Faithful Democrats
11/30, 5:02p CT: Illinois is in the process of raising the state minimum wage to $7.50 an hour. A major victory for economic justice in the midwest state.
11/30, 4:51p CT: Another Evangelical tackles creation care with a spin, as a Washington lobbyist.
11/30, 4:40p CT: Obama's involvement with evangelicals is a good thing, says Melissa Rogers of ABC News.
11/30, 12:14a CT: Faithful Democrats and two dozen pastors are standing with Rick Warren and Barack Obama, who are under attack from right-wing religious leaders for — imagine — working together to combat AIDS.
11/29, 6:01p CT: What values motivated the younger voters at the polls on Election Day? 62 percent said economic justice, poverty and greed or materialism. Evangelicals know movies stars better than some of the most prominent clergy leaders including James Dobson and T.D. Jakes.
11/28, 2:01p CT: On eve of World AIDS day on December 1st, new report shows that churches and governments have a tough road ahead of them.
11/27, 12:12p CT: The new Christian Coalition president-elect
— the guy we were so excited about because he wanted to broaden the
group's focus to include issues of poverty and the environment — just resigned because the group had no interest in going beyond gays and abortion.
11/27, 12:03p CT: A woman is fined for having a wreath shaped like a peace sign.
11/27, 12:00a CT: The Gospel according to Jim Wallis.
11/23, 11:28a CT: Susan Thistlethwaite argues that Thanksgiving is an environmental holiday.
11/22, 11:32p CT: Loui Itoh understands why one might join the Christian Right.
11/21, 11:48p CT: Half of all abortions are undertaken by women who've had abortions before.
11/21, 5:41p CT: Buzz Thomas argues homosexuality is not anti-biblical.
11/20, 7:04p CT: Obama calls for troop withdrawals within six months.
11/20, 7:26a CT: Jennifer Butler's book, Born Again: The Christian Right Globalized, is in the Book Corner this week.
11/18, 5:58p CT: The Democrats are split
on whether to have negligible or meaningful ethics reform. Kudos to
Barack Obama, Dick Durbin, and the others who believe this election was
about more than getting rid of the Republicans.
11/17, 3:51p CT: Bush administration ignores an inconvenient law about climate change…
11/17, 1:36p CT: The Bush administration is ending hunger…by renaming it.
11/17, 12:32p CT: So now Barack Obama is a "wicked" man
who "represents the views of Satan" and whose work has constituted
"inhumane, sick, and sinister evil." And Rick Warren is supposed to be
ashamed of himself for inviting Obama to speak at Saddleback.
11/16, 3:14p CT: Want further proof that the "God Gap" is closing? Take a look this exit poll (pdf).
11/16, 2:52p CT: Newsweek and the Washington Post assemble a panel entitled On Faith
with the likes of Desmond Tutu, Rick Warren, John Dominic Crossan,
Richard Land, Madeleine Albright and our own featured writer Randall Balmer.
11/16, 2:18p CT: Jews voted 87 percent Democratic in this election. Simply astounding.
11/16, 1:25p CT: David Kuo is back in the news with a solid NYT Op-Ed.
11/16, 10:15a CT: TV show host Glenn Beck asks Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to "prove to me you are not working with our enemies."
11/15, 3:09p CT: Shouldn't it be easier for Americans to vote?
11/15, 2:35p CT: Obama to speak at Rick Warren's church.
11/14, 5:36p CT: Kenneth Walker advises Democrats to avoid a particular Russian town.
11/14, 3:18p CT: Soldiers come home, and some are not being cared for upon their return.
11/14, 10:54a CT: Ground broken on the MLK memorial, Tom Donnelly provides us an excerpt of Senator Obama's speech at the historic event.
11/14, 9:51a CT: Faith in Public Life features a valuable op-ed about the first Muslim elected to Congress.
11/13, 8:23a CT: Democrat and Baptist Deacon Larry Kissell is still in the running for the NC-8 U.S. House seat.
11/12, 10:36p CT: Dr. Robin Lovin answers a reader's theological question: how should a Christian deal with righteous anger?
11/11, 4:02p CT: The Washington Post recognizes the Dems' gains among religious voters
— and puts the lie to Dobson's claim that evangelicals just didn't
show up this year. Our board member Mara Vanderslice is quoted.
11/11, 2:36p CT: Patrick Hornbeck contends Democrats can now provide a model for a Christianity that's not just about "no," but also about "yes."
11/11, 11:33a CT: Stan Moody argues the adults are finally in charge.
11/10, 4:33p CT: It's been a day of rest in terms of the
content here at FD; we're taking a quick post-election breather. We'll
have more in just a bit. Meantime, some scuttlebutt: is there an effort brewing to replace Howard Dean with Harold Ford as DNC Chair?
11/10, 12:56p CT: James Dobson says Republicans lost because they didn't do enough to satisfy the religious right.
11/10, 9:47a CT: Ken Mehlman stepping down as RNC Chair.
