Younger Evangelicals Changing Their Minds about the Christian Right

[babylonsister]

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/7/27/125715/812/Front_Page/Younger_Evangelicals_Changing_Their_Minds_about_the_Christian_Right

Younger Evangelicals Changing Their Minds about the Christian Right
By Carlos

The evidence is mounting that a growing percentage of younger evangelicals are beginning to distance themselves from the political agenda of the Christian Right. A recent Religion News Service article captures well this shift:


According to the Pew Research Center survey in February, support for Democratic candidates jumped from 16 percent to 26 percent among white evangelicals under 30 between the 2004 and 2006 elections.

"Many people have become disillusioned by President Bush, but younger evangelicals have gone from being very enthusiastic supporters of the president to being markedly less so and their party IDs have also switched," said John Green, senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. < >

The DNC is also working with the College Democrats of America's faith caucus on outreach.

"We are broadening the discussion," said Melissa Roberts, a junior at Jesuit-run Boston College and chair of the College Democrats faith caucus. "People are realizing we can define our political beliefs by more than two issues. We can reach beyond abortion and gay marriage."

Emily Holmes, a senior at Bethel University, an evangelical school in Arden Hills, Minn., said a desire to expand the political discussion led her to form the evangelical school's first College Democrats club three years ago. Since then, she said, she has observed a change in her classmates' political interest.

"Within the past three years, I've noticed a subtle change in our campus dynamics," Holmes said. "We are a Christian school and social justice tends to be the core of a lot of what we care about. It's just the way we want to go about taking care of it is what really separates the political parties."

At Calvin College, a moderate evangelical school in the Republican stronghold of Grand Rapids, Mich., there is no student Democratic organization, but several clubs have been formed to address issues traditionally associated with the left.

[Bluebear]

1. Hallelujah! nt

[That Is Quite Enough]

2. I still don't like evangelicals, no matter how much they 'distance' themselves...

...from the Christofascists and Religious Right.

[rucky]

4. There is a strong evangelical Left.

the Quaker school I went to called themselves evangelical. then there's Jim Wallis & Sojourners.

You just don't hear about them so much because the tend to be not-obnoxious about it.

[That Is Quite Enough]

6. If that's true, than I guess...

...that there are some evangelicals somewhere who I can stand. Better go read up on them...

[Hekate]

8. Go here to read Sojourners online; I think you'll be pleased

http://www.sojo.net/

Jim Wallis, an Evangelical minister, has worked for social justice his entire life. While still in seminary he founded the community Sojourners and later founded the magazine of the same name. It's online now.

Rev. Wallis has spoken out vigorously against Bush and the religious right wingnuts.

My path is not exactly his, but he has my full support and gratitude for what he does in the world, especially his efforts to take back the public sphere from the wingnuts.

Hekate

[wildeyed]

9. There are those who believe that evangelism

means acting in a Christ-like manner, ie. helping the poor, not necessarily getting in your face about personal beliefs.

I have a friend who does mission work in South America, but she does not try to convert people to her faith directly. She does her good work and leads by example, not coercion.

She didn't vote for Bush, either.

[That Is Quite Enough]

21. Well

I was under the impression that the standard evangelist view was that one should attempt to convert non-Christians. Of course, different people will have different interpretations of their belief structure, so I guess it's impossible to create a universally agreed upon definition of evangelism.

And your friend sounds like a very admirable woman.

[DeSwiss]

34. And your definition is correct:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evangelism">evangelism - (ĭ-vān'j-lĭz'm) n.

1. Zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel, as through missionary work.
2. Militant zeal for a cause.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Maybe they need another term to call themselves.

[wildeyed]

39. I believe she is attempting to convert non-christians.

Her belief seems to be that if she shows people the value of Christianity through her good works, they will be more receptive to the message of Christianity.

And it works. I am not a Christian, but I respect her opinions because I believe that her actions and obvious commitment to the poor give her moral standing.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. Why would you think that EVERY single evangelical is exactly the same?

