Religious Right Changing Sides

[mystieus]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- For decades, evangelicals have been seen as solid supporters of the Republican Party. That could be changing.

The religious right, a cornerstone of the so-called Reagan revolution -- the battle over abortion law, and gay marriage -- wants a change.

At least some evangelicals do.

A group of influential Christian leaders are declaring they are tired of divisive politics, tired of watching fights over some issues trump all the good they could be doing.

"Our proposal in manifesto is to join forces with all those who support a civil public square. ... a vision of public life in which people of all faiths -- which, of course, means no faith -- are free to enter and engage public life on the basis of their faith," said evangelical leader Os Guinness.

For Democrats, the timing is good. The party has been pushing to overcome the "faith gap," that many feel has hurt them with church-going voters.

Candidates are appearing in more religious settings, and conversations.

"What I try to do is as best I can be an instrument of His will," Sen. Barack Obama has said.

"I obviously was fortunate to be able to rely on and be grounded in my faith which has been anchor for me throughout my entire life," Sen. Hillary Clinton has said.

Mara Vanderslice of Common Good Strategies is part of that effort.

"I think the biggest thing that we've done wrong is sort of say that we just want a separation of church and state and only speak about religion in terms of separation," Vanderslice said.

Evangelicals are now leading public support for many issues dear to Democrats: global campaigns against AIDS, hunger and poverty. Video Watch how evangelicals are reaching out »

Even Congressional Democrats can see the power of a partnership, according to the Ethics and Public Policy Center's Michael Cromartie.

"I think there are genuinely religious people, obviously in the Democratic Party, who've said, you know, 'we need to stop toning down how our faith relates to public policy issues,' whether it's the environment or whether it's questions of the economy or war and peace," he said.

"And we need to start framing our concerns in religious language so that it might appeal to religious believers in America."
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Some staunchly conservative evangelicals are critical of the new approach. They are proud of the gains they have made through ties to conservative Republicans.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/11/dems.religion/index.html

This change movement is bigger than you guys think.

[Yael]

1. Separation of Church and State -- are they finally coming around?

I am secure in my faith, and a pariah because of it as I am staunchly in favor of Church and State being kept separate.

We will take them (as you all took me in), but it will be on Democratic Party terms.

If they think for a minute that their job is to crusade the party, no thanks.

[Downtown Hound]

2. We can win without them

Sorry, but I don't welcome these people into our party until they give up their bigoted, jingoistic, narrow-minded views. The past eight years are a perfect example of what happens when religion and politics mix. The last thing I want to see is the Democratic Party overrun with bible thumping psychotics.

[Wapsie B]

3. Even within the world of fundamentalist Protestants there are Liberals and Conservatives.

That's why I try to differentiate between them. I've met Liberal Fundamentalists and know the good they're doing. What chaps me is the way the MSM portrays conservative fundies with the broad-brush term of evangelicals. Evangelical simply means that a particular denomination derives it's teachings from the Holy Gospel. It in no way means that every evangelical Christian is a conservative fundie. I wish some of these college-educated journalists would some day see the distinction. :eyes:

[mamalone]

6. Thank you....

I am one of those evangelicals that you're talking about. We are not a monolithic group, even though the media and many political "insiders" think we are. I appreciate your words more than you know:)

[Wapsie B]

7. You're most welcome

So am I as a matter of fact. :)

[mamalone]

14. well, then...

maybe we are the start of a movement of our own, eh?:D

[Wapsie B]

16. yes, i would say so!

the start of something big. :)

[salbi]

8. I'm also a a Christian Liberal

Don't judge all Christians by those you see on MSM.

[mamalone]

13. wow.. that's three of us...

I suspect there's a whole lot more;)

[Wapsie B]

18. I remember a pastor somewhere in the Southern states being interviewed on TV.

This was 2004. He was telling of many of his parishioners being very upset of being thought of as far-right conservatives simply because they are Christians in the South.

[hokies4ever]

4. CNN Compassion Forum helped Obama

He looked genuinely religious, not faking it like many politicians do. The audience was very receptive to him and he had some great policy positions that appealed to the religious right. For example, he talked about how the story in Genesis teaches us to be good stewards of the earth, so climate change and global warming are key issues that should concern Christians.

