Wow, talk about hatred!  Your hatred toward Christians far exceeds our regressiveness.  It is always easier to hate than it is to try and learn the truth!  Point of the matter is, Jesus Christ wasn’t a politician and He did not come to free the Jews from oppressive rule of the Roman Empire.  He came humbly to do God’s bidding and fulfill the Law where it says that a blood sacrifice must be made to pay for the sins of mankind.  Jesus Christ was that blood sacrifice for all of us even those people who don’t believe in Him and consider God some kind of magic man.

Sorry Dave and bogtrotters,

When I meet someone who admits to being a christian my response is typically “isn’t that interesting” and then I get away from that person as fast as possible and never speak to them again.

Why?

Because they are insane.  I’m not kidding.  If you believe in a magical man who lives in the sky and created the world with a wave of his hand but somehow can’t be bothered to cure Aids well, you will believe pretty much anything.

My apologies to all who feel trampled by my brothers and sisters in faith. I am an evangelical and the past four years have hurt me deeply. It pains me that you see us as the “most regressive people” in the United States. It pains me that when you think “Christian” these days, you think “republican” or “intolerant” rather than the forgiving love of Jesus that we believe so deeply in. It’s too bad we don’t show it in public enough.

I want you to know there are a lot of moderate, independent, libertarian, liberal, and even some disturbed conservative evangelical Christians who are working hard to overthrow the religious right’s special interest power. We’re already creating traction in the Christian culture by shifting focus away from abortion and gay marriage to AIDS in Africa, the poor, American materialism, war, and the environment.

We need your help. If you meet a Christian who’s fired up on a lot of the stereotypical issues (gays and abortion), ask them about different ones. Get them thinking about some of the stereotypical “liberal” issues. Helping the poor, the sick, and the elderly isn’t liberal or conservative. It’s what we’re called to do. For “that which you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I know for some of you, no matter what I say isn’t enough. Know this: Besides loving God, the greatest commandment for a Christian (of any denomination) is to love their neighbor as God loves them. (It’s in the gospels and said by Christ)

Asking forgiveness with love,

Dave

Hold on there!  There ARE moderate evangelicals—check out the the magazine “Sojourners” as an example.  And, within the last few months, evangelical ministers signed a circular in defense of the environment and very critical of the Bush Administration.  I belong to a church (Roman Catholic) where right-wing medieval dingbats call the shots, but there are moderates and liberals, as well.  We’re the ones with bruises and contusions.

From a political viewpoint , he may be right. He is also right that you aren’t going to change these people.
He also may be talking from his personal life as blacks have been conned more then any other group about religion. ( see http://www.religionquestioned.com)
We all owe the black clergy for civil rights legislation but the clergy are the biggest PIMPS the community has, not the street hustlers.

Obama is a fraud; Bruce Dixon and Peter Gamble (blackcommentator.com) are compiling a manuscript on him as we write. 

Obama is in the vein of BEOs (Black Elected Officials) who talk progressive and walk backwards/remain mired in the muck of the current manifestation of the DP (Democratic Party).

He should be watched.

Democrats need to stop parroting what the right does and take a principled stand on the major issues with which this country is faced:  the invasion of Iraq; the economy; the environment; and the future.  All this “values agenda” nonsense will get them the same place it got them in `04—-exactly where we are right now.

Aren’t you doing the same thing the Republicans always do?  that is lump a group into one category and treat them like they all think alike?

There happens to be a movement within the Evangicals to step away from their right wing counterparts. The Democrats would be jackass’s to walk away from the opportunity to speak to them.  Yes the right wing moralist have given Christians a bad name, but there are progressive Christians so to deem them all the same doesn’t help the Democrats or anyone else.

Evangelicals in general do not care too much about this world (earth), since they live for some future utopia on “a new earth” (I think Jesus said that his children are IN this world but not FROM this world). Consequently, they do not give priority to things from this world such as the environment, social justice for everyone (including for heathens, infidels, atheists, and the like), science, health and education.

Well, damn! And all this time I had been waiting for Obama to bubble to the top of the pack and become a voice of reason - a force to reckon with.

Now that dream is shattered. He’s quoted as saying “Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square.”

Sorry, Obama… you just lost my vote. The “public square” is the place for LOGICAL, REASONED, GROUNDED-IN-FACTS DEBATES, not a place for endless religious diatribe that amounts to nothing more than glib opinion and unsupportable assumptions.

Faith and superstition may play a role in an individual’s “take” on his/her personal spirituality, but these illogical, irrational views have NO PLACE in the critical decision making process necessary to the running of the country.

I agree with the Senators major point; Democrats can no longer be seen as not respecting people of faith.  This belief may not be correct, but it is what many moderate church-going people believe.  If we ever want to get votes in the South, Democrats must attract moderate people of faith.

To ignore this group is a fatal political mistake.
This is why Obama’s speech at the 04 convention was so important, and it is why so many people look to him as the next big leader of the Democrats.

A hilarious satire about what evangelicals want: “The Department of Homeland Decency: Decency Rules and Regulations Manual.” Check it out at http://www.homelanddecency.com. It’ll show you why Obama is wrong about this.

It was bound to happen eventually. 

I’m sure that this is just the first step to the right in a long journey to the white house.

By the time that voyage is over we will not recognize the Senator Obama we once knew.

Evangelicals are pretty scary, I agree.

But High School Republicans? Now that’s something to be really frightened of.