Via The Economist, here’s a report on the “Lausanne movement”, a grouping of evangelicals founded in 1974 by Billy Graham as a response to the by-the-numbers leftism of the reliably dreadful World Council of Churches.
I don’t know how this movement was in 1974, but these days it doesn’t sound like much of an improvement over the rabble for which it was designed as an alternative:
…coming from a body that stresses the spiritual, parts of the meeting’s final statement were quite earthly. Humanity must “repent of our part in the destruction, waste and pollution of the Earth’s resources, and our collusion in the toxic idolatry of consumerism,”
‘Toxic idolatry of consumerism’. Oh my.
Drill baby, drill!
A bit deceptive, as per the usual SR politics. There are genuine environmental problems, including Peak Oil (the BP disaster was bipartisan all the way). For that matter, Nixon himself founded the EPA. Al Gore’s touchy-feely eco-politics doesn’t represent the thinking of all non-conservatives, either.
Real religious fanatics are far more numerous in the…GOP. The recent Beck rally featured Rev. Hagee belching away his usual madness from the Book of Revelation. Palin, McDonnell, Angle and others may have toned down the religious hysteria (probably following orders, from someone–Shark-in-chief Michael Steele perhaps), but it’s still there, simmering in the background.
However, the religious left is growing and they are worst in some ways than the religous right. I predict a return to the William Jennings Bryant areaa, where some evanglicals hate big business like Bryant stated being Cruxified on a cross of GoldOld. Jim Walis and TOny Campolo are the religious left. And the old religous right appeal to 50 and over folks. While the emergant church a new development of Evangelicals appeals to 40 and over and is very to the left politcally.
The idea that younger evangelicals are more liberal is mostly a myth, with the exception of concern for the environment: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-5906.2010.01514.x/pdf
”And the old religous right appeal to 50 and over folks. While the emergant church a new development of Evangelicals appeals to 40 and over and is very to the left politcally.”
Hopefully the Religious Left will go in the dustbins of history just as the Religious Right. Politicized Christianity is a horrible thing indeed )=
Younger Christians seem to be leaving evangelicalism (and politicized Christianity) in droves (I’m one of them) while not leaving Christianity.
“The idea that younger evangelicals are more liberal is mostly a myth”
Younger fundamentalists are not more liberal, but younger evangelicals are a mixed bag. It’s not just environmentalism. Welfare, third-world debt relief, socialism (Jesus-style) and the like all dove-tail with Establishment-Left religion found at the National/World Council of Churches and other liberal main-line churches.
And let’s not forget the execrable Just-War Theory, peace studies (with Jesus as Che Guevara), and Palestinians as God’s chosen people (LOL).
You can’t minimize the Religious Left (even if the media won’t admit there is such a thing). They are numerous, well-funded, and active.
Ask Elian Gonzalez.