[Mz Pip]

15. I thought he did well

in that forum. I'm not much of a believer but Obama did not make me feel uncomfortable and he also got quite a lot of applause from the crowd. That quite a tightrope IMHO. He did it well.

[mamalone]

5. awww... shucks!

I just posted this in GD:D


Seriously, this is so exciting to me... I don't think anyone has a handle on how big this could be. I think Obama could easily win over many of these folks.

[calimary]

12. It's exciting to me, too! Not just on its face - a MOST welcome change, but

strategically. Sorry to wallow in the mud but it comes to the foreground of my thinking immediately. The more religiously-minded who abandon the republi-CONS, the better. The better for the rest of us! The better, especially, for those of us who think religion should be beyond politics, and NOT wallow (like - um - I'm doing). The religiosos we have now speak and react and behave as though they never heard of Christ's speech about The Beatitudes. You know, that boring "blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers" crap about stuff you can't make any money off of, or throw your weight around. :eyes: (Sorry about the grammar. Can't quite figure it out so it sounds correct.)

I'm just glad to see it. It's a welcome change, and I hope, as the OP says, it's bigger than we think. We SO need this change!!! Our communities do. Our country does. Our whole planet does!

[mamalone]

17. well.... I get excited about the strategy implications myself, lol...

It's hard not to! This could change the political landscape in such an incredible way. Without the evangelicals, where would the repubs be?...hehehe, makes me feel all warm inside just to think about it:D

[calimary]

20. It makes me feel hopeful. If we can harness that man/womanpower and those masses for good,

we might really start making headway, and on issues that REALLY matter:

Poverty.

Homelessness.

Constant warfare - primarily for economic gain.

[jazzjunkysue]

9. Yada, yada, yada. They back the winner. How honorable. But remember, they're

still more moral that the rest of us.

They'll switch sides like any opportunist.

[grasswire]

10. you need to trim your OP to four paragraphs

Also, a caution. Os Guinness is a Brit. His associates are academics, mostly. I don't think the "movement" the writer speaks of can be assumed to affect the Republican Party as a whole.

[BlooInBloo]

11. They're to be trusted even less than Clinton supporters (if that's possible).

[PurityOfEssence]

19. They already own one party, now they want to own the other one

This is not a good development, and it's one of the biggest reasons I have such problems with Senator Obama. Christianity is not a demure, benign belief like many seem to think; for all its good points, it seeks to convert or dominate anything in its path. That's not just a passing hobby, either, it's the focus.

Religion is inherently anti-pluralist, and with each encroachment it becomes more accepted that it's indispensable. That's the path we're merrily traipsing down, and it's not a good one.

Mere mortals expect others to back their policy claims up with facts and agreed-upon opinions; those beholden to the supernatural simply see fit to do as they please and need not buttress their claims with any petty little nuisances like "proof".

Great. Yes, we should seek the support of those who agree with us on policy issues, but when belief is used as anything more than inspiration behind policy, it's beyond dangerous.

There is far too much religion in U.S. Government today, and the blithe joy at inviting more into it is idiotic.

[jazzjunkysue]

22. I see no reason to worry that any church will steer Obama on anything

substantial. It's expected that we'll see him coming in and out of churches, but, honestly, it's hard to imagine him bothering to pander to the right, knowing that you can never keep them happy. No matter what bone you throw them, unless you take down the government completely and install church leaders as governors, they'll never stop.

There's not much benefit to pandering to them. Expecially since we know they don't like McSame. We already know they won't go out and pull the lever for the GOP, so, that's enough.

[anonymous171]

21. I'm fine with them joining up, as long as they don't try to hijack us like they did with the GOP

[mcctatas]

23. I think they should practice seperation of church and state

closer to home...
After seeing the hell that was wrought on the GOP for cuddling up to the RR, forgive me if I'm a little dubious about collecting them into the fold.

[Romulox]

24. LOL. Kick the working class out of the party; invite in the religious whackos!

It turns out there is such a thing as a change for the worse. :eyes:

[and-justice-for-all]

25. Suckin' up because their ship has sunk...

fuck them, theocratic fascist.