That's like the right thinking all Left wingers are gay and after their children. There are some wonderful Christians in the world, and to think that all of them are hateful is just wrong.
Duckie

[That Is Quite Enough]

20. No doubt there are good Christians in the world...

I'm not denying that there are very moral, very admirable people who adhere to Christianity. The people who I don't like are the fire-and-brimstone, convert-or-burn evangelicals who feel the urge to press their views onto everyone they meet.

Also, I'm sure that there are genuinely nice and humane evangelists out there. It's just that I have a strong dislike of the loudest and most hate-filled ones.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

32. But that's not what you said.

You painted them all with the same stroke. That's why I even responded.
Duckie

[That Is Quite Enough]

33. Well you got me there.

I was excessively harsh on the evangelists, *and* I lumped them all together. Look, I'd like to apologize for the whole statement of all evangelists being unbearable. From what I've seen on sites like Sojourners, there are definitely some out there who I'd respect and admire. So there - you have my apology for the rather biased comment towards them all. Make of it what you will.

[rucky]

26. I think the confusion is in the semantics.

Evangelicals are different from dominionists, and all are philosophical branches of Christianity, but in this conversation we've been using two of those terms interchangably - without even mentioning the one that everybody is actually complaining about.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I've seen enough fights over this to know that they usually stem from the fact that we have not agreed on the terminology. So when we're discussing religion, let's try not be anti-semantic ;)

[mzmolly]

19. TCPC.org

http://www.tcpc.org/about/8points.cfm

has a church locater. The UCC is quite "liberal" aka reasonable by most standards. :hi:

[That Is Quite Enough]

22. Grazie!

And I'll also take this post to thank Hekate for the link to Sojourners, as well.

[mzmolly]

23. Oh and by the way ...

WELCOME! :hi:

[Douglas Carpenter]

41. some more info. regarding Sojourners

Sojourners are actually fairly left-wing on foreign policy and economic issues; and moderate on social issues.




Link for Sojourners

http://www.sojo.net /

link for Sojourners Magazine:


http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.home

Interview with Rev. Jim Wallis (founder and leader of Sojourners) on Democracy Now - link:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/26/1355204


"The Rev. Tim Ahrens shared Wallis' dismay: "The faith of Jesus Christ has become such a violent and violating faith in the religious right," he contended. Ahrens is the founder of We Believe Ohio, a group of 300 clergy members dedicated to promoting social justice."

"Many Sojourner supporters didn't hesitate to call right-wingers "bible thumpers" and "fanatics," and they criticized the Bush administration for not helping the poor. 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

[EVDebs]

17. Quaker's website is what got them spied on by NSA. Shows the lies about 'permanent bases' in Iraq

If the U.S. is ultimately leaving Iraq, why is the military building 'permanent' bases? (not to mention a 'Mall of America' embassy)
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq/bases.htm

'As Iraqis Stand Up, We Will Stand Down,' Bush Tells Nation
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=16277

[slampoet]

35. There is also a left element to the Catholic Church. Mostly it is the Dominican clergy.

But you don't hear enough from them either. Possibly it is due to their vows of poverty making it not possibly to buy TV ads or broadcasting equipment for mega church shows.

BTW- There are a lot of Catholic clergy who DON'T take a vow of poverty. Most of the Jesuits for example.

[NCarolinawoman]

27. Jimmy Carter has aways described himself a an Evangelical.

I know a lot of them (some being my relatives) who are really good people and lead by example, and are not "in your face".

Also, they don't like talking politics, and they don't connect being a Christian to being a Republican.

[JerseygirlCT]

31. Evangelical means someone committed to spreading the

word of their faith.

Doesn't necessarily equate to right-wing, totalitarian political views. There's a fair amount of variety as in any group.

You'll find evangelical Christians in every denomination, from the most liberal to the most conservative.

[MadMaddie]

3. Social Justice...I am so glad that it is being discussed by the

Young.....this is where the discussion should have been before Newt and others hijacked the conversation.

[ikojo]

5. The oldest daughter of the director of the department

I work in is into composting and eating right. Her mom (a fundie) rolls her eyes when her daughter talks about stewardship and wanting to right by the planet.

I think the way to reach these kids is through environmentalism. The Bible talks about stewardship of the planet and well, polluting it and exploiting it is not right stewardship and they know it. They also know hypocrisy when they see it.

