Jim Wallis in Denver-- some pithy tales....

[bobbolink]

I just came from hearing Jim Wallis speak, and he rocked the house. (OK, it was a church...) :)

I tried the best I could to keep some notes, but.... he's an excellent speaker and was on to something else really good before I finished the previous point. So, I'm putting his comments in quotes, but pleeez remember that it may not be verbatim. I tried.

He started off by saying that in this country, people are confused about faith and politics. He told the story about his young son (about 6, I think) who was telling him about his friends, and said, "I don't think they believe in God or Jesus. They're vegetarians." :)

After his appearance on The Daily Show, he received thousands of emails from people who were stirred by what he said. One email said, "You're the only Christian I've seen on TV and didn't throw up afterwards."

He said when he was 14, he left the church when it was said that "Racism is political. Faith is personal."

He talked a lot about how the dominant religious force in the US for the last 20 years has talked about moral values, and said, "I care about moral values, too, but I have more than just two." :)

As he's traveling around, he's seeing a huge change in thinking and attitudes. He said the moral dialogue of the religiouis right is over, and a new dialogue has begun. "We must not treat the other side the way they have too often treated us."

As he expanded on the idea of having more than two moral values, he said, "If I'm an unborn child in a religious right family, I better stay unborn as long as possible to be protected."

"I have a hard time believing Jesus' highest priority would be banning gay marriage."

He read Bon Jovi's statement of where God is as an example of strong spirituality. I will have to google it, and get the whole statement. It was quite potent.

Then he talked a lot about the invasion and occupation of Iraq. "Why did we think Saddam Hussein had WMDs? Because we had the receipts."

The group he was working with developed a 6-point plan to avoid the war. When he was talking with the State Department, they said, "We need allies in the religious community in our war against the Defense Department."

Their 6-Point Plan got a lot of attention in other venues, including the UN, and the British Parliament. He was on the road when his wife went into labor, and he rushed back to be with her. In the labor room, his cell phone rang, and it was someone from the British Parliament, asking if it was an OK time to talk about their plan. His wife, Joy, said, "Take the call. Stop the war! I'm not pushing yet!" :rofl:
What a woman!

Jim Wallis will be in Colorado Springs Wednesday night, so those down there might want to consider getting in to hear him. He's a guaranteed good listen!

[yellerpup]

1. Thanks for sharing

Sounds like a wonderful speaker.

[bobbolink]

2. He really is a great speaker. But, as my pastor said afterwards...

"Anyone who gets his start at Ebenezer Baptist Church *has* to be a good speaker!"

:) :hi: :)

[yellerpup]

3. I believe that!

:hi:

[Warpy]

4. He is.

Msn.com runs videos for people with broadband access, videos that can probably be accessed by everybody at the main page. Click videos>lifestyles >body, mind, spirit. Once in a blue moon they have a clip of Wallis, and his speaking is certainly powerful and takes the religious right to task for abandoning the teachings of Christ in favor of Supply Side Jesus.

Wallis is far from perfect, and a lot of what he says is nonsense that will greatly offend women. However, when it comes to socio economic issues, he is spot on.

I've been waiting all my life for mainstream ministers to take these sanctimonious frauds of CBN on, and Wallis is doing just that.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. Please elaborate on the "women" issues on which he spouts nonsense.

I liked what I read in the OP and appreciated that he's married to a woman who sounds strong and smart.

Yet, I see a tendency, more and more, for "progressives" of various persuasions to throw the girls' issues under the bus.

MKJ

[Warpy]

6. He doesn't want the girls to be able to control

their reproductive lives.

He's entitled to his opinion, which carries exactly NO weight with me, but he's in the camp of outlawing a lifesaving procedure because his RELIGIOUS opinions are dead against it.

When he realizes what the barrier between church and state really means, my support will be a little less qualified.

[bobbolink]

17. He doesn't refer to women as "girls"

[yellerpup]

10. I've often wished that someone would take on the CBN fakirs myself

That is a head-to-head debate that I'd really like to see. Couldn't vote for him though, since he is anti-choice. I know he's not running, but that position will always be a deal breaker for me.

[Warpy]

15. Me too

so we can both get flamed by the boys calling us one issue voters so they can dispense with those annoying rights we fought so hard for.

[calimary]

7. VERY nice effort, bobbolink! Thanks for the report!

Terrific of you to take some notes so that you'd have some specifics to share here. Yes, it's hard to do sometimes, especially when you want to get the quotes down correctly! I sometimes had trouble deciphering my chicken-scratching after doing so, myself - it's just one of the hazards of the work.

And I hope to God (!) that Wallis is correct about seeing a change in thinking and attitudes. Boy do we need it! He and his aren't perfect, but they're a lot closer to it than the rest of 'em.

[Bill McBlueState]

8. So what does Wallis think about abortion and gay marriage?

Nothing you posted indicates that he comes down on the progressive side of those issues.

[Tom Joad]

9. Colorado Springs... Dobson Occupied Territory.

Liberate it Jim.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. He said alot of good things

Right now we need more of that that's for sure.

Thanks for taking the time and putting effort to share this with all of us. :)

[bmbmd]

12. Just so you know-here's his website.

http://www.sojo.net/

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. Very cool!

[Cha]

14. Bless Jim Wallis'

Heart and tell him to stay out of small airplanes and watch his back from the "Jesus would bomb Iraq" wing of the Christian faith.

[bobbolink]

16. I don't think he's the type to get much into fear....

Actually, he also spoke about our obsession with fear yesterday.

Of course, now that he has two young sons....

Thanks for your concern for him.... it's so sad that these are the times we live in...

[Cha]

18. I just realize that the way Jim Wallis

is letting out the truth that it will strike fear in the faux christians and they will lash out with all their earthly venom.

[bobbolink]

19. Yeah, I know what you meant. During his talk yesterday, I said

something about nail holes in hands... sigh...

I fully understand what you're saying, and won't be at all surprised whatever the RW does. However, he talked a lot about seeing so many signs of change, and there was a conservative seminary prof there on the panel with Jim after his talk. The conservative agreed with a lot, and made some strong statements himself, so... I trust in Jim's assessment of what is happening.

Also, Jim isn't new to this. He's been raising hell now for a lot of years, and been arrested, etc. He's seasoned.

Still.....:scared: