in common.

to be proud of Madison, WI. I also know a bunch of protestant churches came out publicly against the war but I don't remember which ones. The United Church of Christ was on the list though.

has been working to counteract the fundies for years.

I keep wondering how any Christian can look at the pictures of Abu Grahib and not know they've witnessed pure evil.

:shrug: