Unlike Bush I haven't been "Born Again" and unlike Kerry I did not carry my religion with me into the Viet Nam war. I've been a self-defined agnostic now for 40+ years. As I get older - and hopefully wiser - I find that I am questioning my early-in-life rejection of the hypocrisy I found in the Christian mainstream religious doctrine of my parents. Each of us must follow our own `feelings' on the issue of spirituality, but I find myself wondering more often if I can throw away the teachings of early youth as I get closer to my own physical demise? Your Mileage May Vary.
So I've - in a very casual way - started looking at what seems to make sense, not what various doctrines dictate. Over here at American Bodhisattva (what a pretentious name for a blog!) there is a recent posting about rejecting the current shift of religion and church toward accepting the perpetual war on terror that Mr. Bush and cronies advocate. How does this apply to the long term politics of winning the country back from the neo/paleo/social/religious conservatives? More below the fold.
Mr. Bodhisattva refers to his article as "Return of the Confessing Church?"
When one follows the accompanying links and finds that the Confessing Church was "systematically opposed to the Nazi-sponsored German Christian Church" and Mr. Bodhisattva suggests that "The mainstream Christian church today has, to a large degree, abandoned its calling to advance social justice and peace worldwide". Though Mr. Bodhisattva doesn't explicitly spell out the comparison, he is suggesting that many main-stream denominations are following the same path that main-stream Christian churches did in 1930's Germany by acceding to the propaganda of the Nazi party.
As Mr. Bodhisattva suggests, I also offer as an alternative this introduction to "A new confession of Christ" here at, Sojourners.
Mr. Jim Wallis writes in his introduction: "Because of a deep and growing concern about an emerging "theology of war" in the White House, the increasingly frequent language of "righteous empire," and official claims of "divine appointment" for a nation and president in the "war" on terrorism, I have joined with several theologians and ethicists in writing the following statement. A climate in which violence is too easily accepted, and the roles of God, church, and nation too easily confused calls for a new "confession" of Christ. The statement names five key points of Jesus' teachings, while rejecting false teachings that nullify his message. It has been signed by more than 200 theologians and ethicists - many of them from theologically conservative seminaries and Christian colleges. We share it with you and ask that you send it to friends and present it to your churches if you resonate with its concerns and convictions."
If you're interested in more than the immediate election and want ideas on how we can win back America from the radical right, then I advocate winning the hearts and minds of middle of the road religious congregations.
This starts by rejecting the "theology of (perpetual) war" and getting folks that are generally good people to focus on how they, as an organized group and as caring individuals, can have a positive effect on not only on their immediate community, but the country and the world.
I recognize this diary isn't as much fun as outing the latest hijinks or rumor of imminent call up of the National Guard - but I hope that it appeals to those that choose to think strategically about the larger and long-term picture.