The Washington Post has an article today, Religious Liberals Gain New Visability, citing the rising voice of religious left-wing politics.
"For most of the 20th century -- from the Progressive era through the civil rights movement -- religious involvement in American politics was dominated by the left. That changed in the 1970s, after the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights, the formation of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, and, on the left, "the rise of a secular, liberal, urban elite that was not particularly comfortable with religion," said Will Marshall III, president of the Progressive Policy Institute, a Washington think tank."
The religious right equates moral values with stances against abortion and for same-sex marriages only. Religious liberals insist on expanded views of morality, including poverty, health care, and the war in Iraq among their issues.
"According to John C. Green, an expert on religion and politics at the University of Akron, and others, the religious left cuts across almost all denominations, drawing in black churches, liberal Roman Catholics and mainline Protestants as well as Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and people who say they are "spiritual" but not affiliated with an organized faith."
While it's uncertain what the impact will be on the American political scene, the Washington Post says "The religious left is back." All I can say is welcome. I hope it leads to an expanded and inclusive view of the genuine values shared by most Americans.
You can read the full article on The Washington Post. It's free but you do have to register. Once you do, you can receive The Post everyday via email.
