NYT/Reuters: Religious Left Gears Up to Face Right Counterpart

[DeepModem Mom]

Religious Left Gears Up to Face Right Counterpart
By REUTERS
Published: July 25, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The religious right, which helped re-elect President Bush in 2004 by rallying opposition to abortion and gay marriage, is now facing a pushback from the religious left.

With a faith-based agenda of their own, liberal and progressive clergy from various denominations are lobbying lawmakers, holding rallies and publicizing their positions. They want to end the Iraq war, ease global warming, combat poverty, raise the minimum wage, revamp immigration laws, and prevent "immoral'' cuts in federal social programs....

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According to scholars, the religious left has become its most active since the 1960s when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other clergy -- black and white -- were key figures in the civil-rights and anti-Vietnam war movements.

While the religious right is still more powerful, the left is setting its sights on this year's congressional elections and the 2008 White House contest....

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Despite increased energy on the left, the religious right -- featuring big-name preachers, popular talk shows and legions of followers -- remains a far bigger influence than the loosely knit left....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-religion-politics-usa.html

[acmavm]

1. The 'religions right' remain a far bigger influence because

they get all the news coverage and attention. Have for almost six solid years now.

The general impression given by the media is that the left are a godless pagan bunch of tree worshipping crazies who sacrifice babies.

[LynneSin]

2. You have to start somewhere

Perhaps in 10 years the religion left (which includes people like myself) will be able to compete as equals if not better than the religious right