Evangelical biographer warms to Obama - Young evangelicals agree with him on poverty and war.

[jefferson_dem]

Might catch heat from some who aren't comfortable with "faithful" politicians but I see this as huge plus for Barack and our party.

Evangelical biographer warms to Obama



I got an early look today at the latest piece of Obama lit, a surprisingly sympathetic biography from the conservative Evangelical author of "The Faith of George W. Bush."

The conservative Evangelical biographer of George W. Bush and Tom DeLay has moved on to a new subject: Barack Obama. And his new book, due out this summer, may lend credibility to Senator Obama's bid to win Evangelical Christian voters away from the Republican Party.

The forthcoming volume from Stephen Mansfield, whose sympathetic "The Faith of George W. Bush" spent 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in 2004, is titled "The Faith of Barack Obama." Its tone ranges from gently critical to gushing, and the author defends Obama-and even his controversial former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright-from conservative critics, and portrays him as a compelling figure for Christian voters.

"Young Evangelicals are saying, 'Look, I'm pro-life but I'm looking at a guy who's first of all black-and they love that; two, who's a Christian; and three who believes faith should bear on public policy," Mansfield, who described himself as a conservative Republican, said in a telephone interview. "They disagree with him on abortion, but they agree with him on poverty, on the war."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Evangelical_biographer_warms_to_Obama.html#comments

MORE HERE ---> http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11099.html#commentsform

[malik flavors]

1. Does Obama really believe that faith should bear on public policy?

[jefferson_dem]

2. That's a tough one.

I think his personal faith perspective serves as a foundation that helps inform his position on policies relating to social justice and equality...for sure. As he is a "believer", how could it not? He's pretty much signaled that in his speeches and writings.

Of course, he would not seek to impose religious tenets or doctrines as public policy. Viva la difference.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. "Impose religious tenants?"

What does that mean? Forcing you to accept a basement full of Jesus freaks?

[jefferson_dem]

6. LOL! Awesome typo alert.

Fixed now.

[Max_powers94]

3. If it's the part of faith that helps people in need then I am all in.

[rox63]

4. I think he sees it as his personal moral compass, which isn't necessarily a bad thing

As long as he doesn't push his own faith on the rest of us, I'm cool with that.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. In June of 2006 Sen. Obama delivered the keynote address at a conference of progressive Evangelicals

In June of 2006 Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton and Gov. Dean spoke at this conference of progressive Evangelicals in Washington, D.C. with Sen. Obama delivering their keynote address - .

“They gave Obama thunderous applause when he proclaimed his support for separation of church and state and giving teenagers access to contraception." link: http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/nation/14923089.htm

'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address

Wednesday, June 28, 2006


link to full transcript of the 'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address delivered by Sen. Obama in June of 2006:

http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/index.php

snip "In fact, because I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics, and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they're something they're not. They don't need to do that. None of us need to do that.

But what I am suggesting is this - secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Moreover, if we progressives shed some of these biases, we might recognize some overlapping values that both religious and secular people share when it comes to the moral and material direction of our country. We might recognize that the call to sacrifice on behalf of the next generation, the need to think in terms of "thou" and not just "I," resonates in religious congregations all across the country. And we might realize that we have the ability to reach out to the evangelical community and engage millions of religious Americans in the larger project of American renewal.

Some of this is already beginning to happen. Pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes are wielding their enormous influences to confront AIDS, Third World debt relief, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious thinkers and activists like our good friend Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo are lifting up the Biblical injunction to help the poor as a means of mobilizing Christians against budget cuts to social programs and growing inequality. "

link: http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/index.php

----------------

[Mr. Blonde]

9. I think the christian

opposition to abortion and especially contraception is vastly overstated.

Certainly there are those who think they both should be outlawed on penalty of death, but that is not the vibe I get from most.

The economic reality is that families need two income earners the majority of the time. Sure they want kids, but they cannot afford the amount of them that no contraception would lead to. They also cannot afford to have the female off work for much of the time or all of the time because she is pregnant and/or caring for the children. Most people regardless of a personal faith or lack of one are aware of this fact.

My mom, who is very devout, often gets weird looks when she claims to be very much in favor of planned parenthood. She said she wanted two kids two years apart, and she came very close to that being what happened. Two years and eight months separate me and my sister.

It is just one of those things where the squeaky wheel gets the most grease. I think a large number of Christian women would be very upset if the movement to remove all types of birth control from the market started gaining traction. And Christian men for that matter.

Abortion is of course a much grayer area, but again, in my experience, most are in favor of abortion early on in the pregnancy. It is later when you enter the period of viability outside the womb that most turn against it.

Of course I'm Methodist and most conseratives rail against my church for being far too liberal, so my view could be very skewed by that.

That people who then look at the rest of the Democratic platform and see that it is much more in line with Christ's teachings and as a result vote that way should surprise no one.

I think we do ourselves far more damage by being seen as so absolutely hostile to faith. I hate to bring Ronald Reagan into the arguement, but we should be highlighting the 80 percent we are with Christians and not the 20 percent we are divergent on.

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. I think that is correct...and attitudes also have changed over time

I myself was also raised Methodist and I have a number of relatives who still hold that persuasion. I was talking with my brother just the other night and he was saying that many and probably most Methodist and other Evangelicals have somewhat softened their attitudes on personal social issues over the years.

Now even most Evangelicals know real live people who have had abortions, just as they almost certainly know real live gay people. Thus they just are not as inclined to hold the strident views of Evangelicals or other religious people of only one or two decades ago.

People who have been involved in third-world solidarity work are frequently impressed with just how many Evangelicals are committed to peace and social justice issues. They simply are not the monolithic block many imagine.

[malik flavors]

8. Thanks for the clearing that up, folks. I was curious about that.

[anonymous171]

11. As long as this is just framing issues, I don't have a problem with it.