Sojourners CEO Jim Wallis pleads for compromise on abortion after initial compromise was disregarded; Pastor Dan is appalled.
Stupak Forming Fault Lines in Left-Leaning Faith Groups?
With left-leaning faith groups unable to agree on abortion issues, the religious right—with the help of anti-choice Democrats—were able to convince Democratic strategists that they spoke for people of faith. Will the inability to take a strong stance for women’s rights split religious coalitions?
Sideshow Bob Ran as a Republican
Regarding today’s feature on the vanishing middle, another argument for solidifying the liberal position: moving goalposts.
A Great Gulf Fixed: Implications of the Vanishing Religious Middle
Results of a new poll show that in matters of religion the right and left are in different universes. Why, then, are progressives so insistent on finding common ground?
Over at Salon.com, Frances Kissling has fighting words for self-proclaimed “religious progressives” who are pressing to bypass compromises and including even greater restrictions on abortion.
Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” GOP leaders immediately label this socialism.
When compromise at all costs is the rule, and anyone who wants to help the poor is labeled a radical, it's time to quit looking for middle ground.
Is Obama the Antichrist? Why Armageddon Stands Between the President and the Evangelical Vote
While the president has reached out to the faithful, he has yet to realize that he is dealing with a countercultural movement that at its foundation is obsessed with the apocalypse. But he will know it soon enough as evangelical interpretations of the Bible point to Barack Obama as the Antichrist.
Economy Yields Too Few Prophets
Few mainstream journalists are truly capturing the reality of the economy in terms of the nation’s worst off. As of last month, the actual number of workers in crisis is not the 14 million but more like 29 million, or 18 percent of the total workforce. Where are the religious coalitions willing to challenge the president’s policies?
Now is not the time to hedge bets. The Obama administration ought to be pressing its advantages and racking up some victories.
Undercover at Falwell’s Liberty University, Finding Common Ground
Brown sophomore Kevin Roose, an Ivy-league heathen, infiltrated the nation’s holiest university and emerged a changed man—not committed to conservative Christianity, but to finding a new language for reconciliation.
Obama’s Notre Dame Commencement: Common Ground on Abortion—Or Appeasement of Foes?
In his address to graduates, Obama urged “common ground” on abortion. The Rev. Dr. Carlton Veazey argues that if you accept that women are full persons in the eyes of God and the law, then you cannot stop working for women’s control over childbearing.
Common Ground: Winning the Battle, Losing the Culture War
Obama’s Notre Dame speech seemed to reinforce the “common ground” school, which adopts Christian Right frames in the name of compromise. But a careful look at the numbers reveals that Democrats have more to gain by articulating a strong moral message—whatever the content—than by watering down the message in an effort to appease conservative Christians.
Only when both sides of the abortion debate express their views will we find common ground. Restrained discourse helps nobody.