3 posts tagged “religious right”

Democrats are seeking to promote Christianity whithin their party.  Today, David Whilhelm and other Christian Democrats launched FaithfulDemocrats.com (keep trying - its getting a lot of hits).  As the Washington Post reports, FaithfulDemocrats.com seeks to "give religious Democrats
'the moral support and some language they can use.'"

It is intersting that Whilhelm and others feel the need to promote Chrisitianity in the Democratic party.  This is a party that has been demonstribly hostile to Christianity and a party whose Christian members mostly belong to denominations that are significantly shrinking. 

Faithful Democrats are good at some cleaver phrasing: "Jesus rode a donkey - not an elephant."  "God is not spelled GOP."  And "Jesus was an illegal immigrant."  Never mind the bad theology - these are funny. 

Faithful Democrats face the same challenge as Christian organizations on the right.  Do they seek to pull the party into a Christian ethos?  Are they just acting like a "me too" for those on the Right?  Or is this an attempt to dress up the party and appeal to the religous that are disaffected with the Republican party? 

The challenge for Christians on both the Right and Left is the call of Christ to redeem our world - including the political and governmental.  What this means for Christians is to engage the political parties from the perspective of ministry and mission.  How can Christians serve the parties with which they affiliate and how can they work to effectively promote the Gospel within the party and its activities?

Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see Christians in any party seeking to distinguish their voice and make it relevent in their party.  The ultimate question is: Relevant to whom? 

God's Politcs by Jim Wallis is much like mainline Christianity: lots of concern and serious consternation with little substance.  This should be no surprise,  Wallis is the president of Sojourners, a "network of progressive Christians." 

Reading God's Politics after the Foriegn Affairs article featured earlier on this site was like seeing a real world application of a theoretical concept.   Wallis righteously promotes policy alternatives as  the way to bring everyone together and address complex social problems.  He promotes religon as the way of transforming people and societies to bring about this level of agreement. 

True to his liberal Christian form, Wallis' hallmark for engagement in government, politics and social issues is the common good.  He is bewildered by conservative Christian's motivation and the thought that the Word of God may be a more substantive foundation of Christian engagement seems to never cross his mind.  Wallis does not seem to want to be bothered by the truths of economics or fact that the United States is largest benefactor for the poor and needy.

As much as Wallis condems alternative versions of political action, he promotes his own vision as "God's Politics."  His ultimate "God Questions" is not "What does the Bible say about X?" or even "What would Jesus Do?" but "How are the kids doing?"  He minimizes concerns about the societal affects of an aggressive homosexual agenda and promotes the ultimate Christian issue as that of addressing poverty. 

God's Politics attempts to promote a "third way" between the Religious Right and the Liberal Left.  But, in fact, he is trying to dress up the vacant ideas and non-redemptive approach of theologies and denominations that are in serious decline and losing support because of their bankrupt values and moral thought.  One example:  Wallis attempts to argue that removing our troops from Iraq is pro-life.  (I guess?)

Lastly, little effort is spent describing the power of transformation through a personal relationship with Christ.  It simply re-hashes liberal polemics in Christian vestments and attacks conservative Christians because they don't subscribe to his theology or policy priorities.  Unfortunately, Wallis does not realize that his party and his pews are empty to his call to action. 

Kudos to the Raliegh News Observer for interviewing Randall Balmer and soliciting his thoughts on the Religious Right.  Balmer always brings up good points about  Christianity and society. 

Balmers book Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory, is classic contemporary commentary on the Evangelical subculture.  The PBS special of the same title is wonderful. particularly when he goes to an Evangelical music festival and interviews the attendees and their articulations of faith. 

Balmer has a new book that is sure to be provocative.  It's called Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America.  A more contentious title one could not select. 
Look for a review here soon. 

Back to the News Observer interview.  Balmer addresses public displays of the Ten Commandments, abortion, HIV/AIDS in Africa , and the power of James Dobson and the Evangelical media empire.  He goes directly to the heart of the Right's sacred cows. 

Enough already.  Click the link, read the article and let's discuss.