Is it worthwhile for some Dems to speak openly about liberal Jesus?

[KyuzoGator]

I definitely don't want it to be a central support in the Democratic platform, but might it be effective for some of the more religious Dems to speak openly about the undeniable fact that Jesus was liberal?

For years, I've been countering the negative use of the word "librul" by dittoheads with, "Liberal? You mean like Jesus?" It works like a charm every single time.

Why can't it work on a broader level?

[saltpoint]

1. If the Dems go with this idea, I hope they consult Bill Moyers on how

it should be done.

I think Bill Moyers will be tops at this.

[Cleita]

9. Yes. He is a religious Christian and no one is more liberal

than Bill Moyers. It's time for real Christians, who practice true Christian principles, to take back the bad image the fundies and pedophile priests have given them.

This is why St. Francis of Asissi founded the Franciscans, to bring Christians back to emulating Jesus without the trappings of the Vatican and moral corruption that followed.

I follow the basic principles taught by Jesus in the New Testament, mainly that of universal love as hard as it may be at times, and I don't need any popes or evangelists telling me how to do it.

[saltpoint]

10. Moyers is every bit as liberal as you say, and of course he's a superb

writer and speaker.

And extremely impossible for the Right-wing nutcases to attack. He knows their religion a lot better than they do and could just tear them to pieces.

I think the Democrats would be wise to re-claim this ground, but I hope they turn to a sage master like Moyers to make it happen.

[Cleita]

14. Moyers is still around. Why don't we start a letter writing campaign

to him suggesting this, or even challinging him to do so by throwing down the gauntlet? Maybe he will pick it up and run with it. We just need to find somewhere to write him.

On edit: Also, I think Jimmy Carter could do this too.

[saltpoint]

16. Cleita, that is a tremendous idea. I'm for it. Let me set about

trying to find an address, and if I do, I'll PM you and give it to you.

If you like, we could post a thread to frame the proposal and see if others might want to send a letter also.

Maybe a direct letter to Bill Moyers, copied to Howard Dean, our party's Chair.

What do you think?

[Cleita]

18. Sounds good. I think we should send a copy to Jimmy Carter

too.

[saltpoint]

21. I think I have some info. I took a plunge through the web and

came up with this address:

Bill Moyers, President
The Schumann Center for Media and Democracy, Inc.
33 Park Street
Montclair, New Jersey 07042

ph. 973 - 783 - 6660

_______________________

Do you want to try and round up an address for Jimmy Carter? I'll get Howard Dean's address from one of my contacts.

I think it's excellent to include him also, definitely.

Maybe, if you have some time, the two of us could draft an open letter to these three folks, post it on DU simultaenous to sending it, and then hope for a response. We could ask other DUers to write letters also.

That's just a suggestion. Change it however you think we should proceed.

[Cleita]

25. Is this evening all right with you?

I'm free after 4 pm PST time. Right now I have to do a lot of yard work. I'll PM you when I get an address for Jimmy Carter. It shouldn't be hard. He has a Presidential Library I believe.

[saltpoint]

26. Hi again, Cleita. I will try to be on and off DU tonight, but if I miss

you, then I will respond by tomorrow sometime.

I love your idea.

myrna minx (DUer) in this thread suggests we also copy Rev. John Spong, who is a very liberal-thinking soul also. I thought it was a pretty good idea.

If we can get all these addresses together & write the thread... but please throw in your thoughts on how you'd like it to go. This was your idea and I just want to support it however I can.

I'll be on and off DU this evening & I hope we cross paths.

[Cleita]

35. Don't worry about this being my idea.

Please take it where you think it will be most effective.

This is what I got for Jimmy Carter:

President Jimmy Carter
441 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia
30307-1498
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/

[myrna minx]

19. I agree about Moyers, but I would add John Shelby Spong. n/t

[saltpoint]

22. Hi to you, myrna minx. An excellent man. By chance do you have

an address where he could be reached?

Cleita and I are trying to round up addresses, and we could include him if we could get an address.

He's exactly the sort of mind we want representing spirituality and not Jim Dobson.

[myrna minx]

23. When I get home, I'll check and see if he has

any contact info within any of his publications. :hi: I am re-reading Why Christianity Must Change or Die and I must say, he is truly a great mind. That book gave me so much hope.

[saltpoint]

24. OK. We'll be around on DU.

:hi: :dem:

[BoneDaddy]

39. JSS

is brilliant and a true christian in every sense of the word.

[KyuzoGator]

2. Kick nt

[MadMaddie]

3. I think talking about the topic is valid....I don't know if using

the word liberal is a good idea....unfortunately the Repugs have framed liberal for so many years as a bad thing...

A loving, forgiving and understanding Jesus...

Just my two cents..

[Cleita]

6. Yes, they have propandized liberal as a bad thing and we

need to take that back and throw it in their faces that to be a liberal is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

[KyuzoGator]

31. Exactly...Dems allowed Limbaugh to turn "liberal" into a four-letter word.

We need to take it back, not euphamize it with some other term.

[johnnie]

4. No matter how much a lot of people want to think otherwise

There are still a majority in this country that are Christians. I'm not one, but I have respect for anyone's spiritual beliefs and if a person is a Christian and says they are then that's fine with me. If Dems want to speak about Jesus I see no problem with it personally. I would hope that it doesn't become a major part of the platform, but there is no reason that Jesus shouldn't be mentioned.

[Cleita]

5. I think it's a very good idea considering the majority of

Americans are Christians if not in practice in background. It's okay to preach to the choir, just don't preach to those who are not believers. I think Christians really do need to be reminded of what the Jesus of the gospels stood for.

