Values of Jesus Fit Today's Left -- Charlotte Observer

[grasswire]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article46393755.html

Clearly, without question, Jesus espoused values aligned with the modern political left. Sometimes, this facet of religion is called the "social gospel." So it's strange that America's white evangelicals and fundamentalists are the bedrock of the Republican Party - a party that favors the rich, undercuts the safety net, backs militarism, and demands harsher justice and the death penalty. Oddly, these conservative believers contradict the values of Jesus.

When George W. Bush was governor of Texas, he signed execution warrants for a record-breaking 135 inmates, including 11 who were juveniles at the time of the crimes. Many cases involved questionable evidence. Yet Bush was renowned as a born-again believer and declared on national television that his favorite philosopher was Jesus. The contrast between the two sets off clanging bells of cognitive dissonance.

Meanwhile, secular Americans who don't attend church have become the largest group in the base of the Democratic Party, which supports the safety net for average folks. How odd that churchless people are closer to the social principles of Jesus than many churchgoers are.

New Pope Francis has gained immense worldwide popularity because he pushes the humane liberal ideas of Jesus, not the sexual taboos and hidebound Puritanism that dominated his church in the past. "Inequality is the root of social evil," Francis declares. All poor families deserve "land, lodging, labor," he preaches. He says capitalism rests on "unfettered pursuit of money" and discards "unproductive people" like the poor, elderly and less-educated.

Conservatives are rattled by the prelate. Republican figure Pat Buchanan accused him of preaching "socialist sermons." But the pope is merely voicing the values of Jesus. He is underscoring what should be obvious to every thinking person: that Jesus was a liberal.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article46393755.html#storylink=cpy

[LiberalArkie]

1. ^^^^^^^^^

[grasswire]

2. I was surprised to see this in a general circulation publication

We've known it for some time. Seeing it articulated is cool.

[LiberalArkie]

3. Yea, that is why I became a liberal Democrat. Granddad was Atheist Socialist and my dad an Episcopal

Republican. So me being a Jesus-follower-Liberal but not to be called Christian because those are strange people.

[grasswire]

4. crazy, isn't it...

.....that those who hate the most are the ones who cling so tightly to that "Christian" identity in this country, today.

[LiberalArkie]

5. I think we got a little too much inspiration from the inquisition.

[JanMichael]

6. It is crazy to see this in the Observer. Awesome yet a shock.

On a similar note I used to frequent Atheist boards years ago, still am a nutty unbeliever, an one time a nice christian that was on that board called me more christian than the idiots conservative christuans that we were arguing with.

My wonderful partner in life Stephanie is Episcopalian and the most reasonable liberal I know. She puts up with me a borderline Stalinist...