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Evangelical and a liberal?
- Filed under: Faith In Ohio
- Date: Jan 29,2008
Dr. John Green of the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute for Applied Politics is a man with a national reputation for his expertise on the relationship between religion and politics. This week, the PBS show NOW has an excellent interview with Dr. Green. The title of the discussion is Evangelicals In Flux. The discussion looks at the new generation of evangelicals and their association with political parties. In the interview, Dr. Green is asked, "Can you be a liberal and an evangelical?" Here is his response:
GREEN: You know [this question] is really interesting. I've done surveys for many years of pastors and evangelical activists and the people in the pews—-surveys of the public. And one of the questions we often ask is, "Is it possible to be an evangelical and a liberal?"
And the reason we ask that is because that is the subject of some contention and debate within the evangelical community. And we find that there really are two opinions on that matter. Some evangelicals, particularly the more conservative ones, really doubt that one could be a true believer and a political liberal.
But there are others, and there always have been others, that don't see that that's necessarily a contradiction and that one could find in the religious teachings of the evangelical community plenty of things that might lead one to adopt liberal positions in politics. It's my sense that in the last few years, that second group, people who don't see a necessary contradiction between evangelical beliefs and political liberalism, has become somewhat larger. And more than that, it's become much more vocal.
It is exciting for me as a Democrat to think about the possibility of evangelicals considering new issues as their top priorities. Will they be the new swing voters of 2008? If the wedge issues of the past are no longer effective at driving the electorate apart, perhaps issues like education, the War In Iraq, the environment, poverty and others will cause evangelical voters to consider voting for a few Democrats. I hope so because it could have a dramatic impact on Ohio politics.
7 Responses for "Evangelical and a liberal?"
Wishful thinking Kyle. There is a lot to be frustrated with the Republican Party right now - particularly in Summit County - but I doubt they would ever drift towards the Democrat Party.
Evangelicals specifically and Chritianity in general has been under attack by "secular progressives" for years. This brand of liberals is too large in numbers and way too powerful within your party to even consider courting religious conservatives.
If anything, evangelicals and religious conservatives would start their own party before joining the ranks of the party that displays so much hostility towards them.
Hey, and welcome back. I enjoy your and Ben's blogs.
I happened to stumble across one of his interviews. I have read his comments in the local paper for years but it was the first time I have had the "pleasure" of watching him. I realize he is a respected scholar in his field but his smugness detracts from his viewpoints.
Dave, as someone who regularly attends Democratic functions here in Northeast Ohio, I can assure you that the secular progressive are balanced out by many Democrats who are people of faith. Several of the political events I have attended started with a prayer. There are internal debates within the Democratic Party on how issues of morality and faith should be handled. However, I agree that the secular movement is alive and well in our party. I've found that many religious and secular people have very similar views, but they get there using very different reasons. I find those discussions interesting and good political discourse.
Thanks for your comments and support.
I read an article a few months ago about the "greening" of evangelicals. Basically, there is a movement in the evangelical community of supporting environmental causes because they believe that they are stewards of God's earth (I think that they call it "creation care"). It certainly makes for interesting elections.
Thanks for this post, Kyle. I wasn't aware of the program and I'm a big fan of Dr. Green's.
Dave, it's rather hard to drift towards a party which doesn't exist … perhaps you're talking about the "Democratic" party?
I know … it's a standard smear tactic … like the "death tax" - on something which doesn't exist, but is a euphamism for people who stand to inherit more than X million dollars to try to get out of paying a single dime in taxes …
I got this e-mail a few days ago and it is powerful stuff. It was written by Christian musician Scott Williams who is a black man. Read and give thoughtful consideration. Christians do not side with evil.
————————————————————-
"WHY I CAN'T VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA"
Dear Friends, A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating…
First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.
Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader.
I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.
We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.
NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)
To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.
There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100 % rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.. There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.
Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue
The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:
A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.
God help him. There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.
Think about this: You can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.
There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.
Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?
Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 "Go and make disciples of all nations." This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you; talk like you believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?
Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a …
1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.
Would you support a President who went to a church like that?
Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.
This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world..
A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if itʼs a white church or a black church it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.
Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.
Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?
So what does all this mean for the nation?
In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.
Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
Then God says
1 Samuel 1:18 " When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."
Here is what we know for sure.
God is not schizophrenic
He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.
Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.
For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.
I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends.
Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,
1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation.
2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?
Scottie Williams
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