[MadMaddie]

7. It is weird that the fundies turn their back on the planet that God

gave them to take care of...I don't get it.

But good for her daughter....she knows the truth...

[Arugula Latte]

15. Some of them don't give a crap (a la James Watt) -- Jebus is coming back any day now

:eyes:

[JerseygirlCT]

30. I've been reading more and more about this catching on

I think this may very well be the issue on which it turns.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. They must actually be READING the bible themselves...

instead of listening to the older folks who tell them hateful lies about God. More power to the younger set!!
Duckie

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. About time!!!

However, I remain disgusted with Christianity and its perennial tendency throghout time to side with the fascists. It doesn't speak too well of it, does it?

[BlooInBloo]

13. It's a start.

[xchrom]

14. kick

[EVDebs]

16. Historicism is making a comeback versus 'Left Behind' futurism's eschatology

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1877885

These people really do read their Bibles and understand the history behind the book; most know that the 3rd Temple stuff is a toxic stew of bad eschatology and simply a way to avoid a daily walk with Jesus. It leads to a sacrificial system, if a 3rd Temple is comtemplated. What the hell are they thinking ? And even veteran reporters get the story line wrong, as Monbiot's article below, which makes the changeover occur in the 1800's rather than Francisco Ribera et al's 1500s,

Their beliefs are bonkers, but they are at the heart of power
US Christian fundamentalists are driving Bush's Middle East policy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1195568,00.html

Furthermore, the M$M ignores the Third Temple issue completely yet it's at the heart of what's being used to justify actions in the Middle East, both by bin Laden and the neocons,

Greater Israel
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/greater-israel.htm

Impact of Millennium on the Holy Land
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week319/cover.html

[mzmolly]

18. Awesome! Thank you Jim Wallis, Tony Campollo and others.

:toast:

[knitter4democracy]

24. Hubby and I did.

Most of our friends at school were more left-leaning anyway, and some won't speak to us about politics still, but it's all good. When evangelicals start thinking about their faith seriously, it's hard to see them making any other choice (even though many stick with how they were raised).

We went to Mount Vernon Nazarene. I had friends at Calvin and Bethel, and those schools were more liberal than ours.

[jberryhill]

28. "When evangelicals start thinking about their faith seriously"

...then a good number of them should begin to come to terms with just whom it is that their Satan is seeking to deceive, and is succeeding at doing so.

[Richard Steele]

25. K&R

[JerseygirlCT]

29. Good to see it catching on. No evangelical here, but I've been

saying for a long time that social justice is at the heart of Christian practice, and the Dems do that far, far better than the GOP.

[hfojvt]

36. Bethel University? Bethel?

"Emily Holmes, a senior at Bethel University, an evangelical school in Arden Hills, Minn., said a desire to expand the political discussion led her to form the evangelical school's first College Democrats club three years ago. Since then, she said, she has observed a change in her classmates' political interest."


If they haven't changed in 20 years, then that is no Evangelical school.
It was well known in Minnesota to be a party school.

[DeSwiss]

37. I'm happy that they've begun to see.....

...that there is more to life than sticking their collective noses into other people's business. But the fact remains that these issues that they are vehemently opposed to on dubious religious grounds, will still remain. And they'll linger there like a festering wound. Their advocacy against the rights of gay people to live as they see fit has created an environment of hate and death. Gay people are being abused, discriminated against and killed. Others have ended their own lives to escape these "evangelical people of compassion and love." And they commit these atrocities with impunity and a belief in their own righteousness -- all in the name of their god. But in truth, all this hatred, and these deaths are on their heads.

"These are issues that go to the essence of democracy and equality."

So I could, nor will I ever support anyone or any group who takes a position that advocates anything less than FULL EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION for all Americans.

So others may welcome them into the fold. But not me. Otherwise if we do, what we're fighting to achieve, well its all just a damned lie.





K&R!!!

[LostInAnomie]

38. They no longer think Bush is the Messiah...

... He's been demoted to the 2nd greatest physical manifestation of God's grace and will.

If there's one thing history has taught us it's that zealots NEVER learn.

[Douglas Carpenter]

40. Praise the Lord

this is great news and significant turn