Rev. William BArber explains, in 2014, what an evangelical is.

[mfcorey1]

"snip"

But “evangelical” is a label that has been hijacked and manipulated by the political establishment in America. When pundits refer again and again to the “evangelical vote,” they are leaning on the Cliff Notes of the so called “far right”– the extreme religionists who use a perverted interpretation of faith to endorse an extreme agenda.

True evangelicalism spoken from the lips and words of Jesus places concern for the poor and the broken and the battered and the imprisoned and the blind and the bruised and those made to feel unacceptable at the center of faith. This evangelicalism seeks to invite all to care for the least of these, to have a deep concern for justice and love and mercy as it relates not just the individual piety and charity but to public morality social justice and governmental policies.

The term evangelical should have nothing to do with any political party but should reference a particular perspective and critique regarding grace, justice, love and mercy as noted in many Scriptures. For instance Luke 4:18-19 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor.”

This is not liberal or conservative politics but the politics of God. Too often what we hear and see is what Kevin Kruse talks about in his book “One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America,” the outright hijacking and deliberate use of Christian language to promote unchristian polices that hate, harm and hurt.

America’s abolitionists were evangelicals as they sought to proclaim the good news of liberty to the captive.

In the midst of the temperance, labor and women’s suffrage movements, Charles Sheldon’s book “In His Steps” raised the question “What would Jesus do?” as a deeply evangelical question.

The social gospel in this country was evangelical as it sought to win over the heart of the country and to save society from the ugliness of poverty and hurt and pain.

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article43492335.html

[el_bryanto]

1. While i agree with what the author is trying to do

Words have multiple meanings depending on who is using them. Right Wing Evangelicals would strongly argue that evangelicals who don't follow their political beliefs don't understand the scriptures or have made friends with the world at the expense of true faith. and since they are noisier than most liberal or even centrist Evangelicals they will get to define the conversation.

Bryant

[TreasonousBastard]

2. He's right...

While we think of Southern Baptists today, historically Baptists were on the leading edge of abolition, anti-war movements, and other "liberal" agenda. And a few things we might not agree with, but they were nothing like today's SBC. There are still a few liberal Baptists out there, but you don't hear much from them.

You also don't hear much about the Catholic charities, education, healing the sick, housing the poor... Catholicism isn't all about abortion or kiddiediddling.

Evangelicals are essentially just bringing the message of salvation. How they bring that message, and what baggage they carry with it, can vary greatly.

[Volaris]

3. I think this topic is important

I think America needs to have a national-level social discussion about what it means to have Faith.

I think it's a discussion that rationally-minded, grounded in reality people of faith can win.

I know a good number of god-respecting liberals (because logically, god isn't something to fear given the nature of Christianity) who reconciled the dogma of religion and the tenants of science by asking questions of religion and then rejecting the answers that didn't logically follow..I.E., if God is all-knowing, then surely god is smart enough to understand the biochemistry of evolution--no miracle needed.

We're all on the path to enlightenment. I don't care what your path is as long as it gets you where you need to go, and doesn't force me off MY PATH.

Finally, the first purpose of religion is to make itself irrelevant, meaning the goal of teaching it must be to bring you to such a place of understanding that you no longer need the box of dogma in order to make correct moral decisions...it's been internalized to such an extent that it becomes innate. This REQUIRES community, questioning, and is something that FORCES critical thinking skills.

For many of us, this is a fluff issue, but I think for a lot more it's critically important to the future of our society and so it's a discussion that needs to be engaged seriously.

Apologies for spelling errors, I posted this from my phone.