Michael Berube, a literature professor at Penn State, has a blog were his latest entry is a tongue-in-cheek description of the difference between Christians and and CHRISTIANS. Its a good read and even though it was made somewhat in jest.
The definition of Christians:
First, you liberals and progressives and leftists and Communists have to stop vilifying "Christians." It's counterproductive and wrong. Christians are not responsible for George Bush's election. Christians are not intolerant; Christians are not ignorant. Christians are actually filled with agape; they work among the poor and the downtrodden, they give up all hope of material gain in this world, they turn the other cheek when they are struck, and they always do unto others as they would have others do unto them.
Before we vilify the South we need to remember the difference. We may never be able to attract the CHRISTIANS to the Democratic Party but we've really got to put aside our biases and appeal to the Christians. By description they are natural progressives. By giving up on the Red States we are leaving these people behind.
Appealing to and recruiting Christians should be one of our top goals not only for the next election but as a rule. I think that this should be explored and discussed at the DKos convention.
I just want to add. He who shouts the loudest gets heard. That's why we only hear the fundies and not Christians.
So the next time you laugh at one of those "Jesusland" maps or "F**k the South" rants remember that there are real Christians down there. I'm sure that they probably despair more than we do because they are seeing their belief's and life's work twisted into something ugly and totally abhorant to them by the Religious Right.
Michael Berube's Definition of CHRISTIANS
Creationists and
Homophobes for a
Righteous
Inquisition of the
Secular
Terrorists who
Infest
America
Now.
I really need to get a T-Shirt with the Definition of Christians on the front and CHRISTIANS on the back.