Some Evangelicals Look To The Left

Many Assume Group Is Republican, But There’s A Split In the Souls Of Some

(CBS)  Author and preacher Jim Wallis calls himself a 'progressive evangelical' who says Christians should focus on injustice around the world, CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts reports.

“I want to announce tonight that the monologue of the religious right is finally over,” Wallis says. “With 30,000 children dying every day needlessly from poverty and disease, I can’t imagine Jesus thinking the top issue on our agenda ought to be gay marriage amendments in Ohio.”

But Tony Perkins, president of the politically powerful Family Research Council, argues that abortion and gay marriage are the driving concerns for most evangelicals.

“I think more and more people are standing on our side, on the side of sanctity of human life, the preservation of marriage,” Perkins says. “I don’t mind having these debates because when the truth is on your side, you ultimately win.”

Wallis, however, says “the country is hungry for a politics of solution and a politics of hope.”

Wallis says he's against abortion, but argues that the agenda of the religious right is too narrow and divisive.

So, is this a new movement, or simply an old movement that is new again?

“The evangelists were abolitionists. They led the battle against slavery. They were revivalists and reformers. They fought for women’s suffrage. They fought for child labor laws," Wallis says. "I want to build the same kind of social movements today. That means global poverty, it means Darfur, it means HIV/AIDS, it means global warming."

In the last presidential election, 78 percent of white evangelicals voted for President Bush. So now, we're seeing more and more Democrats - from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton - talking about their faith and issues like poverty and the environment.

“Liberal Christians are not cohesive. They can’t agree on anything,” Perkins says.

“I think it’s a hunger for a new moral center. Don’t go left. Don’t go right. Go deeper,” Wallis says, adding that he’s not advocating fence-straddling.

“This is not a mushy political middle or center. The hunger, though, is for a moral center where we find the moral choices and challenges that lie right beneath our political debate,” Wallis explains.

But Perkins doesn’t agree. “People are going to have to stand on one side or the other. These are decisions that you can’t stand in the middle,” Perkins says.

He considers Wallis an extreme. “I consider him to be on the left. I’m no more extreme on the right than he is on the left. I mean, he’s out there,” Perkins adds.

Wallis considers himself, however, to be square dab in the middle.

“Well, you know what’s usually in the middle are dead cats and skunks that have been run over. That’s usually what’s in the middle of the road,” Perkins says.

And so the debate continues, perhaps coming to a church near you.

[jaylynn5162]

Jim Wallace is absolutely on target. Tony Perkins is totally out of touch with the majority of Americans. Mr. Wallace makes sense. Mr. Perkins makes pathetic slurs against those that do not see things his way, i.e. %u201CWell, you know what%u2019s usually in the middle are dead cats and skunks that have been run over. That%u2019s usually what%u2019s in the middle of the road,%u201D.

[mmayhem3]

I agree with the previous poster. Mr. Perkins sounds extremely arrogant...of course he's right!! You have to almost feel sorry for that kind of arrogance. If we can't come together and find common ground, we'll never get anywhere...compassion is found in the middle/center.

[kwlambi]

excuse me what ever happened to the separation of church and state? this is all *** about any bloody religious faction, including the Jews.

[jgoins00]

Dead cats and skunks?? What kind of comment is that from a "Christian leader?" Wallis is right that the dialogue should go deeper.

[sbs4good]

See, if you are a christian, then you understand. Since where in the bible does it say to compromise? seperation of church and state? In the contexts that was said in sounds like christians shouldnt be aloud to vote, or shouldnt take their beliefs into consideration when we vote. Seperation of church and state is the most misused line ever. it is no where in the constitution, no where in the declaration of independence. It came from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson... read your history, you will find out why he wrote it. CBS once again is insulting the the right. No need to worry, it will be the same percentage next election no matter what CBS wants to say.

[clintdarrah1]

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.
- Martin Luther King Jr.