11/9, 7:14p CT: Faith pollster John Green agrees with our view. "The biggest change," in religious voters' behavior, he says,
"appears to be in the states where the Democratic candidates made a
real effort to attract these religious voters. It seems to have paid
off."
11/9, 4:53p CT: Thanks to grassroots, netroots and faith-based organizations' efforts, the God gap is quickly closing.
11/9, 10:51a CT: Faith-based news on the election: the Wall Street Journal argues the Dems rode social and environmental issues to religious gain; Steven Waldman at Beliefnet runs down the data; and Religion News Service gives an excellent overview of how faith played out in various races and ballot initiatives across the country.
11/9, 8:38a CT: The film The Great Warming, which we've been supporting at FD, is hailed as part of a new sermon from the evangelical pulpit.
11/9, 8:20a CT: And so it begins! Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack announces his candidacy for President. The two-term governor told us recently that Democrats will be successful by bringing Main Street values to D.C.
11/9, 2:16a CT: John Rushing sees the political cynicism behind Bush's veneer of strength.
11/8, 9:34p CT: Values voters part of political earthquake that rocked Ohio.
11/8, 1:53p CT: The much-celebrated "God gap" nearly evaporated yesterday. That's a big story that needs to be told.
11/8, 1:24p CT: Forgot to mention before: our guy Tester wins in Montana.
11/8, 12:45p CT: A run-down of some of the lies in Bush's just-completed press conference.
11/8, 11:53a CT: Rumsfeld resigns. Clearly, the Bush administration does not base national security decisions on partisan politics.
11/8, 11:27a CT: John Rushing urges the new Democratic majority not to fall into Republican-style cynicism. Patrick Whelan sees a victory for Catholics in the Democrats' win last night.
11/8, 10:08a CT: Our director Jesse Lava is quoted in the AP — under the guise of a new gender.
Late update: Jesse's been made male again and FD is noted for its role this year in the new version.
11/8, 9:38a CT: On Ted Haggard, one pastor comes dangerously
close to blaming the wife for her husband's transgression, claiming
that pastors' wives too often "let themselves go."
11/8, 1:15a CT: Looks like we will end the night on a good note
as Clarie McCaskill is the next Senator from Missouri. We will await
the results in Montana with Jon Tester leading right now.
11/8, 12:05a CT: Election day is over and many races remain undecided. Our Executive Director Jesse Lava tells us Democrats won on faith.
11/7, 11:35p CT: Alright, looks like we have our first defeats
for the night with Patty Wetterling falling short against Michele
Bachmann in MN-06. Harold Ford also comes up shy in Tennessee.
11/7, 9:45p CT: Heath Shuler joins the House of Representatives, we are having a great night so far.
11/7, 9:05p CT: Representative John Spratt, another of our candidates, wins tonight.
11/7, 8:48p CT: Our Tennessee sources are hearing that Ford is
down 37,000 votes but that doesn't count West Tennessee; if that's
accurate, Ford likely wins. Emphasis on "if accurate."
11/7, 8:36p CT: So far so good for us here at Faithful Democrats as Gov. Kathleen Sebelius wins reelection.
11/7, 8:15p CT: Add another one as Bob Casey seems poised to be the next Senator from Pennsylvania.
11/7, 8:08p CT: Another candidate of ours, Gov. Jennifer Granholm is projected to defeat DeVos.
11/7, 7:57p CT: Our candidate Sherrod Brown beats DeWine in Ohio.
11/7, 7:34p CT: A third of white evangelicals seem to be voting Dem.
11/7, 6:41p CT: CNN projects that our guy Ted Strickland beats Ken Blackwell.
11/7, 5:52p CT: Aaron Rutkoff has a live round-up of what bloggers are writing about the election. Check it out all evening for updates.
11/7, 5:11p CT: THE FIRST PRELIMINARY EXIT POLLS ARE IN. Nearly six in 10 voters disapprove of Bush's job performance and handling of the war (or go here).
11/7, 4:00p CT: Sources report possible historic turnout in Connecticut and Virginia. Tennessee Senate candidate Harold Ford, who is in a tight race, speaks freely about faith.
11/7, 3:16p CT: Today's election cartoons.
11/7, 2:15p CT: SC Governor Mark Sanford attempted to vote without a Voter ID card; the poll manager turned him away. The irony would be laughable if it weren't tragic.
11/7, 1:54p CT: Election day headaches continue in OH, IN, and FL as Mississippi begins to experience its own problems with electronic voting machines.
11/7, 1:44p CT: Christian Coalition president has advice for how evangelicals can move on post-Haggard — including helping the poor and the environment. This guy's alright!
11/7, 12:09p CT: Laura Ingraham tells her listeners to flood the Democratic voter protection hotline with calls, so voters will be unable to report problems with voting. The temptation of judgment is tough to fight sometimes.
11/7, 10:52a CT: FBI will begin an investigation into voter intimidation in Virginia.
11/7, 10:00a CT: The problems are spreading to Indiana and Florida; a third of voters will be using new electronic voting machines today.
