The religious right gets a lot of criticism — often justified — about mixing politics and faith. But James Taranto argues in his “Best of the Web Today” column in The Wall Street Journal that the religious left can be guilty of a similar sin when the issue is tax cuts or global warming.
He wrote: “Contemporary liberals are happy to beat you over the head with the Bible, but only when completely technocratic matters, like budgets or environmental regulations, are at stake. When the subject turns to abortion or same-sex marriage or Terri Schiavo, suddenly they become absolutists about the separation of church and state. In other words, they fear and oppose religion when it comes to matters of sex and death — the two great mysteries of life, and the two areas where a religious outlook has the most to offer.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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49 Comments
Straw man.
There is no organized religious left in this country.
Who’s the leader of the “Moral Majority” and the “Christian Coalition?” What religious leader ran for president?
Answers–Jerry Falwall, Ralph Reed, and Pat Robertson.
Okay, now what prominent religous figure plays an equivalent political role on the left?
Jesse Jackson? Oh puleeze, not even in the same ballpark.
The Wall Street Journal–great newspaper, idiotic editoral page.
Poor ol’ Galahad, it must be really dark in the corner of the cave he lives in.
Haven’t you ever heard of the National Council of Churches? That my friend is the organized religious left!
I wasn’t aware there was an organized religious left.Religious thinking that is the opposite of the “Right” doesn’t lend itself to being organized in any way.What would they promote?Inward soul searching and loving tolerance?Geeez, Duh, Yawn, etc.
Dear Tracy,
Unless you desire to wallow in your ignorance forever, try this website:
http://www.ncccusa.org/
What they promote could have come directly from the DNC.
You insult me and then want to direct me what to do and think?Buzz off whacko!
I see you’ve elected to wallow in ignorance! Say hello to Galahad while you are there!
The difference between the religious left and the right is that the left respects those who are different (beliefs, ideas, etc.) and will accept you, and the right has only hate and a need to persecute those who are different.
The DNC and National Council of Churches are left-wing organizations? Gee, you guys been so far to the right for so long, you must not have met any real leftists!
Galahad, the fraud who will not face the arguments of his opponents.
Steve, Steve-o, Steve-areno, Stevarinsky, StEEVe
Your confusing me with someone who gives a damn about what you think . . .
That is because liberal Christians are concerned with communal issues, and religious right are trying to regulate personal morality. Tax cuts and the environment are the communal issues; they affect us all corporately. I can’t be environmentally sound only on my own. I can recycle and reduce my use, but I cannot reduce pollution on my own, and we will all suffer together for it. Sex and end of life issues are personal issues; they affect us all individually. I can make sex and end of life issues for myself that affect at most my nearest friends and families. There is an intimacy in sex and death that is not present in tax cuts and environmentalism. Besides, Jesus had a lot more to say about what to do with your money than about sex. And the Old Testament has a lot more to say about environmentalism than end-of-life care.
The Religous right and the Facist left are both dangerous and regressive for our country! But unfortantly, these two groups are the most vocal.
Joe,The fascist left? Just how far to the right of fascism are you?
Jed! Can’t handle the truth? ;)
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the fascists thought that the communists(the left) were going to cause the downfall of western civilization. Fascists were most definitely NOT a left wing organization..The best description of both them and communists were TOTALITARIAN states – The communists being the “right brain” totalitarians and the fascists being the “left brain” totalitarians (remember brain lobe and control are switched).
Joe,When you present some, I’ll handle it!
It would be more accurate to call them the “pinko” left and the “fascist” right. Oh well…
Extremists on either end are dangerous. Thankfully, although they tend to make a lot of noise and get a lot of attention, neither one has as large a base as they would like to think. The extremist fringes are a minority.
Comparing the religious left to the religious right? Give me a break! I don’t see the religious left trying to turn the country into a backward theocracy or trying to shove their beliefs down anybody’s throat.
XXX is right. The religious left is irrelevant because they do not have the courage of their convictions. They will compromise on just about anything they supposedly believe.
Maybe they don’t want to have opinions on outside issues.Wouldn’t it be great if more Christians would look inward and focus on their faith instead of being evangelists.
That’s exactly right, Dudley.
ONLY THE RIGHT IS RIGHT …. ALL OTHERS (LIBERALS) GO TO HELL!
“…they do not have the courage of their convictions.”
Maybe they just respect other people? I am an atheist; do you want to see the courage of my convictions? Do you want me to force my beliefs down your throat? Making schools (for example) so they don’t address any single religion is not the same as forcing the students to deny god. Children of many religious backgrounds MUST attend school so it (public schools anyway) should not address any single religion and alienate the others.
TRACY…Then we would no longer be Christians. Evangilism is a requirement.. not an option.
kansassam,
Why?
Because Christ commanded it. It’s called the Great Commission. Unfortunately some feel that this means to go out and force our beliefs on others.. when we are supposed to just be presenting the message. Sorry if you have had a bad experience!