I agree with both Wallis and Perkins, abortions are not always the best idea and *** marriage is something different from what our society has ever accepted wide-spread. Abortions need to happen less but when they do there must be laws in place to protect the mother. With same-*** marriages: "There are basic issues of fairness here that can be resolved with or without a paradigm shift in our basic definition of marriage." However, I see the point Wallis makes about bringing poverty to top of the political agenda of both sides, its not about sides on an issues like the three stated above. It is people that are the focal point and that means these issues are bipartisan issues. To overlook poverty as an important and vital bipartisan issue is to keep our "moral values" where the last elections placed them (abortion and same-*** marriages). Snap your fingers tonight every three seconds as you fall asleep -thats how many children (children not adults) died while you fell fast asleep in your bed.

[exusmcsgt]

I will agree with clintDARRAH1 in that the religious right is not concerned with poverty. It is concerned with a continuation of the crusades. Jews and Christians can have nukes by the hundreds but not one for the Muslims........

[drgoodwin12]

I agree with Wallis,the so called religous right which include Pat Robertson has called for the assasanition of Chavez,supported the GOP who havegiven huge tax breaks to corporartions that have shipped American jobs overseas to countries where abortion is mandatory after the first child is born.Look it up,Robertson did an interview on Larry King where he said the Chinese were simply trying to purge themselves of a ethnic group of fellow Chinamen.There is more than I can print here ,so do your research and see if your so called right wing christians are really seeing the light.Look at Reed,recently indicted.

What an insensitive man is Tony Perkins. His comment about "dead cats and skunks" displayed the lack of compassion too typical among many evangelicals and, sadly, is what we have come to expect. His flippant and thoughtless comment was hateful, hurtful and completely out of line. He did not care in the least about those who may have recently lost a much-loved cat. Some Christian. Shame on Perkins.

[d-tiberius]

Mr. Perkins clearly doesn't have a sense of empathy or civility. One man's truth is another man's lie and heresy in a figure of speaking and he should learn to realise this. Mr. Perkins shouldn't go proclaiming his truth as if it can be proven because it cannot.
Evangelists are in nature fundamentalists who go against the seperation of church and state and tries to take away the basic civil liberties we should have by imposing thier own view. This is the same conceited and arrogant trash that churches have been coming out with since it's start. Nothing new from Mr. Perkins and certainly nothing encouraging.

[axing-2009]

The goal of Christains is to save souls, not lives. Sure, we could give food to people on poor countries...
But people are forgetting what is really important. The average church in the USA sends %0.5 of their offerings on foriegn missions - Most of these just give out food.
*** marriage and abortion is a very important subject in our country. If Christains dont speak, who will?

[pastordannyb]

Tony Perkins, like most evangelical Christians, claims to be against abortion. Yet, feeding the hungry, and making conditions better for poor young mothers will prevent a lot more abortions than calling people "dead cats and skunks." In fact, many countries where abortion is legal have lower abortion rates, because they also have better health care and family-friendly laws & policies, while many countries that have outlawed abortion actually have higher abortion rates due to their lack of care for the poor. When will evangelicals become "pro-life" in deed, and not just in word?

[browsercat]

On whose words are we to place more importance, those of Jesus or those who preach contrary to His commands to take care of the poor, the sick, the imprisioned?

He said 'I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.%u2019 ... Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.%u2019

Where in that passage does it mention *** marriage or abortion?

So is it Jesus or those who preach that wealth is a sign of God's favor? Jesus or those that say that abortion and *** marriage are the most important issues?

[newsjeff-2009]

I think it is about time for Christian groups who support either the GOP or Democrat party to discuss problems like jobs being shipped overseas,high unemployment,high numbers of children and elderly living in poverty,unemployment,broken homes,rising domestic divorce rates, etc. These are just some of the problems facing American voters to keep in mind for November elections other than *** or same *** marriage,abortion,or America waging war against countries because of muslin or other religious beliefs. It should also be noted that I read that a prominent GOP senator from Utah who claims he is a proud,patriotic GOP leader voted against an amendment this year to "Ban Flag Burning" this just one of many ways the GOP controlled congress and senate has failed to pass important bills or issues the past few years, the senate's failures are not Bush's fault either, it is theirs for failing to work together with each other.