11/7, 8:25a CT: Election problems already arising, especially in (whodathunkit) Ohio. You can get info on these issues throughout the day at this site.
11/6, 8:02p CT: Our co-chair Romal Tune — and the letter that we got signed by nearly 30 pastors — is quoted in a Newsweek article on black churches and the 2006 election.
11/6, 6:19p CT: Randall Balmer: the Haggard scandal is just the tip of the religious right's hypocritical iceberg.
11/6, 5:05p CT: The Center for American Values in Public Life
at People for the American Way has some great polling material for your
last pre-election fix: a survey, a memo on evangelicals leaving the GOP, and a memo on closing the God gap in 2006.
11/6, 4:36p CT: Our friend Rev. Jenn Kottler is featured on Chicago Public Radio talking faith and social justice.
11/6, 4:19p CT: Catholic group fights church leaders on stem cells in Missouri.
11/6, 3:01p CT: Newsweek frames the faith debate this way: sex or social justice?
11/6,12:49p CT: Lisa Sharon Harper gives the top 10 reasons to vote tomorrow.
11/6, 11:19a CT: Jim Wallis, re Ted Haggard, says we are all sinners.
11/6, 8:51a CT: Larry Sabato gives his final prediction: Dems win House and Senate.
11/5, 10:53p CT: Haggard's full letter can be found here.
11/5, 4:15p CT: Ted Haggard admits
to being "a deceiver and a liar" and "guilty of sexual immorality." He
says, "There's a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that
I've been warring against it for all of my adult life."
11/5, 4:04p CT: Patrick Hornbeck says Saddam's execution can't be the tableau against which we proclaim, "Mission accomplished."
11/5, 10:20 a CT: New Life dismisses Haggard.
11/5, 10:12a CT: Our resident pollster Tom Donnelly examines the GOP's bleeding among white evangelicals.
11/5, 10:05a CT: Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death by hanging.
11/5, 2:04a CT: Via TPM: if there was any doubt that the ads against Harold Ford were racially motivated, this mailer ends them. Key line: "Bob Corker and Harold Ford are separated by more than their school colors."
11/4, 9:15p CT: Our director Jesse Lava is quoted on compassion in the L.A. Times.
11/4, 4:32p CT: The Michigan Democrats' chief gives his testimony about drawing in his state's conservative religious leaders.
11/4, 10:05a CT: Stan Moody awaits the return of the "church in exile."
11/3, 6:06p CT: Mentioning FD, The WELS church has posted an evasion of its anti-papacy policy on their website in light of the revelations that surfaced on this site. It claims the real issue is whether a religious test should be required for office, but no one thinks that.
11/3, 1:47p CT: Other blogs weigh in on Haggard: CrossLeft, Chuck Currie, Sojourners. And it turns out Haggard is admitting to buying (but not using) meth and to getting a massage from his accuser, but he's denying gay sex.
11/3, 10:31a CT: Check out this LA Times review of The Great Warming. And please see the movie this weekend; showings are here.
11/3, 9:22a CT: Haggard admits "some guilt."
11/3, 12:45a CT: FaithfulDemocrats.com has a statement on the Haggard allegation.
11/2, 6:53p CT: Ted Haggard, head of National Association of Evangelicals, resigns amid alleged scandal involving a male prostitute.
11/2, 5:15p CT: Democrats find religion? They're finding it in church-going voters.
11/2, 4:23p CT: A new poll says evangelicals are shifting even more from the GOP than we thought in September.
11/2, 3:20p CT: Behind Kerry's gaffe there lies the truth about Iraq: Shaun Casey explains.
11/2, 2:44p CT: Lisa Sharon Harper quizzes us on our votes for Tuesday.
11/2, 1:32p CT: The election is five days away and Eric Sapp tells us Democrats are airing positive ads on Christian radio stations.
11/2, 9:27a CT: If you want to help stop global warming, download the flyer for your area and post it wherever you can before the movie comes out this weekend.
11/2, 12:09p CT: Iraq war losing evangelical support.
11/1, 11:25p CT: Randall Balmer contends evangelicals should re-think their GOP alliance and start thinking about bigger moral issues.
11/1, 11:08p CT: Look who's supporting Jim Webb for Senate — and leaving the Republican Party.
11/1, 6:53p CT: If you want info on The Great Warming for your church bulletin, go here. This is a big deal; try to get some attention to this thing.
11/1, 4:22p CT: Left-leaning Christians vying for values vote; a Catholic group defies orthodoxy.
11/1, 10:40a CT: A great review of The Great Warming
— a must-see move debuting in theaters on Friday. PLEASE check it out
and bring a couple friends who don't think climate change is real.
Another article on that is here.
11/1, 10:19a CT: Looks like Bush abandoned a missing soldier yesterday.
11/1, 10:12a CT: Stan Moody says
evangelical preachers who say a communal prayer in his statehouse
routinely violate their agreement to avoid being Christian-specific.
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