Religious liberals gain new visibility (moral, attend, preach, church)

[Green Gaia]

A Different List Of Moral Issues

By Caryle Murphy and Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, May 20, 2006; Page A01


The religious left is back.


Long overshadowed by the Christian right, religious liberals across a wide swath of denominations are engaged today in their most intensive bout of political organizing and alliance-building since the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s, according to scholars, politicians and clergy members.

In large part, the revival of the religious left is a reaction against conservatives' success in the 2004 elections in equating moral values with opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.


Religious liberals say their faith compels them to emphasize such issues as poverty, affordable health care and global warming. Disillusionment with the war in Iraq and opposition to Bush administration policies on secret prisons and torture have also fueled the movement.


"The wind is changing. Folks -- not just leaders -- are fed up with what is being portrayed as Christian values," said the Rev. Tim Ahrens, senior minister of First Congregational Church of Columbus, Ohio, and a founder of We Believe Ohio, a statewide clergy group established to ensure that the religious right is "not the only one holding a megaphone" in the public square.

"As religious people we're offended by the idea that if you're not with the religious right, you're not moral, you're not religious," said Linda Gustitus, who attends Bethesda's River Road Unitarian Church and is a founder of the new Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture. "I mean there's a whole universe out there [with views] different from the religious right. . . . People closer to the middle of the political spectrum who are religious want their voices heard."

Complete Article

[Sunstone]

It's about time! I wonder, though, about the article's tendency to frame this response to the Religious Right as "left wing"? Is it really left, or is it middle, or middle/left? Issues like global warming are pretty mainstream today, after all.

[michel]

The pendulum swings eternal; this can only be good. From what I have understood of the religious right did no great favours to the Church.

[Buttercup]

Hmmm, maybe us "Christian Liberals" will be the next to be discriminated against? Whose left after us? It will be time to move onto animals next.....

[Mister_T]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

It's about time!

Can I get a hallelujah brother!

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Hmmm, maybe us "Christian Liberals" will be the next to be discriminated against?

Oh I'd say that's a safe bet. I can already here the blasphemous heathen chants.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Hmmm, maybe us "Christian Liberals" will be the next to be discriminated against? Whose left after us? It will be time to move onto animals next.....

Chrsitian liberal. I would be skeptical if such a term exists outside of the realm of christianity. What I mean is that even the most liberal of christians still come across as philosophically and political conservative compared to non-christians (so do muslims). That could be a cool thread for some future debate...if "liberal christians" actually exist.

[dawny0826]

Originally Posted by robtex

Chrsitian liberal. I would be skeptical if such a term exists outside of the realm of christianity. What I mean is that even the most liberal of christians still come across as philosophically and political conservative compared to non-christians (so do muslims). That could be a cool thread for some future debate...if "liberal christians" actually exist.

I agree with you, Rob.

[Fluffy]

Chrsitian liberal. I would be skeptical if such a term exists outside of the realm of christianity. What I mean is that even the most liberal of christians still come across as philosophically and political conservative compared to non-christians (so do muslims). That could be a cool thread for some future debate...if "liberal christians" actually exist.

Not in England .