Young Evangelicals Abandoning GOP Over Iraq, Economy

Seattle Times:

Michael Dudley is the son of a preacher man.

He's a born-again Christian with two family members in the military. He grew up in the Bible Belt, where almost everyone he knew was Republican. But this fall, he's breaking a handful of stereotypes: He plans to vote for Democrat Barack Obama.

"I think a lot of Christians are having trouble getting behind everything the Republicans stand for," said Dudley, 20, a sophomore at Seattle Pacific University.

Dudley's disenchantment with the GOP isn't unique among young, devoutly Christian voters. According to a September 2007 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 15 percent of white evangelicals between 18 and 29, a group traditionally a shoo-in for the GOP, say they no longer identify with the Republican Party. Older evangelicals are also questioning their traditional allegiance, but not at the same rate.

Read the whole story: Seattle Times

Comments

[helonias]

Let us praise God. Oh Lord, oooh you are so big. So absolutely huge. Gosh, we’re all really impressed down here I can tell you. Forgive us, O Lord, for this dreadful toadying and barefaced flattery. But you are so strong and, well, just so super. Fantastic. Amen." (Michael Palin as the chaplain in The Meaning of Life)

[transendentilist]

Even better is The Life of Brian. One of the funniest movies...e­ver.

"Its the saviour's sandal, all worship the sandal!"

[helonias]

Brian to followers. F*ck off

Followers. How should we f*ck off.

[stanblack]

Perfect!

[transendentilist]

"The Christianity of the majority consists roughly of two notions: first of all the saying about the "little child," that one becomes a Christian as a little child, that of such is the Kingdom of Heaven: the second notion is the thief on the cross.
People live by virtue of the former---in death they reckon upon consoling themselves with the example of the thief. That is the sum of their Christianity, and rightly defined, it is a mixture of childishness and crime."

Soren Kierkegaard

[Rippinit]

Amen.

[transendentilist]

What they need to question is evangelism itself.

[111]

Christians becoming christian? I read some where that there has been only one Christian and he died a very long time ago.

[WoodyCPM]

If you're referring to Jesus, he was not a Christian, if he existed at all. Jesus was a Jew.

[Rippinit]

You are wrong. Jesus recognized himself as the Son of God which does mean He is a Christian though He is also a Jew.

[dejayel]

You must have missed those history classes. Christianity in named after Jesus CHRIST!
He didn't reject the entire Jewish religion, he up-dated it to reflect a loving God, not a vengeful one.
I suppose Martin Luther wasn't a Catholic too. He almost single-handedly created the PProtestant Church....­..the church that protested the authoritarian rule of the Pope.
He believe that people can be saved through communication with God directly, not through the Roman Catholic Church and it's power-hungry leadership.
It was possible????to buy your entrance into heaven from Rome!

[transendentilist]

HOW could Christ, not be a CHRISTtian­??????????­???????

[hmmmmmer]

Evangelicals against death and poverty, what a conundrum for the Republicans.

[JessWonderin]

Seems the young JC followers have discovered WHY Jesus was NOT the Pharisees choice to "lead the flock" . . . .

Reject "Party above all" . . .

[Rippinit]

Jesus said that we would always have poverty. It is blasphemy to endorse the elimination of poverty. It isn't possible according to Jesus. Besides, real treasure is stored in heaven where it cannot rust or be stolen. Things of the world are a distraction where as the poor are counted as rich when they accept Jesus over material items.

[rowzeer]

He said that we would always have poverty because he knew we would always have greed!!!

[stanblack]

Blasphemy? Eesh Jebediah. Abraham and Ruth appeared before me and they said to quit stealing their holy fire!

[Waitaminute]

Are you walking around buck naked? Just what the heck do you need real treasure to be stored in heaven for? What kind of treasures are you talking about? You can be poor if you want to. I like to shop.

[Amalek]

It is encouraging that some of the evangelicals are converting to Christianity. They are actually beginning to read the Bible they so love, and by golly, hate is not a Christian virtue, Jesus actually cared about poor people and God created the world we are failing to take care of.

Some of the evangelical leaders, like Richard Mouw of Fuller Seminary, have called for evangelicals to abandon the Karl Rove party of wedge politics, and to stop focusing on abortion and homos as the only important issues, and to start thinking of the real Christian issues of poverty, war and caring for God's creation. They have been met with more hatred from the Dobson's of the evangelical movement. It is time for the evangelicals to excommunicate Dobson and his ilk.

Democrats need to help this process by accepting the Christians who come our way, by accepting there are different views on issues like abortion, and by focusing our combined efforts on solving the problems that result in abortion. We need to reject wedge politics, ours and theirs. Christians were wrong when they decided you could not be a Christian unless you were a republican. We were wrong when we decided that all Christians are closeminded hate mongers. We all need to repent the Karl Rove years and move forward together.

[IslandGyal]

"It is encouraging that some of the evangelicals are converting to Christiani­ty." ROTFLMAO

[StillIRise]

Karl Rove, George W. Bush, and the "Religious Right" had so distorted the meaning of Christianity, that I have been tempted over the last eight years to no longer use that label to define my faith ... I simply didn't want to be part of their "club." To me, their definition of Christianity came to mean cruel and hateful intolerance, self-righteousness, and sheer hypocrisy, and it was like a plague that infected Americans nationwide. Maybe the Bush administration has been a blessing in disguise, because it has awakened America to so many things that have been left unchallenged until now, and has forced us to examine ourselves in ways that we have never felt compelled to do. God works in mysterious ways.

