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| -Election 2012 | |||
| Do as I Do, Not as I Say | |||
| 2012-05-09 | |||
| If Democrats want to reach more evangelical voters, they should use a political language that evangelicals can hear. They should talk about the kind of people we are aiming to be and about the transformational journey that any choice will take us on. They should talk about how we can grow in compassion and care. They could talk about the way their policy interventions will allow those who receive them to become better people and how those of us who support them will better ourselves as we reach out in love. They could describe health care reform as a response to suffering, not as a solution to an economic problem. To be sure, they won't connect to every evangelical. But the good news for secular liberals is that evangelicals are smarter and more varied than many liberals realize. I met doctors, scientists and professors at the churches where I studied. They cared about social justice. They cared about the poor. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many of them got into their cars and drove to New Orleans. This is a reachable population, and back in 2008, a quarter of white evangelicals voted for Mr. Obama. Democrats could speak to evangelicals more effectively if they talked about how we could develop our moral character together as we work to rebuild our country.
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| Posted by:Pappy |
| #6 Well, the Evangelical voters are now out of reach as of this afternoon. |
| Posted by: Charles 2012-05-09 16:33 |
| #5 Charity is a fine and noble thing if it's voluntary. But when the government taxes people and "redistributes the wealth" to people who are likely to vote a certain way it isn't charity. It's armed robbery. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2012-05-09 11:44 |
| #4 What these "social Gospel" christians don't grasp is that it is possible to do "the right thing" the wrong way, and thus fall under the condemnation of God. They have no problems arguing that doing the right thing of "protecting Americans" is no justification for committing what they consider war crimes, but let it be the question of whether they are fulfilling THEIR pet cause "the right way", they argue that "the ends justifies the means". A prime example of this danger is Moses. When the Hebrews in the wilderness lacked water, he was told the first time to take his rod and strike a specific rock. When he obeyed, the testimony is that water came out. Near the end of the 40 years in the wilderness, the Hebrews again lacked water. This time, Moses was instructed to take the rod, but speak to the rock. In disobedience, he struck the rock. Although God graciously allowed the water to flow out of the rock, both Moses and Aaron were forbidden from going into the Promised Land as punishment. The "ends justifies the means crowd" would focus on the water and not on the fact that God condemned Moses and Aaron for not doing it the right way. What is significant is that the record says NOTHING about Aaron doing anything to contribute to what Moses did, yet he got caught up in the punishment as well because he was a leader. I was an influence leader in a Church that pretended to follow the bible but disregarded the biblical way of financing help to the poor and helping the sick. When I realized I was playing Aaron to their Moses, I split because I did not want to share the pain of the punishment God would mete out on the idiots who refused to listen to my warnings, and the smart ones who feigned idiocy to avoid addressing them. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2012-05-09 10:19 |
| #3 At this point democrats are beyond redeemable qualities at all. They are the stain of civilization. They ARE Amalek leading the world back into slavery. I do not care who, when, what, or where this ass crack opens up. It's over. Go sleep with your dictators but if you try to bring me at knifepoint, I will leave you with nothing. Democrats all suck and Republicans suck a little less. At this point it may be time to cut away from the bad parachute ride all together. We need three decent parties to run a decent republic and we have none. All adults have died or have left. I shall not mince words. ANY Church that follows democrat narrative is evil beyond recognition. A lack of acknowledgement of history and the book they are supposed to be preaching could give an 11th grader same wisdom. Just because something sounds "Compassionate" or popular does not make it correct. It usually means that all old and failed things are again tried. It's like chasing wind and that's not how I would like to spend my adult life. I threw childish things away long ago. You have freewill and that is a gift from the Heavens but forcing your will on people for your sake of "social equality" is childish and you disgust me. Do as you shall, but you shall find consequence in the weeds you are planting. My part will continue to be voluntarily non-committal to your childish and arrogant cause. I disregard many parish for this very reason, and Catholics that vote for this shit really are pariahs from hell. At least Biden is humorous about his lack of faith. I find the NYT Abhorrent and am happy to see you living the lives most of us "Under-employed" people have. You and your paper have always been a bunch of lying jerks that helped in the extermination of millions of real live people in your utopian dreams. At last, you see what a curse may do when you see it. No quarter. |
| Posted by: newc 2012-05-09 03:40 |
| #2 Democrats could speak to evangelicals more effectively if they talked about how we could develop our moral character together as we work to rebuild our country. Yes! Charline Rangel, Bill Clinton, Barney Franks, Al Gore, Kwame Kilpatrick, Alcee Hastings, Marian Barry, Rod Blagojevich, John Edwards, |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2012-05-09 02:25 |
| #1 Typical New York Times, dealing with non-Times readers with a petri dish and protective gloves. |
| Posted by: gromky 2012-05-09 00:57 |