Will Evangelicals Take A Left Turn?
By Don | August 16, 2008
Christian Evangelicals have favored the GOP in recent elections but there is growing evidence that Barack Obama has made significant inroadswith this key voting bloc.
From CBS Mews.
Tomorrow's "civil forum" at California's Saddleback Church won't just be the first joint appearance of the 2008 campaign for Barack Obama and John McCain.
It will also be a key moment in the evangelical community's effort to define itself - and its role in politics - in the post George W. Bush era.
The founding pastor of the 23,000-member Saddleback Church is "Purpose-Driven Life" author Rick Warren. Perhaps the most prominent so-called "new evangelical" in the country, Warren focuses more on issues like AIDS, poverty, human rights and the environment than on social issues, chief among them abortion and gay marriage, that have been the focus of traditional evangelicals in recent years.
And the fact that Obama and McCain have chosen to reach out to evangelicals via Warren - who speaks of uniting ideological opposites and has declined to back either candidate - has not gone unnoticed. After all, it was just four years ago that Mr. Bush won reelection in part by driving up turnout amongst evangelicals who seemed to be galvanized by his rhetoric on social issues.
"Warren is the guy now," said Steven Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet.com. "He's the leading evangelical figure. He's trying to craft a new direction, a new image for evangelicals. The fact that this is happening at Saddleback, not Focus on the Family, makes it more neutral ground. It's an audience that both Obama and McCain have a real shot at getting."
McCain didn't do himself any favors with this group when he recently floated the idea that he might pick a pro-choice running mate. Maybe he can somehow use this forum to reassure them that he is worthy of their vote.
7 Comments | Post a Comment
What do you mean by “Born Again Evangelical"s exactly? I happen to be a “born-again” Christian, not a christian in that I just believe that there was a Jesus and that he was the son of God. This term, Evangelicals, has me confused.
And why do you think the world would be a nicer place? If real Christians were gone from the world, you might not like what was left.
I think more will go left than have in the past 20+ years. It is going to make the jaws drop at the RNC and heads will roll.
Marcia, one should have left The Churches at an early age to seek the Truth for themself rather than rely on the likes of Falwell,Hagee, Roberts et al. Evidence of God surrounds us 24/7, wither it’s in a blade of grass or a Sunset. Christ himself said, seek a quite place and Pray. Gee, how profound, One does not need a building or money or even expensive garb. Just a simple desire is all it takes.
Granted, some churches and ministers may not be what they should be, but isn’t that true of every group? Christ also said, “where two or more are gathered in my name, I will be there”. Many places in the Bible endorse fellowship and instruction. The reason Christ encouraged privacy is because we need to close out the outside world and turn our thoughts to Him. I could go on but this isn’t the format to do so.
Many wrong or non-Christian things have been done in the name of God (or other deities) by their followers, and they were not necessarily scriptural.
Should I judge all Muslims, Buddhists, etc by a small number of their group? Why can’t you give us the same benefit?
to ScienceDada: I think it’s more likely people will not vote than go left. I do not believe this country wants someone as far left as the Democratic candidate who is now in the front, and I also think there’s a good chance the actual nominee may change.
I wish I could say the same for the Republican party, but I believe it was the Independents and the open voting system that gave us our candidate.
I guess we will know on November 3rd whether we are headed down the road to socialism based on “change” or whether enough of us still believe in our founding fathers vision of a Republic.
Well, now that Steven Strang has left a vacancy for a religious endorsement, on the stage at Barack’s coronation ceremony, maybe Barack should come out of the closet and recruit the religious leaders who have always supported him ... and, who Barack has always supported. Pastor Jeremiah Wright ... Father Phleiger ... and the rest of the radicals. But, we know Barack won’t do that, because even though that represents who Barack truly is ... it wouldn’t help Barack deceive us ... and get him elected. In November, vote for Senator John McCain, a man who truly loves America, with over 40 years of service and sacrafice ... not Obama, an inexperienced, incompetent, empty suit, who is being agressively packaged, promoted, and sold to the American people.
August 17 at 9:26 pm | #1 | Link
If ‘Born Again Evangelicals’ had stayed Dead, the World would be a Nicer Place than it is today.