[Touchdown]

7. Yes, Yes!

Christianity has been hijacked by the right wing, who claim it only for themselves. Somebody needs to take it back. And...it's certainly more productive to go after those that are tainting the Christian faith, than to whine here about atheists being insensitive, and buy into that "war against Christians" lie.

This is what I've said before on this board. Fight the pharisees, Left Behinders, and hate-faithers. Go for it! There is nothing to lose, and only the religion to gain back!

[w8liftinglady]

8. I was always comforted by the image of Jesus as a loving,all-accepting

being...even as a child.The song"Jesus loves the little children,all the little children of the world-they are yellow,black and white,they are precious in his sight-Jesus loves the little children of the world" was one I sang all the time.It seems that recently,God/Jesus have become the punishing,judgemental beings the right wants to portray them as.

[Virginia Dare]

11. I have this dream...

that the subject of religion will not come up at all with regards to a political race. I know, it's just a dream.

[KyuzoGator]

32. I also have that dream. But the reality is...

...the right-wing has portrayed liberals as some kind of antithesis to "true" Christian teachings.

I'd like politicians to approach Christ as a philosopher rather than a deity. Christ's philosophy was undeniably liberal.

[Virginia Dare]

37. Dangerous territory...

you risk alienating people even further by taking that approach, just my opinion mind you.

[KyuzoGator]

40. But it's also dangerous to forget that about 80% of Americans...

...consider themselves to be Christian.

Like I said, I don't want it to be any part of the Democratic platform...I just want some Democrats to publicly acknowledge that Jesus was a leftist. Plant some seeds here and there.

[Bridget Burke]

12. The "Democratic Party" should not speak out officially.

But plenty of good Democrats are good Christians. If they wish to speak out, I think it would be a great idea.

[w8liftinglady]

13. I agree...people of all,or no,faiths should feel welcome in our party

[Cleita]

15. Christians should only be preaching to the choir or other

Christians I agree, and it can't be the Democratic Party per se that does it but a faction within the party who identify themselves as such to other Christians only. No missionary work should be allowed to non-Christians for this purpose.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

17. JESUS WAS NOT A "LIBERAL"

He was a radical leftist revolutionary, attacking the establishment. By traveling with women who were not their wives, He and deciples endorsed a radical notion to people in that region. By expanding Mosaic Law, He put forth several radical notions. Most of all, did anyone read the part where He cleared the Temple? It was Radical, Leftist and Revolutionary, but not "liberal."

[Cleita]

20. Radical, leftist revolutionary is not what is being attacked by

the religious right. Liberal is and many liberals have been radical, leftist revolutionaries. Tom Hayden comes to mind.

[Leopolds Ghost]

38. Kick n/t

[Midlodemocrat]

29. I think the folks who thought up that saying were trying to

de-demonize the term liberal.

[radio4progressives]

27. How about speaking openly about Impeaching Bush first?

Jesus isn't destroying our country, but his worshippers sure the hell are. Right now, we've got a small little matter about the the final phase into a full blown police state with the Hayden nominee - and you're concerned about whether or not Dems should talk about Jesus? Haven't you been paying attention? ever since the MSM made Bush King of the country, they also declared we are "christian" nation and the Dems have been pandering to them for the past two and half years, tripping over their own feet to be the first to prostelytize, quoting scripture and using God and Jesus at every opportunity.

puhleeze!

[KyuzoGator]

33. Perhaps you misunderstood my point.

I'm not saying that we should, as a political party, be officially preaching the gospels or pandering to anyone. What I'm saying is that it is a very convenient talking point for the more religious members of the party to mention that Jesus was a liberal who taught peace, understanding, humility and helping the poor and suffering.

Bush and Hayden are short-term, and definitely warrant our attention. However, we also need to expend effort thinking about the direction the party is going in the next 10 or 15 years.

[radio4progressives]

41. I should have mentioned that I'm more than just a little sick and tired

of prostelyzing "Jesus" in politics. I'm a strong advocate for Separation of Church and State and that means keeping all religious figures out of political campaigns, stump speaches, sloganeering etc..

As Madison, Jefferson, and yes even George Washington were deeply concerned about - the Bill of Rights needed to protect freedom to practice religion and worship whatever gods (and by definition goddesses) individuals wished to do so, it is equally important to protect the freedom not to worship or be prostelyzed to.

There's a phony war being manufactured promulgating the myth that "Christianity is under attack" (in America) - when anyone with a pair of eyes and ears know damn well that the Christian Taliban in this country has enjoyed inordinate amount of power and WEALTH than almost any other group in this country other than Corporations and Multi-Nationals. Some churches in this country are as big as Multi-National corporations and they have had as just about as much influence in our governance as Big Oil, they pay no taxes, yet they are fully engaged in politics and influence peddling.

people are exploited by the government, Corporations and the Churches and we all have to pay for it monetarily, politically, and the desimation of our once Constitutionally protected rights to not be harrassed or dictated by religion, their leaders or their followers.

[Midlodemocrat]

28. Because the so called 'Christian Coalition' isn't emulating

Christ. They pull passages out of the Old Testament which aren't relevant to his life, except in that there were before his birth.

How many times does the New Testament mention homosexuality? None.

They SHOULD be focused on the Sermon on the Mount and the Corporal Works of Mercy, but instead they are focused on what goes on in someone's bedroom.

Disgusting.

[KyuzoGator]

34. When people refute my claim that Jesus was liberal...

...I point them to Matthew 6. Jesus sure had a problem with hypocrisy.

[Quantess]

30. Yes.

I'm not religious at all, but I would like to see the deluded Christian repigs "see the light" and realize that Democrats have the edge in moral values. They are currently so brainwashed, most won't figure it out on their own.

W.W.J.D? He'd Vote Democrat!

[KyuzoGator]

36. kick nt