[dbonhoeffer-2009]

See Matthew 4:8-10 or Luke 4:5-8. You'll see in both Gospels the same story: Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness with political power. This story is in the Bible for a reason, and as with all Scripture it contains a message for us today. Because within political power lies a seed of evil, a corrupting influence that causes good Christians to glorify themselves instead of God. Jesus resists this temptation because he knows the glory belongs not to Him, but to the Father.

This simple story, so core to Christian belief, is lost on Brother Perkins and many others in the family of faith because they are so consumed with living their faith through political power. What they fail to realize is that this confluence of faith and power only serves to denigrate faith. In fact, their political crusade has served to advance many agendas that are plainly evil (war, poverty, inequity) while the causes that are close to their hearts (saving the unborn, the real protection of marriage and family) languish. Their eyes must be open to how the goodness of their Christian ideals are being cynically manipulated and enslaved for the use of selfish and dissolute politicians.

The "dead cats and skunks that have been run over" are in fact our ideals and hopes for a good and just society.

[lisaho99]

As a recently converted Evangelical- meaning converted from the propaganda streaming out of this administration and the GOP about what I should care about and shouldn't care about, we need to reclaim the term "Evangelical"! I am ashamed of the limited view I had of what the Gospel was about! What is preaching the Good News if not, helping the poor and oppressed?
Axing, you said, "The goal of Christians is to save souls, not lives. Sure, we could give food to people on poor countries... But people are forgetting what is really important. The average church in the USA sends %0.5 of their offerings on foreign missions - Most of these just give out food." What is the gospel if it's not FEEDING THE POOR! Re-read Matthew 25:40 and Mark 10 (Rich Young Ruler)! Jesus was passionate about the poor! They are mentioned 100 times in the Gospels, while the "lost" are only mentioned less than 50. Could it be a blend and blur of both proclamation and bringing justice?

[amepstein]

The contrast in this story is profound. Jim Walls is sounding a call to return to obedience to the commands of Christ, to "go into the world and make disciples of all men", which is to share the good news of reconciliation with God, of forgiveness of sin, and then to live out the the religious life by sharing with those who have not, to take up the cause of the poor and powerless.

Tony Perkins, on the other hand, preaches, not faith, but embracing the seduction of political power, making "enemies" of all men: In his view, those who support abortion are "on the other side" as are homosexuals, as are Christians who don't espouse his narrow doctrine.

Throughout history, when the church has traded the power of the Holy Spirit for political power, it has engaged in the worst evils, from the butcheries of the Crusades and religious wars (those Catholics, you know) to the horrendous evils of the slave trade (those Protestants, you know), and many other such atrocities.

[willsea11521]

When did Justice become a religious "value" of a specific group, any more than Love, Respect, Freedom, Compassion or Peace? Isn't the desire for these found in the hearts of ALL people?

While I agree that it would be nice if the term "evangelical" become associated with justice (and not limited "values" of a specific religious group), and while I support Jim Wallis' struggle to be that voice, let's remember that REAL Principles are universal, apply to ALL human beings. Principles work FOR us when we work FOR them for everyone.

Deeper, Wallis says. I agree, but it will only grow deeper when we realize that the Source of these Principles spreads across the whole world, and is not limited to evangelicials.

[actsmarter]

I was a republican who recently registered independent. I believe the right to life applies as much to kids in the U.S. military as much as it does for the unborn.

Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.

If you really want to complain about religion and politics, then why do political and corporate leaders do mock pagan rituals in the bohemian grove?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1358319439993514946&q=bohemian+grove&hl=en

[costmike]

So according to Tony Perkins, anybody who dosen't agree with him is to be treated and dismissed as road-kill? How Christian of him.

What is it going to take for the media and people of real faith to STOP allowing extremists like Perkins, Dobson, Robertson, Fallwell (not to mention Dubya) to be the voice of US Christians? Where are the real Christians? When will they be given the voice and the platform that real faith in Jesus Christ deserves?

[hermit22]

If Martin Luther King, Jr. said the church is the
"conscience of the state",I agree with him,but then ask why are so many people trying to get rid of the "conscience of the state"?

Just because someone describes himself as "slim" doesn't mean he is slim. I don't believe Wallis
is a real "evangelical".