Why Liberals will never win back the religous voter
There is now and has been ever since the losses of 2004 a massive effort underway by democrats to ferret out the reasons why people of faith voted and still continue to vote Republican in very large numbers. In an article out today from Time/CNN this fact becomes totally apparent from lines like these,
"Clinton has hired Burns Strider, a congressional staffer (and evangelical Baptist from Mississippi) who is assembling a faith steering group from major denominations and sends out a weekly wrap-up, Faith, Family and Values. Edwards has been organizing conference calls with progressive religious leaders and is about to embark on a 12-city poverty tour. In the past month alone, Obama's campaign has run six faith forums in New Hampshire, where local clergy and laypeople discuss religious engagement in politics. "We talk about ways people of faith have gone wrong in the past, what they have done right and where they see it going in the future," says his faith-outreach adviser, Joshua DuBois."
Full Article at time.com
So, I think it is safe to say they are serious. But with that said, it all begs the question, why did the dems lose the faith vote in the first place? Well, speaking as a person of faith and as someone who knows many devout people of faith, we vote against them not because they do not appear religious, but because they have no Christian walk to speak of, values voters vote on the basis of #1. what have you done, #2. what are you saying you'll do and #3. have you been true to what scripture says about a particular issue? No "faith steering groups", "faith-outreach-advisor's", or "faith forums" are going to replace a simple statement of your faith as it relates to the important issues like abortion, gay marriage, poverty, immigration and education that face our nation evidenced in ...wait for it... your voting record. Yes folks, it does matter to us backward religious idiots what you actually voted for in Congress or when you were Governor, Mayor, etc... It does not matter to us how religious you appear, nor does it matter how many ordained liberal hypocrites you can get to say you are a God fearing person. It also looks especially lame and desperate to me personally that they are trying so hard, and spending so much money to win something that frankly does not take money to win, but Truth, Values and an adherence to God's sovereign word.
7 comments:
Good post. Keep writing. More Christians need to be writing about the so-called "Christian left" as well. Their reach extends into every known denomination!
"No "faith steering groups", "faith-outreach-advisor's", or "faith forums" are going to replace a simple statement of your faith as it relates to the important issues like abortion, gay marriage, poverty, immigration and education that face our nation evidenced in ...wait for it... your voting record."
I completely agree. "People of faith" don't vote the bible. They don't vote Jesus' message. The sooner Democrats learn this the better off they'll be and the sooner they can realize that they need to stop trying to court them. "Value voters" vote Republican bullet points not Christian ideals. They are the Pharisees of the Bible, proclaiming they understand, but completely missing the point of every single one of Jesus' parables. The sooner Democrats stop trying to court them by pretending to be a little bit racist, a little bit anti-poor, a little bit anti-education, or a little bit anti-American the better off they'll be. We can see through that sham. They need to be who they are. Be true Democrats. Love the poor. Love the troubled. Love peace and the humble. The rest will fall into place.
"... #3. have you been true to what scripture says about a particular issue? No 'faith steering groups', 'faith-outreach-advisor's', or 'faith forums' are going to replace a simple statement of your faith as it relates to the important issues like abortion, gay marriage, poverty, immigration and education"
Wait, I'm confused. How does a "simple statement of your faith" relate to most modern day social issues? Exactly what stance does the Bible take on gay marriage, immigration and education (and why vote Republican if you're anti-poverty)? I fail to see how kicking out illegal immigrants is a faith-based issue. But I agree, Democrats tend to pander.
Tim, the good, honest hard working people in this country who vote values do vote based on scripture and the reason Demz will never have that vote is that they cannot continue to run on the democratic ticket and embrace the kinds of issues it would take to win even a small portion of the midwest and south. I am not comparing them with republicans as Lord knows there are some corrupt of their ilk as well, but the problem continues to be for all candidates is that you cannot take part of what Jesus said and forsake the rest. You cannot be for abortion and for the poor and say you are in God's will. You cannot say it is OK to practice homosexuality and say its not ok to commit adultery and be in God's will. The true among us will see through any and all attempts to do so. Bottom line though Timo is you choose the closest thing or not at all, but if you choose the latter you have given up your vote and that isn't any better.
Please, if you believe everything in a book written by people who thought the earth was flat and that unruly children should be stoned to death. Or that people that worked on the Sabbath should be killed. Or that a father should sacrifice his son to an imaginary bearded maniac in the sky. Please stop and think if you should be voting with the grownups. Maybe stay home and worship something or someone that does not exist. Please stop.
As a life-long Christian, I find it difficult to see the "works of Christ" in the Republican platform. Hate-mongering, racism, intolerance, deceit, lying and financial mismanagement are central to the Republican beliefs and counter to Christ's teachings. There is a greater similarity to the Pharasees and Sagasees in the Republican ranks than the Democrats. I think most Christians are turned off to the Republican Party as evidenced by the 2006 elections. I think political and social Liberals are closer to Christ now than those who claim to be political and social Conservatives. Evidence is mounting that they are, in fact, gaining popularity with Christians. Perhaps that doesn't include the so-called "religious voter" but Christ wasn't very conservative either. He was much more the Liberal revolutionary who embraced those the "conservative church" wouldn't even give the time of day; the sinners, the tax collectors, the sick, the homeless, adulters, and probably the homosexuals, too.
As usual you all have Jesus all wrong. He was first concerned with God's will, everything else came second. Yes Jesus would have had compassion on all of those groups you mention as any "real" Christian would as well. That is the key though, He would have loved them and hated their sin. This underscores my point as to why libs will never get true Christ followers. They , like you, confuse compassion with approval and there is a vast difference between the two. No, the Republican party is not a saviour, but for now they are the closest thing we have to a party that understands the above.
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