When many people hear the word, "evangelical" they tend to think of some kind of Bible-thumper who hates gays and is in lockstep with the Republican party.
As someone who grew up as an evangelical, I beg to differ.
I would know longer call myself one, but I know that the evangelicals are a diverse and complex bunch. While they might be somewhat on the conservative side socially, they have the same concerns as many people on the economy and jobs.
There is also a long history of evangelicals being concerned on issues of social justice.
Someome didn't tell this to Karl Rove. He tends to think that all evangelicals care about are abortion and gay rights. Well, this story by the Los Angeles Times shows that a good number of evangelicals are just as concerned about checkbook issues and the war in Iraq as any liberal is. Just read this:
" Some of these targeted voters remain conflicted — torn between their religious convictions on so-called values issues, and concerns typical of suburban moms and dads, such as jobs, healthcare, the Iraq war and the environment.
Some, such as Wendy Skroch, a 51-year-old mother of three who prays regularly at the evangelical Elmbrook Church in this heavily Republican Milwaukee suburb, blame Bush for failing to fix a "broken" healthcare system and for "selling off the environment to the highest bidder."
Rove thought he could just use the threat of gays to get them to vote for Bush. However, evangelicals are not simply Jerry Fawell or Pat Robertson clones. They are real people with complex issues. They are concered about clean air and clean water. They want to a better health care system than what we have.
It would have been nice if Rove and the GOP would have framed an agenda on those issues instead of trying to divide our nation at time when we need to come together.
It will be interesting to see if Rove's scare and conquer strategy prevails or if evangelicals tell Rove in a Christian way to go to hell.
Thanks to Mark Kittel for pointing me out to this article.
Posted by Dennis at October 31, 2004 02:12 PMI've tried a joke or two on this forum and bombed - so I thought I'd try a poem. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Dear Judy,
I’m settled in now. I found a good dentist
to take care of what’s left of my teeth.
The pharmacist at the strip mall likes to flirt
when I pick up something for a cold
or hemorrhoids. The pastor here, says more
than he needs to some weeks; but he’s
an insightful man and I think that I’m going
to like this church.
Reverend John and his dentist friend
want me to get out and socialize more;
so the pharmacist and I meet them
every other Wednesday night to play hearts.
It's not a bad arrangement, Judy;
and these are good people to have around.
But when they start trying
to do each other’s job;
and I listen to someone’s version
of someone else’s advice, I find that
my conscience gets numb,
my teeth get holier
and the pain in my ass doesn’t go away.
I'll be with you soon Dear.
oohh, be afraid, be very afraid. lets not get too carried away.
as much as i consider kerry a traitorous scum, america would still be there on Nov 3rd if he was elected.
a bush re-election, although he has been far from an ideal president, would also result in america still being here on Nov 3rd.
a day before we vote do you think we could stop with the emotional BS from both sides?
Posted by: mike at November 1, 2004 07:04 PMThe TRUTH matters now, nothing else, and the truth can be found at www.newamericancentury.org, where you will find out that the Bush administration decided to go to Iraq long before 911. Project for the New American Century is a club devoted to pre-emption, arms build-up, including nuclear arms, nation building, and administration continuity, whose members include Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Jeb Bush, and Bill Kristol, among other powerful people. BE SCARED, BE VERY SCARED when you go to the polls on election day, and vote for peace and freedom.
Posted by: Judy at November 1, 2004 09:34 AMI can't find it now, but I just saw something where Focus on the Family put some sort of biblical voters guide out, where they said that supporting environmental regulation was somehow unbiblical.
I find this rather ironic. Lois Prichard, Tom Prichard's wife (MFC guy) was VERY interested in REP literature at the 58 district convention. I know there are other christian conservatives who are conservationists.
To me this just is another example of what a charlatan James Dobson is.
Posted by: Eva Young at October 31, 2004 08:09 PM