WP, E.J. Dionne: The New Evangelical Politics

The New Evangelical Politics
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008; Page A13

Anyone who still doubts that the evangelical Christian world is going through a political revolution was not watching Pastor Rick Warren's presidential forum this weekend. The era of reducing Christianity to a narrow set of ideological commitments is over.

Just a few years ago, who would have imagined that Barack Obama and John McCain would hold a discussion of this sort in a church? Who would have thought that the session would be moderated by an evangelical pastor who was emphatic in counting both the Democrat and the Republican as his "friends"? Who would have predicted that in such a setting, the issues of abortion and gay marriage would not dominate the pastor's queries?

Oh, yes, and who would have anticipated that the passions of the pastor in question would be engaged not in the divisions created by the culture wars but in the imperative of civility in politics and the plight of the world's 148 million orphans? Here's betting that the next president will help some of those orphans find homes.

The notion that Christianity in general and evangelicalism in particular are by nature right-wing creeds has always been wrong. How can a faith built around a commitment to the poor and the vulnerable be seen as leading ineluctably to conservative political conclusions?

And when political commentators talk about "evangelicals," they are almost always talking about white evangelicals, forgetting that millions of African Americans are devout evangelical Christians and are hardly part of the conservative base. The civil rights movement was one of the greatest faith-based mobilizations in American history, even as it also drew on the energies of thousands of secular liberals who walked hand in hand with believers.

Warren is an important figure not just because he's sold tens of millions of books but also because he has been leading evangelicals out of a political dead end that chose to ignore large parts of the Christian message....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/18/AR2008081801850.html?nav%3Dmost_emailed&sub=AR

but I'm really tired of the hissy fit that Fundamentalists throw over

"Faith", Abortion, and Gay Marriage

subverting the best interests and the course of this entire country.

Three things that should be private and legal held hostage by busybodies that speak for no one, really. Rule by the most offended.


I was reminded in a thread the other night that Evangelicals need to cull the nutcases and the Fundies out of their "flock" if they want to be taken seriously by anyone for very much longer.

I'd like to think Warren has this figured out but I don't see any real evidence of it.

His comment about pro choice candidates and concentration camp guards was very telling.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6670905

For your consideration.

I hope MANY people weigh in on this, and at the top of their lungs!!!

:pals: