Hello, I’m Grant, I am working with the Matthew 25 Network as diaried earlier by Deoliver47. Matthew 25 will be reaching out to diverse Christian communities with a positive message for our endorsed candidate- Senator Barack Obama.
Let me share a bit about myself and what we are trying to do. I am a seminary student and spend a lot, perhaps the bulk, of my time working with evangelicals in modern America. My commitment is to do what I can to take back the Gospel values that have been hijacked by the Christian Right. We believe that religious values can inform political values, and that does not have to mean voting for Republicans!
The Matthew 25 Network will be the first PAC that organizes within the Christian community to lift up a voice for candidates who share values of concern for the poor, peace and justice at home and abroad, and promoting the common good. We will be reaching out to undecided Christian voters to share about why we are supporting Barack Obama.
We are engaging a field of voters that progressives had ignored for far too long.
Matthew 25 is a great way to start that task:
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirst and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prision and you came to visit me.
Matthew 25:30-40
I’ve been around Kos for a while, particularly when the Rev. Wright story broke and some asked me to diary about how the theological community was responding. And, I think a lot of Kossacks will welcome this effort. The Obama campaign has been about talking to all voters about his vision for this nation. That is the foundation of what we are doing. We cannot break the 51-49% divide if we don’t reach out to those that haven’t always been with us.
Mara Vanderslice is the organizing force behind the Matthew 25 Network. Mara has ten years of campaign and advocacy experience, for organizations including, Sojourners and Call to Renewal, the Jubilee 2000 campaign for debt-relief and the Global AIDS Alliance. Mara has worked on numerous successful campaigns in 2006, including Senator Bob Casey (PA), Governor Ted Strickland (OH), Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI), Representative Heath Shuler and Governor Kathleen Sebelius (KS). Mara was also the Religious Outreach liaison for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign.
We are trying to get a broad community behind us. The voters we are talking with have not always voted democratic in the past – hence George Bush. So, we need progressives to get behind us in reaching out to these communities, if this year is going to be different.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro spoke at an event for us last night, and Brian McLaren- pastor, author and founder of the emerging church movement, was at an event the night before.
Just this week we had a gathering in Princeton of over 80 evangelicals, main-line theologians, religious and non-religious Obama supporters to get behind this effort. We are in our infancy but it has been a fast couple of weeks.
Here is an ad we ran in four newspapers prior to the Democratic primary in Indiana:
So, How can you help out?
1st. Rec! to keep this conversation going
2nd Email this diary out to your friends, pastors, and other folks
3rd Donate! We are just getting off the ground, and are a thrifty bunch, but we need your help. Rather you are religious or not we can all agree that something has to be done to counter act the Christian Right. We have a good team together. We have a good plan. Now we need the support behind us.
4th Get involved! Share your ideas, ad your name to our email list for more updates.
I’m going to stick around and answer questions, chat about Ideas. Please consider donating to our Act Blue account to help get us off the ground. We need your help!
Thanks So Much,
consider donating to our Act Blue account
Grant Brooke
Matthew 25 Network
Here is our temporary website - http://www.matthew25network.com/
My apologies for the post and pull and re-post... I had posted on a retired account.