Most of this week, I am swamped with classroom work for the Oxford Centre for Religion & Public Life, which is holding a seminar in Washington, D.C.. So I have had very little time for reading newspapers and blogging.
However, a reader did send in an interesting item from Jon Ward’s POTUS Notes weblog at the Washington Times. Let me pass it along.
As regular GetReligion readers know, folks are here are interested in finding out what the word “evangelical” means in journalism today. It’s vague fog in the dark, to say the least. This has major implications for the White House race because many Democrats are convinced that Barack Obama can carve off a nice slice of the young, emerging, “freestyle” segment of the evangelical world. As the Divine Ms. MZ has noted, this may or may not be true.
So what do the young evangelicals believe? What is happening over there?
Ward’s blog item contains some interesting material about the Rev. Rick “Purpose Driven” Warren’s visit to Washington for the ceremony in which President Bush signed the five-year funding renewal bill for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The president went out of his way to shake hands with Warren.
Here’s the key question: What does Warren think is happening among young evangelicals, since he is so frequently cited as an example of the “broader” brand of “evangelical” who might swing to Obama?
Mr. Warren’s influence as an evangelical leader has grown to the point where on Aug. 16, he will host a two-hour “compassion and leadership” forum at Saddleback (Church) with the two presumptive presidential candidates, DemocraticSen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain. The two politicians will not appear on the stage together, but the event is important because of Mr. Warren’s status as an evangelical leader who, though he is not without many detractors, has credibility across great swaths of the global Protestant community.
Mr. Warren told me in an interview that he is not sure who young evangelical voters will support in the fall election. There has been much speculation that one of the GOP’s most loyal voting blocs could be slipping away from
the Republican party.“Nobody can really tell what direction they’re going to go, the young evangelicals,” Mr. Warren said. “They’re more pro-life than their parents but they’re anti-religious right.”
Mr. Warren said he and others like him have moved past simply being pro-life and anti-abortion, calling himself “whole life.”
That’s a great sound bite, but also accurate in terms of the emerging poll data. By the way, it also rings true for me as a professor who works with, primarily, young evangelical Protestants. So mark that down. What ever is happening with the young evangelicals, they are “more pro-life than their parents but they’re anti-religious right.” There’s a lot of content in that punchy phrase.
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Comments (11) |
July 31, 2008, at 12:27 pm
that certainly reflects my experience with my peers. They also are more ambiguous on sexuality issues I think. I suspect this is because it’s more socially acceptable to be out, and it’s one thing to condemn the “homosexual lifestyle” when it’s a loud gay pride parade in San Francisco, and another when it’s your childhood friend.
July 31, 2008, at 2:18 pm
I personally am interested in how different generations view religion so I’m happy to see good stories that look at this area.
July 31, 2008, at 4:09 pm
What Bethany says comports with what I’ve heard from BGLTs in the Unitarian Universalist community. People’s attitudes toward homosexuals and homosexuality tend to moderate when it goes from pure theory to someone you know, especially someone who is family. That’s one reason for the strain of “Out of the Closet Now!” rhetoric within the BGLT community.
July 31, 2008, at 5:14 pm
*sigh*
And Rick Warren is an expert on “young evangelical voters” because?
July 31, 2008, at 5:50 pm
politicians and their kind like to twist words so they appeal to everybody. it’s no secret. and it’s also not totally bad. in order to gain the support of the majority, they need to be lots of things to lots of people.
inevitably, though, does it matter who’s evangelical and who’s not? even within religions and sects of religions, there’s division. factions of beliefs within believers. the bigger question is should faith matter when electing politicians ?
i prefer a leader who does have a spiritual component to his/her life, but if an atheist comes along who happens to be perfectly qualified for a job, he’ll get my vote.
July 31, 2008, at 7:38 pm
I thought one of the definitions for Evangelical includes a “born again” experience, while some mainline churches believe it is a life-long process—not a one time experience. It seems like abortion and homosexuality has been added to the definition. The cable media coverage frequently talk about the Evangelical without any discussion about what the mainline churches think. It is almost like Evangelical equals Christian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicalism
From this article”
Warren said in an interview a few days ago that he does not endorse candidates because there are both Republican and Democrats in his church. Warren also said he did not think Pastors should endorse candidates.
The Washington Times article:
Warren might believe like many other Christians, that abortion is wrong, but Ronald Reagan and George Bush had eight years each to work on the promised Constitutional amendment, but they took no action. Any McCain Supreme Court nominee would have to be approved by a Democratic Congress. There were abortions before it was legal and there will be abortions if it is made illegal again. Morality cannot be legislated, people must be transformed. There are many other issues of great importance to Christians that the religious right seem to ignore because they are stuck on issues that will not go backwards (abortion, homosexuality).
Warren’s other passions match Obama’s agenda: global poverty, the environment, global warming, and human rights.