Sam I’ve researched this as much as possible and in my humble opinion the invocation was added to the text by someone other than JC. JC didn’t have a good opinion of organized religion.If christians truly care about others they will try to instill faith by examples of tolerance, charity and kindness. Scaring people with punishment here or after just ain’t cuttin’ it.
Tracy, you are right. I also came across this writing about exclusive, and often corruptive, nature of organized religion.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1110-31.htm
I also wonder if the Bible was actually written with the help of Satan to deceive unsuspecting Mankind, so only those who truly seek the truth can go beyond what is written.
Tracy..In other words… the words of a song.. “You will know we are Christians by our love”.Totally agree.
Only that which you know for yourself and experience consciously within yourself is of importance and constitutes the truth for you. That which may be told you by others, even by me, serves no vital purpose, except to enhance or corroborate an already known truth, or to create illusions or responsibility until it is either rejected or experienced by you in your own consciousness. Do you understand what I mean?
Tracy,Yes… but people cannot reject or experience the Gospel message unless someone presents it to them… hopefully in action as well as words.If you truly believe that someone will be hurt or die by jumping off a cliff, would you not tell them “your truth” if you think it will save them?People share their experience, ideas, “truth” with each other all the time.
Sam,Sure, present it, if you can find anybody who hasn’t already heard about it. It’s when your fellow christians start passing laws to force nonchristians to follow biblical teachings, shoot people who they consider “sinners,” and demand the right to teach my kids their version of religion, under the guise of science, that I get so pissed off that I don’t want anything to do with christianity! I admire your support of homeless people, and the work of other christians (as long as it’s based in love, and not just a platform for prostletizing), but the actions of a huge number of you speak to arrogance and hatred and lust for power. You christians really need to clean your own back yard first!
” also wonder if the Bible was actually written with the help of Satan to deceive unsuspecting Mankind”
Actually the church in the Middle Ages changed it quite a bit so the pope and chruch could gain money and power. Very interesting if you read up on it. Todays bible does not have as much in common with the origional bible as you would imagine. Just one more reason organized religion is a crock.
Jed….Hmmmm… that sounds alot like what Jesus said about the pious religious leaders of his day. I wonder what He will have to say to some of the “Christian” leaders of today? I don’t believe that turning people off was what he had in mind….
I really don’t mind the fact that it’s organized because that empowers the church to really do charitable missions and other good things.I do believe it should bring new members in by attraction rather than promotion (scare tactics and coercion), and should have NO OPINIONS ON OUTSIDE ISSUES.
OPINIONS are fine… but the Church needs to not lose sight of their mission. Jesus did NOT come here to build a kingdom on earth.Jesus does NOT need our help with worldly issues… He needs us to be an example of how great it is to belong to Him.
Hey Sam,Didn’t you hear? Just Yesterday, Jesus personally promised his boss, Pat Robertson, that he’d lay waste to Pennsylvania just as soon as he could get around to it!
Jed…I know people that would pay big bucks for whatever it is that Pat is smoking these days.
Sam,It’s pills, and he hawks them on his show every day!I wouldn’t mind being around the day they squeeze him through the eye of a needle, and pick up some of that cash that pops out of his pockets- I’ll bet you and I could think of some much better uses for it than he has!
I think he’s getting the pills from Rush.BTW, what a great name for a fat pill addict RUSH!
My family and my husbands family are all very religious and would be considered pretty right wing. My uncle badgered my 84 yr old grandmother into voting for Bush (who does something like that?) My sister home schools her 5 kids and shelters them from the world and told her son that asked about a 2 headed pig he saw on an animal show that the pig had 2 heads because Adam and Eve sinned and brought things like that into the world. When I was 12 she told me that Stryper could not be a “real” christian band because they didn’t “look” like Christians. When I said back to her at age 12, Does God really care how long a mans hair is and stated that Jesus probably had long hair too, she slapped me in the face, hard. My mother in law would not buy Pokemon or Yu Gi Oh cards for my step sons because she said that stuff is witchcraft and satan wants kids to think it’s all fantasy and games so he can suck them in. People like that are why I have such a negative view on Christianity. I have a hard time with blind faith. I respect someone more when they can just say. I don’t know what the truth is. In the bible God used to talk to man all of the time. Why doesn’t he do that anymore? Maybe it’s because it never happend. Who REALLY REALLY REALLY knows for sure? I don’t.
J..What are you talking about? God speaks to Pat all the time!!
Your sister would freak if she saw our pastors.. they don’t fit the look either!
Sam,Pat talks to himself!What, no Armani suits and big hair? How can that be pious?
Jed..Not unless you call a mohawk “big hair”! LOL…
Mohawk? ‘Fraid mine’s a natural reverse mohawk!
Oh.. I was referring to the youth pastors mohawk…
Sam,I’ve never considered hairstyle to be much of an indicator of what’s under it. What comes out the mouth usually is, though, and actions speak even louder!We certainly have differences of opinion on some issues, but assuming you’re doing what you say you are, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, you’ve won my respect, and that isn’t an easy thing to do!
Jed…Thanks.. it’s OK to disagree at times… as long as we understand and respect each other’s positions. I do respect yours as well!