[therealredstateblues]

Terry Schiuavvo is when the republicrits and the religious right really "jumped the shark" if you will

[kellygrrrl]

@ StillRise - I am still bitter about it.
They took my country
They took my religion
They took all that I believed and perverted and corrupted in beyond recognition

Take It Back!!!!!

[lthuedk 1]

http://www.light-to-dark.com/bushworm.html

[Rippinit]

With all pith intended, Jesus also said he would return with vengeance to destroy the wicked.

Jesus said that poverty will always exist. It is part of God's plan. Just like the coming battle on Har Meggido.

[Kache]

Yes, and which preachers claimed that bin Laden is that Jesus?

Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Jeremiah Wright, John Hagee and a thousand others claimed 9-11 was God's punishment for Amerca's wickedness. That make the 19 hijackers God's avenging angels.

So let's forget the Obama-McCain debates. Instead let's have Jeremiah Wright and John Hagee debate on which wickednesses caused 9-11. Let's hear them debate over whether bin Laden is just an avenging prophet or the avenging, hatefull Jesus himself.

[JoeLosFeliz]

Young bigots wake up.

Well, sort of...

[maxboredanski]

only a idiot should vote for a dem ,people have such short memories ,when rep held majority ,nothing could get done because the dems kept stalling everything ,so all the idiots voted more dems in now they have majority ,for some time ,and it just keeps getting worse they have done nothing ,no rep stall ,just nothing fighting among them selfs dems offer free medical ,wear does the money for that come from ,taxes that poor and rich pay ,how does that help the poor?dems want to take back tax brakes ,that rep put in place that helped both not just one group like media would like you to think less taxes is what the poor need that puts more money in there pockets so they can make better life choices not have the gov make them for them, all the idiots that want somthing for nothing vote demigimecrat! as for obama he offers nothing he stands for nothing just speaks well !

[JoeLosFeliz]

Eh?

[realtalk]

I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN, HILLARY CAN STILL WIN THIS RACE IF THE MEDIA IS ABLE TO CONVINCE OBAMA'S SUPPORTERS TO STAY HOME AND NOT GO TO THE POLLS AND VOTE.

IN THE NEXT 6 STATES, ALL OF OBAMA'S VOTERS NEED TO GO TO THE POLLS, AND CAST THEIR VOTE FOR OBAMA. THIS RACE IS NOT OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER, AND THAT MEANS UNTIL ALL THE UPCOMING STATES: WEST VIRGINIA , KENTUCKY, OREGON, PUERTO RICO, MONTANA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA, HAVE VOTED.
IF YOU ARE AN OBAMA SUPPORTER, GO OUT TO THE POLLS AND VOTE WHEN YOUR VOTING DATE COMES UP. DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED!!!

[igiveup]

Okay, will do. Point noted. But please, no yelling in this thread. Caps Lock OFF would be appreciated. Thanks.

[transendentilist]

All caps are a sure sign of mental instability.

[Moxo]

I'm confused - are the young evangelicals against the war in Iraq because it has aborted close to 4000 Americans, or because it has aborted close to a hundred thousand Iraqis?

[pacats]

Give them time. They are beginning to read up on the different issues around them. Hopefully, they will come to realize what is taking place in the Iraq war, and expand their views further. Just taking a look at all of the political candidates, and their issues is a good start.

[livegreen]

I can't say that I'm surprised. The "religious" right has had a self-proclaimed monopoly on the religious vote since the Reagan years, and the left has not even tried to enter the debate. Christianity cannot be narrowed down to anti-abortion and anti-gay, but this is exactly what the "religious" right has done (and done successfully). I believe Jesus would be against war, torture, and economic policies benefitting the richest few while leaving out the poor, but these issues are never brought up in the religious debate. We are letting a few crazies like Dobson, Falwell, and Robertson control the religious vote simply because they are shouting the loudest!

While they are few and far between, there are a few evangelists out there that have their heads on straight. The most prominent one I can think of is Jim Wallis. He has written several books dealing with religion/politics, including GOD'S POLITICS: WHY THE RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AND THE LEFT DOESN'T GET IT and WHO SPEAKS FOR GOD? AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT. If you are a Christian who has the common sense to see all the holes in the "religious" right's policies, I would suggest checking these books out.

[livegreen]

I can't say that I'm not surprised. The right has had a self-proclaimed monopoly on the religious vote ever since the Reagan days, even though they have been steadily moving away from actual Christian values. The left needs to quit conceding the religious vote and enter this debate, instead of letting the right define what values are "religious" values. Gay marriage and abortion are important issues, but would Jesus really get behind the following: 1) War, especially one based on lies and with no clear purpose 2) Torture 3) Economic policy that benefits the rich and large corporations, while leaving the poor in the dark?

Although the most well-known evangelists have some seriously flawed views (Dobson, Robertson, Falwell, etc.), there are several who actually promote noble causes and are realistic. The first one that comes to mind is Jim Wallis, who has written several religion/politics books (God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It AND Who Speaks for God? An Alternative to the Religious Right) IF YOU ARE A RELIGIOUS VOTER WHO IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER GLANCING AT THESE BOOKS.

[BWonka]

About time they came to their senses.

[liberalghost]

I doubt they have. All they're saying is, "Rethugs haven't given us the control over American social policy we demand." So they're gonna try to con the democratic party.

When they become moral examples, instead of self-styled moral police, then let them in.

[rextrek]

WhaaaaT? You mean GAY Marriage,E­quality,EN­DA and Abortion aren't top prioritys? Insert sarcazm

[marijam]

Thank you, Jesus!

[scooperss]

Hurrah for them. With the internet usage of the younger generation, it's
easy to see the sheer, utter hypocrisy of the republicans in office.