Acting religious, looking religious and sounding religious are not the same thing as being religious. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it." That is, you should respect the law, and strive to follow it, but then he goes on, "but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach." (more…) Read more
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In the dark days after the ’04 election, I was struck by how many liberal Democrats were asking how Christians could possibly turn out in such large numbers to vote for a Republican party that stands in such stark opposition to so many clearly Christian principles like feeding and housing the poor, protecting God’s creation, and choosing peace over violence. Some Democrats answer that question by writing off those who voted for Bush as “hateful, close-minded bigots” beyond hope of ever being won over to the Democratic side.... Read more
Evangelical opinion on Iraq may have recently reached a tipping point against the war. In January 2005 the Pew Research Center for the Press and the People reported that President Bushâs approval rating among white evangelicals stood at 72% compared to 54% in March 2006. While a number of factors could account for this decline, reduced optimism about Iraq is certainly one of the central reasons. This represents a stunning reversal as white evangelicals were among the strongest supporters of... Read more
As an evangelical Christian, as someone who numbers himself among the followers of Jesus, my politics point toward the left, a posture that places me squarely at odds with the Religious Right. I find the Religious Rightâs unflinching allegiance to the Bush administration and its position on a range of issues â from the environment to the prosecution of the war in Iraq â inimical to the scriptures that we evangelicals claim as our guide. (more…) Read more
President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday passed by both the House and Senate that would have allowed federal funding for expanded embryonic stem cell research. In his veto message, Mr. Bush said, âIf this bill were to become law, American taxpayers for the first time in our history would be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos. Crossing this line would be a grave mistake and would needlessly encourage a conflict between science and ethics that can only do... Read more
A few months back, there appeared in the British newspaper The Guardian a remarkable op-ed piece by Marilyn McCord Adams, an American theologian (and Episcopal priest) who teaches at Oxford University. Her topic was the (then-and-still) deteriorating unity of the Anglican Communion. Adams has never made any bones about her liberal theological views, and so it may be surprising that she took greater issue with her fellow progressives than with the ultra-orthodox. (more…) Read more
A Washington Post article published on July 20, 2006 reports that while Hurricane Katrina prompted Bush's acknowledgement that "We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action," his has failed to back his words with deeds. Bush's budget is devoid of any initiatives to address poverty; rather, he supports cutting funding for programs that help poor Americans, including housing assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, community development grants and energy assistance. (more…) Read more
And yet, rarely have those two attributes seemed more difficult to reconcile. (more…) Read more
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