IHT: Letter from America: Democrats, at last, trying to get religion

[Maven]

From the International Herald Tribune:


Jim Wallis has been getting a lot of phone calls from Democratic officials - "lots of them, from the House and the Senate," he said.

They want him to help them make sense of - understand the language of, peer into the souls of - a group of people they feel they may have misunderstood: religious believers, particularly Christian fundamentalists, the people, some say, who helped President George W. Bush win.

Before you say, "just shoot me," look at this:

"They're searching for more than a few Bible verses," he said. "They're looking for how they can reframe issues in more moral ways, how they can look at content, rethink some of their issues." Wallis wants to broaden debate beyond a few hot-button issues and look for common ground - for social projects that can mobilize believers and nonbelievers, such as finding mutually acceptable ways to fight poverty, protect the environment, or reduce the abortion rate.

"Morality and religious values should not be used as wedges and weapons," he said, "but bridges that can unite us." more

So, could this actually be a good thing?

[rawtribe]

1. It's good for the Green Party!

n/t

[Maven]

3. LOL. But seriously...

I'm the last person who thinks that religion and/or "morality" should have anything to do with government--but the "morality issue" isn't going away, least of all in the MSM, which seems to be in LOVE with this narrative. And isn't this what we're always saying? That, truth be told, our positions are actually more moral?

[gatorboy]

2. Just shoot me! ;)

If the top act in America is Eminem, one of the top shows is "Desperate Housewives, and the No. 1 game in America is Grand Theft Auto. then high morals are not at the top of the list for alot of the country....pass the "Wife Swap", please....

I don't see why Democrats keep falling for it. Republicans set these agendas and we drool over it like a Pavlov dog.

[Maven]

4. Hypocrisy runs rampant, my friend.

Fundies love to think of themselves as "moral" even if the distinction isn't borne out by their behavior. Rupugs have won them over by appealing to that narcissism.

On the other hand, I think it's more than optimistic to be able to change the definition of "morality" in their eyes, which is really code for "restoring the patriarchy."

[Larkspur]

5. Fundies are the modern day "Pharisees!" that Jesus rebuked

and they persecute Jesus if he walked this planet just like the Pharisees of Jesus' day.