A story by Stephanie Simon in the Los Angeles Times, about a group of Christians who remember that Jesus had something to say about people taking care of one another:
…a small but growing movement of evangelical Christians who no longer want to be defined by gay marriage and abortion. Plumbing the Bible for God’s priorities, they are talking instead about global warming and affordable housing, about fewer tax cuts for the rich and more food stamps for the poor.
“The typical image of evangelicals is that they’re concerned with the sanctity of life, the traditional family and that’s it – they buy the whole Republican agenda when they vote,” said Ron Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action, a think tank based in Wynnewood, Pa.
…
Citing Jesus’ concern for the most vulnerable, evangelicals last month led a protest against a proposed federal budget that would cut deeply into food stamps, subsidized health insurance and student aid.The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Assn. of Evangelicals, has spoken out for clean-air and clean-water policies, arguing that God ordered man to be a good steward of creation. He hears pastors everywhere picking up the theme.
A couple of weeks ago, after I performed my song “Who Will Save Us from the Saved?” (listen to it) in an Atlanta night club, I was approached by a man who introduced himself as “Reverend Scales.” I braced myself for a talking-to, but he was more interested in shaking my hand and thanking me for sharing his concerns about the way Jesus’ name is being abused today.
Later, I got this email from Rev. Scales:
Some Christians, it would seem, tend to want to “shoot” their wounded than to make the effort required to help and nuture them through tough times. These are troubling times and one can’t help but wonder what exactly Jesus would think of His church.
In the song, I say this to those “Christians”:
He was all about compassion
If he knew you, he would cry
I am happy to read that there are many evangelicals who agree with me.
P.S. This just in, courtesy of Mark van Allen. It’s an amusing little film about monkeys.
Hey, let’s not forget about Jim Wallis of God is not a Republican or a Democrat fame…
http://www.sojo.net/
http://tinyurl.com/ag5cg
Thanks to MvA for the link to the excellent filmstrip (it’s gotten a little bit wider distribution tonight), and to you David for your exemplary diplomacy, as always.
Regarding “Liberal” Evangelicals, I would like to believe that this is the natural order of things, that these folks will be the checks & balances against the neo-con religious fanatics out there.
I would LIKE to believe it, but I am always fearful of folks who pare through the Bible to find the parts that appeal to them. As I get older, I am less and less convinced that you need understand more than the concept of “decency” to be a good person, a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, etc… Maybe I am just cynical?