Last weekend on CNN Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer, McCain gave an evasive answer on an abortion question.
Interview With John McCain; Q&A With Barack Obama
Aired July 27, 2008
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/27/le.01.html
I am looking forward to watching the Leadership and Compassion event on August 16th.
August 1, 2008, at 4:49 am
“Morality cannot be legislated, people must be transformed.”
So let’s repeal the laws against murder and hate speech. We cannot legislative morality, people must be transformed!
August 1, 2008, at 3:18 pm
Linda wrote:
Ah, that takes me back. The same formulation was used to discourage the civil rights movement in the Sixties. It proved to be only partly true: Behavior can be legislated, and the habits of new behavior can transform people.
As it happens, I supported change in that controversy and I support the status quo in this one, but I cannot let slide by an incorrect formulation that I rejected at that time.
August 2, 2008, at 5:01 am
str1977 said:
Since when did there stop being murders and hate speeches?
August 2, 2008, at 10:17 pm
Linda, you plunge me into a quandry. If I assume you did not understand str1977 comment, I risk insulting your intelligence. If I assume you are deliberately misreading it, I risk insulting your integrity.
I will regard the potential insult to your intelligence as the lesser affront. str1977 was rebutting your comment to the effect that we can’t legislate morality in the area of abortion by pointing out that we do punish murder, and some jurisdictions punish hate speech. His/her whole point is that people do commit murder and utter hate speech. Your reply is a non-sequitur.
There were two responses to your bon mot, mine and str1977’s. So far you haven’t answered either of them.
August 4, 2008, at 3:39 am
Dave said:
I find the arrogance and condescending tone of your statement to be very hypocritical for a Christian. It is the kind of attitude that turns people away for religion. Insulting people is not an effective way to convince someone your opinion is correct.
Punishing people that have abortions would reduce the number of abortions, but it will not stop abortions, just like it does not stop murder.
I am angry that many Christians do not stand-up for things other than abortion and homosexuality. Our economy is in a terrible mess.
I would propose a new law to punish politicians that lie and mislead voters with a prison sentence. http://www.factcheck.org
We live in the United States of America, which was founded on freedom of religion. Christians cannot force their beliefs on everyone. Over 60% of Americans believe abortion should be legal.
It is time to concentrate on other Christian values that can help the needy and hurting. It is time to prosecute criminal politicians. It is time for unbiased media that believe in journalistic ethics rather than the dollar benefits for their pockets.
It is time for Senator McCain to stop lying to people at every Town Hall meeting that Senator Obama is going to raise your taxes, without asking if them if they make more than $250,000. It is time for Senator McCain to tell voters that the tax cuts will once again be higher for the most wealthy. McCain would save about $400,000 per year under his plan.
It is time for Senator McCain to tell peope that his farce budget balancing includes cutting Social Security and Medicare, which he has said many times over the last several years. The media ignores the lies.
Both Senators McCain and Obama need to tell voters the tough reality that Pres Bush has mortgaged our great-grandchildren’s futures. The just released deficit does not include the wars cost. If Obama told voters that taxes needed to be raised, it would be just like the offshore drilling that will maybe safe a few penny in 10 to 20 years, McCain will say Obama does not care about the voters. McCain said in a Town Hall meeting on Thursday that Obama does not care about the price of gas.
Senator McCain’s long-time friend former Senator Phil Gramm has mortgaged our great-grandchildren’s futures and probably many more generations when he took money from Enron and investment banks to deregulate financial institutions and futures trading. Phil Gramm, his wife, and several others belong in prison for their actions, but Congress just ignored their actions. We have already had bailouts in the trillions and there are still banks hanging on the edge.
McCain said there was not any better economist than Phil Gramm
The media needs to learn about the World Oil Market; however, it is complicated and would require more effort than talking about whether Senator Obama is arrogant. It would require understanding futures trading and a global economy.
“any oil pumped from U.S. coastal areas would be sold on the world oil market, at world market prices. If oil is selling at $200 a barrel, that’s what U.S. consumers would pay for it. We’d get no price break, no hometown discount. Changing that system would be enormously difficult, because in effect it would require the United States to nationalize its oil industry. Exxon and Chevron aren’t exactly going to sit back and let that happen.”
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bookman/entries/2008/07/14/an_order_issued_by_his.html#postcomment
American Oil Won’t Lower Prices
http://greytheory.blogspot.com/2008/08/american-oil-wont-lower-prices.html
The Global Oil Price Story
http://www.networkideas.org/news/jul2008/news28_Oil_Price.htm
It is time for Senator McCain to follow Matthew 25, because Jesus said he will go away to eternal punishment unless the less fortunate are helped. McCain wants school vouchers to help the people with money to send their children to private schools, which will ruin public schools. McCain has a bad voting record on education.
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45” He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”