Saturday, September 16, 2006

A sea change for evangelicals

I have been watching the evangelical movement for several years looking for signs of a shift away from the hate filled anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-atheist conservative agenda. The election of Frank Page as president of the Southern Baptist Convention was one sign of change. The rise of other dissenting voices and an alternative agendas continues to pipe my interest. What are these new evangelical leaders all about?
"I think there are lots and lots of young people, in their 20s to 40s, who are very impatient with older models of social engagement like those used by the religious right. They understand the importance of life issues and the family issues, but they know the concern for justice has to be broader and global. At least a good portion of the evangelical movement is looking for leaders who have a broader conception of social justice."
Broader focus translates as "focusing on other issues", like global warming or "creation care". The shift in focus does not stop with the environment. The tactics of the Religious Right are under fire, tactics used by Religious Right talking head James Dobson and others. The message is clear - enough of the hate:
"For the most part, the religious right has been limited to the Republican Party…. A voice of biblical values cannot be in the pocket of one party…. Christians can decide for themselves how God would want them to come down on any issue…. There ought to be more than just gay marriage and pro-life issues, because the Bible is concerned with all of life…. We need to do everything we can to relieve poverty, to heal the sick and to protect the Earth."

I will be giving more room to the New Evangelical Movement here at Deep Thoughts. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

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